Hot Coffee Vs Cold Brew: Which Is Better For You?

Picking out a coffee in the morning can prove overwhelming on some days, especially if you have the opportunity to order at a local cafe. The sheer variety of drink choices make selecting just one coffee a struggle in itself, particularly if you want to stick to a healthy eating plan. According to Harvard Medical School, you can rest easy if you love starting your day with a cup of coffee — the beverage in general has anti-inflammatory properties and can contribute to a healthy lifestyle. If you want to fine tune your morning caffeine routine, picking out the healthiest coffee may come down to deciding if you want to try a hot cup of joe or a glass of cold brew. 

If you love hot coffee and cold brew equally, don't fret. According to Nutritious Life, both kinds of coffee affect your body on nearly the same level, making the differences between hot coffee and cold brew almost negligible. The main difference between the beverages comes in the form of how each person digests the drinks, making both excellent choices if you want to stick to the nutritional straight-and-narrow (via Nutritious Life).

If you had to pick a coffee that makes it the easiest on your digestion tract, you need to stick to cold brew coffee. According to JavaPresse, cold brew coffee has a lower acidity content due to the fact that it gets brewed using cold water, pulling out 66 percent less acid from coffee beans than a typical hot-brew method. The significant reduction in acid also means you get a smoother cup of coffee with a lot less tang and acid, while also drawing out a whole world of flavor compounds that typically dissolve away in a cup of hot coffee (via JavaPresse).

However, if you love a steaming cup of black coffee and want a cup with lower acidity, cold brew can still help you out. According to Eating Bird Food, you can add hot water to a cold brew concentrate at home to take advantage of some of the low acidity levels, while indulging in a hot beverage. Unlike regular coffee, cold brew can also get crafted into a wide variety of drinks, making it incredibly versatile and refreshing any time of day (via JavaPresse). So the next time you roll up to a cafe in the morning, opt for a cup of cold brew to minimize the acidity levels of your drink, but take heart in knowing that it is generally as healthy as a regular hot cup of coffee.