Eating Coffee Beans: Pros and Cons

By
Samanta Fryer
Samanta Fryer
Writer
Samanta Fryer is our senior editor and content writer, at CoffeeVibe. Apart from writing and reading, she’s fond of the coffee brewing process and enjoys tasting new coffe read more
reviewed
Reviewed By
Ryan Hendricks
Ryan Hendricks
Expert
Ryan Hendricks is our tester, who puts products through their paces. He used to be a barista and is now a full-time coffee enthusiast. He’s always testing out new gadgets, read more
Last updated: August 14, 2023
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Almost anyone can appreciate a nice cup of coffee in the morning, but what if there was another way to enjoy your coffee. Believe it or not, the practice of eating coffee beans on their own has been around for many years and is enjoyed by many coffee enthusiasts.

Eating raw coffee beans and eating coffee beans for weight loss are all some of the issues we will look at and see what merits they actually have. Taking a look at the many benefits and few risks that are associated with eating coffee beans will help you decide if its right for you.

Why eating coffee beans?

Coffee beans have been used to make coffee for many years, so it’s not that surprising that someone would try and eat them. Drinking coffee has its own benefits, so why would someone choose to eat the beans instead of just drinking the coffee? Interestingly enough, the benefits that come from eating coffee beans are much different than what you get from just drinking coffee.

Eating coffee beans for energy and other benefits is very prevalent in your health, so it is easy to see why many people decide to eat coffee beans as a part of their diet. Additionally, many people find that coffee beans can taste great when properly roasted or covered in chocolate. To give some insight as to why you may want to consider easting coffee beans, let’s look at some of the benefits you can see from eating them.

Eating Coffee Beans: Pros and Cons

Potential benefits

For starters, eating raw coffee beans for their nutritional value is possible, but not recommended for the harsh taste and difficulty eating. Thankfully, you can see almost all of the same benefits from eating roasted coffee beans as opposed to the less desirable raw beans. For health, the many antioxidants and healthy nutrients that are drained out when drinking coffee are still present when you just eat the beans.

This means that you are getting much more of the natural nutrients present in the beans than If you were to just drink coffee instead. Additionally, you are also getting a much more raw and potent form of caffeine when eating the beans. The benefits of eating coffee beans can give you much more caffeine than drinking coffee that has lost most of its natural caffeine. With many benefits, it is still very important to also consider the potential risks some may face when looking to eat coffee beans.

Potential risks

For most people, eating coffee beans has little potential to be harmful. However, you should still be aware of the potential risks you face when eating coffee beans. Some people have experienced issues such as heartburn and bloating when eating coffee beans due to the potent antioxidants and rich fibers of the beans. Some people may also experience issues with their bowel movements if preexisting conditions exist.

Similarly, to normal coffee, the caffeine in coffee beans is very potent and should be treated as such. You cannot just keep eating these beans and expect little physical sensations. The caffeine can increase your heart rate and make you feel like you had too many cups of coffee if you are not careful. Know your limits and only eat in moderation. While there are risks, you shouldn’t be afraid to try the beans unless you are part of a susceptible group.

Eating Coffee Beans: Pros and Cons

Who shouldn’t eat coffee beans, and why?

Just as coffee isn’t for everyone, coffee beans are also not great for some groups of people. For those who don’t do well with normal coffee or caffeine intake, then it is best to avoid coffee beans as it may lead to too much energy and further issues as a result. If you are pregnant, you may want to avoid the beans, for they could affect your internal chemistry and make you uncomfortable.

An interesting group who should never have access to coffee beans is pets. Humans are large and able to deal with caffeine to some degree, but our cats and dogs cannot. Dogs and cats eating coffee beans can be a serious issue as their small bodies and hearts are not built for that much energy consumption. Even a few beans could be potentially deadly for your pets, so make sure they never eat them. If your pet ingests coffee by accident, you must take immediate action.

Best ways to eat coffee beans

Coffee beans may not sound all that attractive for eating, but they can actually be quite nice. Making sure you get them with the right level of the roast will determine how strong and rich their flavor is. While you can eat them raw, it would likely taste very earthy and similar to eating a vegetable right out of the ground. Coffee lovers will probably enjoy and appreciate the taste of a well-roasted bean.

If you want a little more flavor and aren’t counting calories, eating chocolate-covered coffee beans can be a nice way to add some sweetness to the coffee beans. You can find all sorts of covered beans with different flavorings, but that will also add to the calories and sugars you are consuming. Try different flavors and styles of beans to find the ones that you find most enjoyable to eat.

Eating Coffee Beans: Pros and ConsIn conclusion

From the pot to the sandwich bag, enjoying a coffee or its beans can be a great way to boost your energy and see some extra health benefits. We looked at some of the many positives to eating coffee beans and looked at a few considerations to make before diving into a bag. There are beans for everyone out there, and you can experiment to find your perfect blend.

Whether you are looking to eat coffee beans for weight loss or just want to see what all the rave is about, you’ll never know what you are missing out until you try it. You could soon be putting away your favorite coffee cup and trading it for a bag of perfectly roasted coffee beans.

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