It's been a long exhaustive debate over the past several decades but the latest medicine consensus is that coffee is not bad for you. That should hold true for soluble (instant) coffee as well. However, instant coffee goes through one of two processes to achieve its dried state: it's either freeze dried or spray dried, which may cause the dried coffee to lose some of its health benefits. But is instant coffee bad for you comparatively?
For the most part, no. It has less caffeine than regular coffee for one. Regular drip coffee contains on average 110 mg of caffeine per 6 oz. serving. Keep in mind that’s on average. Some Robusta coffees will have as much 200 mg per cup. Because of the way it's processed, instant coffee contains little more than half of that, on average about 65 mg per 6 oz cup.
But like everything in life, moderation is key and that holds true with soluble coffee consumption. Not because instant coffee is bad for you, but too much caffeine in your system can cause temporary side effects that may possibly lead to long term complications. It's fairly well known that caffeine can cause you to lose sleep. It's probably less known that a lack of sleep can create a vacuum of side effects such as weight gain, degeneration of cognitive processes, increased health risks (heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes), decreased libido, depression, skin disorders, impaired judgment and the list goes on.
These risks may be decreased by drinking instant coffee because of its lower caffeine content, but no significant studies have been made.
One study did suggest that having more than seven cups of instant coffee were likely to produce hallucinations in individuals three times to that of an average consumer. Seven cups is a lot for anyone, and the hallucinations are most likely attributed to the high levels of caffeine in the individuals' systems. Caffeine increases cortisol levels, which is a stress hormone. Elevated stress could have been the cause of the hallucinations.
The processes in which instant coffee is made are pretty much chemical-free. Like regular coffee, the beans used for instant are roasted. They are then ground finely and placed in hot water cells where it is dissolved to achieve a coffee concentrate by removing unwanted components like carbohydrates in a process called extraction. From there it is either vacuumed dry or freeze dried.
It is then filtered by either a centrifuge to pull out the water from the extract; the water is allowed to evaporate out before the hot, brewed extract is cooled; or the coffee is cooled until the water freezes, and the ice crystals are then extracted from the concentrate.
One downside of making an instant coffee is the loss of aromatics due to the process. To counter this many of the gases that escape during processing are captured and reintroduced after filtering.
Then the grounds are dehydrated by either spray drying or freeze drying.
Spray drying consists of a liquid concentrate of the coffee being sprayed at high temperatures, collecting into a powder form and then being reintroduced to water to create coarse grounds.
Freeze drying starts as a chilled mush of coffee extract and is slowly cooled until ice crystals form on the extract. Then the extract is dried until the ice melts and the resulting coffee forms the appropriate sized granules.
Freeze-drying is a longer process but preserves more of the coffee's natural aromatics.
Aside from the carbon dioxide or nitrogen used in the initial cooling process for both systems, there are no other chemicals used. And the majority of these chemicals are removed during the drying process.
Credit goes to two people for the invention of instant coffee. One is Chicago-based Japanese chemist Satori Kato when, in 1901, he invented a process for making instant tea. Nestlé later applied it to java and marketed it to the public in 1938. The other is George Constant Louis Washington who introduced his own version in 1906, marketing it in 1910.
On a final note, a research study at the Linus Pauling Institute in 2006 concluded coffee use is not harmful for most people. Current studies are showing moderate coffee drinking may actually reduce the risk of some common forms of cancer. However, there are two points to keep in mind. First, if you have serious medical conditions or are pregnant, it is wise to consult with your doctor before you start drinking coffee. People who have high blood pressure or are prone to headaches may find coffee worsens their problems. Second, moderation is essential when it comes to any health issue. Even a healthy person can experience negative effects from using an excessive amount of caffeine.
Based on their similarities, is instant coffee bad for you? Bad tasting, maybe. Bad for you? No.
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