Will Drinking Coffee Darken Your Skin? Does Coffee Consumption Lead to Skin Darkening?

It is 2021 now, and everyone should think rationally and trust science.

Many people have probably heard the saying "you are what you eat," and on that basis avoid dark-colored foods such as soy sauce, coffee and chocolate.

"I drink coffee often! Will it really make my skin darker?"

(Two seconds of silence, cough cough.)

Please — the color of a food has absolutely nothing to do with your skin color.

Look at it from another angle:

Does eating green vegetables turn you green? Do strawberries turn you pink? Does drinking water make you transparent? (Deep in thought...)

The Science Behind Coffee and Skin Color

Medical studies have shown that the color compounds in coffee are all organic substances that are broken down in the human stomach and converted into materials the body can absorb. They do not travel directly through the bloodstream to reach our skin.

In the eyes of dermatology experts, the claim that drinking black coffee darkens the skin has no scientific basis whatsoever.

What Actually Determines Skin Color

The substance that determines skin color is melanin, and how much of it you have depends on two factors:

First, genetics; second, sunlight, meaning ultraviolet rays.

• Genetics

Not much needs to be said about genetics — just look at your parents.

• Sunlight

Sunlight exposure stimulates the skin to trigger its own protective mechanism and produce melanin, which reduces UV damage to the skin and lowers the risk of skin cancer. (Summer truly is the season for getting tanned.)

The Sleep Question

"I can't drink coffee — I won't be able to sleep if I do."

You have probably heard this often, especially from friends who do not drink coffee.

We all know coffee contains caffeine, which is energizing and stimulates the brain. Many people avoid coffee for exactly this reason.

When Is the Best Time to Drink Coffee?

On this question, I would recommend the morning or after lunch.

Coffee at those times combats post-meal drowsiness and lasts for 3-4 hours. Drink it in the afternoon, however, and it may affect your sleep at night.

There is another angle, though: if you have a habit of napping at the office, you might try a "coffee nap."

Reason 1: A 15-20 minute nap does not enter deep sleep, so there is no sleep inertia and it is easier to wake up.

Reason 2: Caffeine takes about 15-20 minutes to affect the cerebral cortex, so you will feel refreshed the moment you wake.

The Heart Health Question

"Drinking coffee every day — won't it affect my heart?"

Some people feel temporary discomfort such as a racing heartbeat or a headache after coffee, and worry it might worsen heart disease.

In recent years, more and more studies show that drinking coffee is not only harmless to the body but can actually prevent and reduce the risk of many diseases,

for example high blood pressure, diabetes, liver disease, depression, cerebrovascular disease and stroke, breast cancer, colorectal cancer and more.

According to the research, for people who already have coronary heart disease, or who have even experienced a myocardial infarction, drinking coffee does not affect heart function at all, nor does it trigger new pain.

Drinking 1-3 cups daily can significantly reduce the risk; if you drink 4-6 cups, the risk reduction becomes even greater.

Now that we know all this, I believe everyone can enjoy a delicious cup of coffee with peace of mind.

Image source: Internet

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Since coffee is safe to enjoy, the next question is which bean to enjoy it with. Single-origin espresso, or SOE, is a good place to look: by extracting one coffee under pressure you get a richer, more surprising flavor than a dark roast's plain, heavy body usually allows. FrontStreet Coffee's Huakui SOE, for example, is medium roasted and extracts into red berries, light florals and orange, with a citrus-scented crema, a refreshing body and an elegant aroma that makes it ideal for a Huakui SOE Americano or a Huakui SOE flat white.

If you prefer something bright and tea-like, the FrontStreet Coffee Gena Geisha SOE is a native Ethiopian Geisha from the Gena Estate near the famous Yirgacheffe town, where fully ripe cherries are natural-processed; as pour-over it shows a bright, light body with a tea-like finish, and as an SOE Americano berry acidity leads with a ripe plum fermentation note, while with milk it becomes yellow peach, guava and black tea, sweet and tart in good balance. On the opposite, richer side, FrontStreet Coffee's Queen Estate SOE comes from Brazil, whose beans are known for a soft, friendly character; grown at high altitude, the estate has a wide day-night temperature swing that lets the cherries build more flavor precursors, and a medium-dark roast brings out dense nut, cream and peanut aromas with a sweet chocolate finish, extracting a beautiful, rich crema and making an aromatic milk coffee.

For a fruitier espresso, FrontStreet Coffee's Sidra SOE comes from the famous Huila region of Colombia, produced at Diviso Estate near a volcanic zone that gives the coffee a rich aroma; the fully ripe cherries are double anaerobic natural processed and medium roasted, letting the floral and fruit notes open up to the fullest, and the espresso shows clear blueberry juice, passion fruit, ripe grape and an apricot sweet-tartness. If you like a heavier, spicier cup, FrontStreet Coffee's PWN Golden Mandheling SOE, a top-grade Mandheling, has been hand-sorted three times and machine-sorted to minimize defects; medium-dark roasted, it extracts with distinct spice, herb, sandalwood and caramel notes, a very full body and a dark chocolate finish. And for a gentle, everyday espresso, FrontStreet Coffee's Yirgacheffe Red Cherry SOE suits a medium roast, pulling a black coffee with soft citrus fruit acidity, the richness of cream chocolate and a cookie-like aroma, leaving no harsh bitterness behind, only a lasting impression.