Nothing is more refreshing than starting a hot summer morning with a delicious, chilled, iced coffee. Alternatively, there’s nothing more refreshing than starting off a cold winter dawn with a nice mug of warm, smokey coffee. But, have you ever wondered how the difference between the two types of coffee affects your health? A 2018 study with researchers from Thomas Jefferson University asked that question as well.

Smells Good

While not much research has been published on this topic, what they did find was that hot coffee contained more antioxidants than its iced counterpart. Antioxidants can promote health by preventing or slowing cell death. The biggest factor supporting hot coffee would be its aromatic advantages compared to iced coffee. Hot coffee has more vapors, obviously, since it’s hot. While it’s no secret hot coffee has a very distinct and inviting smell, this aroma may actually help people wake up and be more alert simply due to a placebo effect. In an experiment, researchers introduced coffee bean aromas to lab rats. These rats were found to have decreased stress and were found to be more alert than the control group.

The Verdict

Overall, hot or iced coffee, both contain the same ingredients. While hot coffee has more antioxidants, and more aroma, these factors may not be enough to make a significant difference between the two types of coffee. 

Would you like to know more?

By John Toledo

The post Iced or Hot? appeared first on The Coffee Class.