Cold Brew Coffee Benefits and How to Make It at Home

Cold brew coffee has gained popularity among coffee drinkers in Malaysia recently. Little known fact, instead of using hot water to draw out the flavor and caffeine from coffee beans, cold brew coffee relies solely on time by steeping them in cold water for about 12 to 24 hours. This method makes the drink less bitter than hot coffee. Even though most research on the health benefits of coffee uses hot brew, cold brew is thought to offer many similar effects.

Here are some impressive health benefits of cold brew coffee.

May boost your metabolism

Metabolism is the process by which your body uses food to create energy. The higher your metabolic rate, the more calories you burn at rest. Just like hot coffee, cold brew coffee contains caffeine, which has been shown to increase your resting metabolic rate by up to 11%. Caffeine appears to boost the metabolic rate by increasing how quickly your body burns fat. In a study in 8 men, ingesting caffeine led to a 13% increase in calorie burning, as well as a 2-fold increase in fat burning — much greater effects than they experienced after taking a placebo or beta-blocker (medication for blood pressure and circulation).


May lift your mood

The caffeine in cold brew coffee is to improve the state of mind. Caffeine consumption has been shown to enhance mood, especially among sleep-deprived individuals. A review of studies in over 370,000 people found that those who drank coffee had lower rates of depression. In fact, for every cup of coffee consumed per day, depression risk sank by 8%. Some research even suggests that caffeine could be used as a nutritional supplement to boost mood and brain function in older adults. In a study in 12 adults ages 63–74, taking 1.4 mg of caffeine per pound (3 mg per kg) of body weight improved mood by 17%. This amount of caffeine is equivalent to around two cups of coffee for the average-sized person.

Caffeine also improved their ability to react to an object moving toward them, indicating that it increases focus and attentiveness, which we in Malaysia need especially at work and while driving.


May lower your risk of heart disease

Heart disease is a general term for several conditions that can affect your heart, including coronary artery disease, heart attack, and stroke. It’s the number one cause of death worldwide. Cold brew coffee contains compounds that may reduce your risk of heart disease which includes caffeine, phenolic compounds, magnesium, trigonelline, quinides, and lignans. These increase insulin sensitivity, stabilize blood sugar and lower blood pressure.

The drink also contains chlorogenic acids (CGAs) and diterpenes, which act as antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents. Drinking 3–5 cups of coffee (15–25 ounces or 450–750 ml) daily may lower your risk of heart disease by up to 15%, compared to people who don’t drink coffee. Evidence to suggest that drinking more than 3–5 cups per day increases heart disease risk is lacking, though this effect has not been studied in people who consume more than 600 mg of caffeine per day, the equivalent of about 6 cups of coffee. That said, people with uncontrolled high blood pressure should avoid drinking caffeine regularly, as this may further elevate their levels.


May lower your risk of type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition in which your blood sugar levels are too high. If left untreated, it can lead to many serious health complications. Cold brew coffee may reduce your risk of developing this disease. In fact, drinking at least 4–6 cups of coffee per day is associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes. These benefits may be largely due to chlorogenic acids, which are powerful antioxidants in coffee. Cold brew coffee may also regulate gut peptides, which are hormones in your digestive system that control and slow digestion, keeping your blood sugar stable. One study in over 36,900 people ages 45–74 found that those who drank at least 4 cups of coffee per day had a 30% lower risk of type 2 diabetes than individuals who didn’t drink coffee daily. A review of 3 large studies in more than 1 million people found that those who increased their coffee intake over 4 years had an 11% lower risk of type 2 diabetes, compared to a 17% higher risk in those who reduced their coffee intake by more than 1 cup per day.


Similar caffeine content to hot coffee

Cold brew coffee is made as a concentrate that is meant to be diluted with water, usually in a 1:1 ratio. The concentrate is incredibly strong on its own. In fact, undiluted, it provides about 200 mg of caffeine per cup. However, diluting the concentrate as is customary will reduce the caffeine content of the final product, bringing it closer to that of regular coffee. Though caffeine content can vary depending on the brewing method, the difference in caffeine content between hot coffee and cold brew is insignificant. The average cup of hot coffee contains around 95 mg of caffeine as compared to about 100 mg for a typical cold brew.


Here's how you make it:

● First, purchase whole roasted coffee beans locally or online and coarsely grind them.
● Add 8 ounces (226 grams) of grounds to a large jar and gently stir in 2 cups (480 ml) of water.
● Cover the jar and let the coffee steep in the refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours.
● Then place cheesecloth into a fine mesh strainer and pour the steeped coffee through it into another jar.
● Discard the solids that collect on the cheesecloth or save them for other creative uses. So the liquid that remains is your cold brew coffee concentrate. Now cover the jar with an airtight lid and store your concentrate in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. When you are ready to drink it, add 1/2 cup (120 ml) of cold water to 1/2 cup (120 ml) of cold brew coffee concentrate.
● Lastly, pour this over ice and add cream if desired.


Thank you.



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