Coffee’s scent can instantly restore balance to the world – as well as making your mouth water and stomach grumble! Coffee itself is low-cal, while adding cream or sugar increases caloric intake significantly. If your health goals include improving them, consider switching to lighter roast or even decaffeinated varieties; but is bitter coffee really healthier than sweeter versions?

Scientists have recently unlocked some of the secrets behind coffee’s bitter taste. They discovered that roasting can alter which bitter compounds are released by beans and also that genetic predisposition plays an integral role in how bitter compounds taste to each individual.

This new research opens the possibility of creating coffee varieties with coordinated flavor profiles, and may help establish which bitter tastes resonate with receptors in individuals, and whether such substances possess physiological functions that might impact health.

Studies have suggested that those with an enhanced ability to taste bitter chemicals, like quinine or propylthiouracil, tend to drink less coffee than those unable to detect these bitterness compounds. But according to this new research study, this may simply reflect an interaction between genetic makeup and an individual’s preference for bitter foods.

Researchers found that people’s preferences for bitterness determined how much coffee they would drink; however, only when it comes to caffeine-infused coffee was their sensitivity affected by this genetic predisposition; other types of coffee were unaffected. They also discovered that their level of sensitivity did not vary with either how long or hot water is exposed to beans during brewing process or temperature of brewing water used.

People with an increased ability to detect bitter flavors have likely learned to associate this taste with the positive benefits of coffee, such as increased energy and mood enhancement. Indeed, one study discovered that taking just 1.4 mg of caffeine per kg of bodyweight significantly improved mood in adults experiencing sleep deprivation.

Coffee’s caffeine can provide numerous health advantages, from relieving inflammation to increasing mental alertness and decreasing depression. Furthermore, caffeine may even protect against neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s by slowing the breakdown of brain cells as we get older.

Even though there’s still much research being conducted, people who enjoy drinking coffee must keep an eye on their intake. Too much caffeine can cause unpleasant side effects like anxiety and nervousness, headaches, jitters, insomnia and restlessness. Sugar should also be limited since it has been linked with obesity, diabetes and heart disease; natural sweeteners like Stevia or Honey could be better options to reduce sugar consumption; additionally opting for lower fat milk options will also help decrease overall calorie content in your beverage.