Super Coffee has become an increasingly popular drink that people consume for various health and performance benefits. But what exactly is in Super Coffee and how does it work? This article will explore what Super Coffee is, its ingredients, potential benefits, and side effects.
What is Super Coffee?
Super Coffee is a type of coffee that contains additional ingredients intended to provide extra health, energy, and performance benefits beyond regular coffee. It is marketed as a “functional beverage” that can improve physical and mental performance.
While there are many different brands of Super Coffee, most contain a combination of:
- Coffee – the base is brewed coffee or cold brew coffee concentrate.
- Additional caffeine – from green coffee bean extract or added caffeine powder.
- Herbs – such as ginseng, guarana, yerba mate.
- Vitamins and minerals – like niacin (B3), vitamin B6, vitamin B12, magnesium, potassium.
- Non-caffeine stimulants – such as L-theanine and L-carnitine.
- MCT oil – a type of fat that provides energy.
- Protein – usually whey protein isolate.
- Antioxidants – such as EGCG from green tea extract.
By combining coffee with other functional ingredients, Super Coffee aims to provide more benefits than coffee alone.
Potential Benefits of Super Coffee
There are several potential benefits that people take Super Coffee for, including:
Increased Energy and Alertness
The caffeine in coffee is known to increase alertness, focus, and physical energy levels. Super Coffee contains additional caffeine on top of the caffeine naturally present in coffee. A 12 oz cup may contain anywhere from 150-350mg of caffeine compared to 80-100mg in regular brewed coffee.
Some Super Coffees also contain herbs like yerba mate, guarana, and green tea extract that have naturally occurring caffeine and stimulant compounds. This further increases the drink’s total caffeine and stimulant content for an extra energy boost.
Enhanced Physical Performance
Caffeine is widely used by athletes and active individuals to enhance sports performance. Caffeine is believed to increase strength, power, speed, and endurance.
The extra caffeine in Super Coffee can aid physical performance compared to regular coffee. Other ingredients like L-theanine, L-carnitine, B vitamins, and antioxidants may also contribute performance-enhancing effects.
Increased Fat Burning
Caffeine may help boost metabolism and fat burning when consumed pre-workout. Many Super Coffees also contain MCT oil, a type of easily digested fat that can provide the body with immediate energy.
Some evidence suggests that MCT oil can enhance fat burning, endurance, and weight loss. The combination of caffeine and MCT oil in Super Coffee may further amplify fat burning capabilities.
Improved Mental Focus and Clarity
The caffeine in coffee improves concentration, alertness and focus. Super Coffee enhances this stimulating effect with extra caffeine. L-theanine, an amino acid in green tea, may work synergistically with caffeine to further improve mental clarity and task performance.
Neuroprotective Effects
Compounds like caffeine and EGCG found in green tea extract have neuroprotective effects and may help reduce risk of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
Potential Side Effects of Super Coffee
While Super Coffee can provide useful benefits, it does come with some potential downsides to consider:
Contains a Lot of Caffeine
The main potential side effect of Super Coffee is its very high caffeine content, often containing over 300mg per serving. Consuming this much caffeine may cause side effects like jitteriness, anxiety, heart palpitations, insomnia, and stomach upset in sensitive individuals.
Interaction with Medications
The caffeine and other stimulants in Super Coffee can potentially interact with some medications. These include antidepressants, antibiotics, diabetes medications, blood thinners, and blood pressure medications.
Not Recommended for Some Groups
Children, adolescents, pregnant women, and individuals sensitive to caffeine should avoid highly caffeinated Super Coffees or at least limit intake.
Contains Non-Coffee Ingredients
Super Coffee formulations contain many added synthetic ingredients besides just coffee. Some people may wish to avoid these artificial additives and stick to plain coffee.
High in Calories
Some Super Coffees can be quite high in calories, especially from added sugar. The MCT oil also increases calorie content. This is something to consider for people monitoring their calorie intake.
Most Common Ingredients in Super Coffee
Super Coffees contain a number of both natural and synthetic ingredients in addition to coffee. Here is an overview of some of the most common ingredients:
Caffeine
The primary ingredient in Super Coffee is extra caffeine added on top of the caffeine naturally present in coffee beans. Synthetic caffeine powder is commonly added to increase the caffeine kick.
MCT Oil
MCT stands for medium chain triglycerides, a type of fat that is metabolized quickly for energy. MCT oil is thought to boost energy and exercise performance.
L-Theanine
An amino acid found in tea leaves that may work with caffeine to enhance brain function. It may provide calming effects to balance caffeine’s stimulatory effects.
L-Carnitine
This amino acid plays a role in energy production and may improve athletic performance and endurance when taken as a supplement.
Green Coffee Bean Extract
Extract from unroasted coffee beans that contains chlorogenic acid, an antioxidant that may modestly help with weight loss.
Green Tea Extract
Provides the antioxidant EGCG that has neuroprotective benefits. Also contains some caffeine.
Turmeric
Contains the antioxidant curcumin that has anti-inflammatory effects and may improve brain function.
Ginseng
An adaptogenic herb thought to reduce fatigue and improve concentration.
Yerba Mate
A plant whose leaves are used to make a tea high in caffeine and antioxidants.
Guarana
A South American plant that contains caffeine and stimulant compounds like guaranine.
B Vitamins
B vitamins like B6, B12, and niacin support energy levels and reduce fatigue.
Whey Protein
A quickly digested protein powder that can aid exercise recovery.
Coconut Water Powder
Provides electrolytes like potassium and magnesium that are lost in sweat during exercise.
Caffeine Content Comparisons
To understand just how much caffeine is in Super Coffee compared to other drinks, here is a table comparing the typical caffeine content of various beverages in a 12 oz serving:
| Beverage | Caffeine (mg) |
|---|---|
| Brewed coffee | 80-100 |
| Black tea | 25-50 |
| Green tea | 15-30 |
| Cola soft drink | 23-35 |
| Espresso | 240 |
| Super Coffee | 150-350 |
As you can see, Super Coffee can contain over 3 times as much caffeine as regular coffee and more caffeine than most other common drinks.
Super Coffee vs. Pre-Workout
Pre-workout supplements and Super Coffee have some overlap in their intended benefits, but there are some key differences:
- Pre-workouts typically contain much higher doses of caffeine, vitamins, amino acids, and other ergogenic ingredients than Super Coffee.
- Super Coffee still tastes like coffee, whereas pre-workout is flavored and usually unsweetened.
- Pre-workouts are designed specifically to be taken before exercise, while Super Coffee can be consumed anytime.
- Super Coffee can be made at home, but pre-workout requires purchasing a proprietary supplement blend.
- Pre-workouts are only suitable for use by athletes and active individuals. Super Coffee has a broader target market.
In summary, pre-workout is a more hardcore sports supplement, while Super Coffee is more flexible as both an everyday stimulant beverage and light sports drink.
Should You Drink Super Coffee?
Super Coffee can be beneficial for some people, but not everyone. Here are some factors to consider if deciding whether Super Coffee fits your lifestyle:
Benefits
- Provides clean energy, focus, and fat burning effects from caffeine and other natural stimulants
- May enhance exercise performance and recovery
- Contains antioxidants for health protection
- Tastes better than typical pre-workout supplements
Downsides
- Very high in caffeine – too much can cause side effects
- Added synthetic ingredients may be unhealthy long-term
- Not suitable for children, pregnant women, or caffeine sensitive individuals
- Higher cost than regular coffee
Best Candidates for Use
- Active individuals looking to improve exercise performance
- People who build up a tolerance to caffeine and need more for an energy boost
- Healthy adults looking for a morning or afternoon pick-me-up
- Those following a keto or low carb diet
Conclusion
Super Coffee is coffee that has been enhanced with extra caffeine, MCT oil, amino acids, vitamins, antioxidants and various plant extracts. It can provide energy, exercise, and brain boosting benefits beyond regular coffee.
However, Super Coffee is very high in caffeine and not suitable for everyone. The variety of synthetic additives may also be concerning. Those looking for clean energy from natural ingredients only may be better off sticking to regular coffee, tea, or yerba mate.
Overall, Super Coffee can be an effective functional beverage for certain people and situations. But moderation is key given its very high stimulant content. As with any supplement, it’s best to consult your doctor before adding Super Coffee to your routine.