Flow: Original Medium Roast Single-Serve Satchet PURITY™

Purity FLOW is our original coffee, formulated for all-around health. When we began Purity Coffee, we sought to create the single most healthy coffee. We have spent years improving our flagship blend by developing close, direct connections with four producers who are committed to regenerative, organic farming and by lab testing the coffees not only to ensure they were free of contaminants like mold and mycotoxins but also to measure levels of coffee’s most beneficial compounds like antioxidants (chlorogenic acids-CGA and lactones-CGL), trigonelline and nutrients, as well as caffeine.

Within the feedback from over 35,000 customers, there are thousands of Purity drinkers who say they think better, perform better and feel better when they drink Purity. We aspire for everyone to have this feeling of being in a pure energy state that opens you up to more magic, creativity and flow state to happen. We understand FLOW as the optimal state for channeling our life energies and performing at our best. We have embarked on a mission to understand what makes Purity Coffee help people get into flow.

Below, we have summarized the health benefits of coffee found in the scientific literature; however, please keep in mind that “coffee” is usually studied as just a general product. We believe that Purity Coffee’s integrated approach (healthy environments, plants and people) produces coffees significantly better for you: Specialty-grade, certified organic, high-CGA, Rainforest Alliance®, Smithsonian Bird Friendly®, biodynamic and regeneratively farmed coffees have health benefits that are amplified.

What creates flow? We continue to research and lab test for particular bioactive compounds in our coffees, which scientists believe provide antioxidant support and anti-inflammatory activity for overall good health. However, one thing we do understand is that healthy, organic specialty coffees, roasted mindfully to maintain the most valuable compounds in their entire combinations, are more powerful than selected, extracted components.

What knocks you out of flow? The jitters. Stomach issues. Sluggishness. Caffeine crashes. Purity Coffee eliminates the causes that prevent you from feeling flow: mold, mycotoxins, certain biogenic amines, toxic pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers and other contaminants.

Purity FLOW comes from our direct relationships with producers in Nicaragua, Honduras and Colombia. The coffee is fully traceable, which is important. One myth in coffee is that “single origin” coffee is of higher quality than a blend. Blends that are not traceable are of concern (food products should be fully traceable for food safety and security reasons). The point of a single-origin coffee is to be traceable and for the consumer to be able to enjoy the story of the farm along with tasting and identifying flavors of the terroir, cultivar and processing methods the producer employed.

Because Purity is focused on health and safety, we can fully trace our coffees, but identifying nuances of flavor is secondary to identifying the high levels of antioxidants and nutrients our producers have developed… which also happen to make the coffee taste exceptionally good. In addition, blending allows us to continually receive fresh coffees from our farms because they are on different crop cycles. We believe this is healthier than relying on single origins, which come in once a year—by the end of the year, green coffee has begun to lose its organic matter, but our coffees do not get to that age. Our coffees are special in that they are continually coming in fresh throughout the year.

We have a precise roasting curve for each of our coffees, and Purity FLOW has been refined over the years to create a balanced coffee that retains maximum CGA. Because CGA and the coffee’s natural acidity decline the longer the coffee is roasted, we found the roast level “sweet spot” that also makes it easy on the stomach without going too dark.

Coffee is one of nature’s most multifaceted food products, made more complex by the expansive number of cultivars (hundreds) grown in diverse environments (from Mexico to Brazil, from Burundi to Sumatra) under different conditions (altitudes, latitudes, temperatures, rainfall, soil types) and then processed in diverse ways (washed, natural, and all the processes in between). All of these factors impact the chemical compounds in the final raw coffee seed ("bean"—it's really a seed). Furthermore, the choices the roaster makes to apply varying amounts of heat throughout the roast cause the chemical compounds to change in an incalculable number of ways. Finally, the methods used to brew coffee can extract different compounds from the coffee in different amounts.

BENEFICIAL COMPOUNDS AND THE ENTERIC NERVOUS SYSTEM

The deeper we go, the more we understand that coffee is extremely complex and that various beneficial compounds can be created and destroyed at different roast levels. However, there are other key compounds that have been studied (and many more to discover) and impact many parts of the body that are involved with performing at one’s best, not just the brain.

In addition to other organs like the brain, liver and heart, compounds in coffee have been shown to have bioactivity in the gut, most notably in studies on protection against colon cancer. There is more to the gut than just digestion: The past 40 years have brought to light that the enteric nervous system has a major impact on “emotional and cognitive centers of the brain with peripheral intestinal functions. Recent advances in research have described the importance of gut microbiota in influencing these interactions…” (Carabotti et al. 2015). The following compounds are significant in coffee and overall health, particularly in the brain and the gut, where coffee serves as a food for beneficial microbiota and immune system support (Sales & Farah, 2020):

• Chlorogenic Acids (CGA) and their lactones (CGL) have antioxidant activity and anti-opioid activity, are hypoglycemic, and have potentially positive effects on brain function. CGA is absorbed with no structural change in the small intestine and has demonstrated prebiotic activity. (Sales et al. 2020)
• CGA and polysaccharides, particularly galactomannan and type 2 arabinogalactan promote the growth of certain strains of probiotic bacteria but not the growth of pathogenic microorganisms like E. coli. Coffee consumption can selectively improve the growth of probiotics and other beneficial strains, thus exerting a prebiotic effect, and different strains utilize different coffee components to grow. (Sales et al. 2020)
• Coffee Melanoidins: The beneficial microbiota in the gut stimulate the immune system, and melanoidins together with coffee’s other compounds, stimulate the growth of these beneficial microbiota and probiotics, serving as dietary fiber and as prebiotics. They may also contribute to reducing the risk of colon cancer. (Steiner et al. 2020)
• Trigonelline and Niacin (vitamin B3): Trigonelline is involved with cellular antioxidant processes . It has also been shown to have an inhibitory effect against certain enterobacteria strains and high antibacterial activity against several other microorganisms, including cariogenic microorganisms and pathogens related to periodontal disease. (da Silva et al. 2014)

These are just a few of the compounds that have received particular attention for this review; many more have already received attention and are undergoing active research.

CGA can be found in abundance in many fruits, including coffee, which is one of the primary delivery methods of polyphenols in people's diets. Some people may shy away from fruits and vegetables, but they drink coffee habitually and often multiple times throughout the day.

The amount of CGA in any given coffee depends significantly on plant nutrition, growing conditions, cultivar, processing and roasting. At Purity Coffee, we seek out arabica coffees that are highest in CGA and then work to retain them throughout the supply chain and during roasting, where a significant amount of CGA is lost. The darker the coffee, the less CGA content will be in the final brew.

Despite CGA being the major bioactive compound in coffee, the effects of CGA and its derivative lactones on the brain, cognition and mood have only picked up speed for investigation in the past couple of decades. Studies have shown that CGA and its CGL are bioavailable, and CGL can enter brain tissue (de Paulis et al. 2014). CGA lactones found in roasted coffee have been shown to be powerful antioxidants and neuroprotectants in tests that show how they can stop neurons from dying and their cells breaking down due to oxidative stress (Chuet al. 2009).

Oxidative stress is linked to neurodegenerative diseases (and others) and to some behaviors, such as anxiety and depression. In particular, recent research has observed a close relationship between oxidative stress and anxiety. There are reports of the behavioral effects of CGA, including the demonstration that CGA and/or its derivatives reduce anxiety-related behavior (Bouayedet al. 2007) and improve spatial learning and memory (Han et al. 2011).

While the mechanism by which CGA impacts the brain isn’t completely understood, “about ⅓ of consumed chlorogenic acids are absorbed in the small intestine, and the remaining amount is partly absorbed in the large intestine” as metabolites (Sales& Farah 2020). The gut microbiota will metabolize those that make it to the large intestine, but the effects of that interaction are still not fully understood. Much more is left to learn about how this could impact our microbiota and the connection between our enteric nervous system and the central nervous system.

One important note on CGA: The major CGA compounds present in coffee are absorbed and/or metabolized in humans at different rates and quantities, with a large inter-individual variation. (Monteiro, Farah, et al. 2007)

Coffee’s impact on chronic diseases has been studied for decades, and the growing body of research continues to astound us as new compounds in coffee are discovered in green (raw) coffee and from the thermodynamic results of roasting. Key topics in health include coffee’s impact on:

• Life Expectancy
• Liver
• Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke
• Alzheimer's, Parkinsons, and Depression

• Certain Cancers
• Metabolism and Performance
• Inflammation
• Type II Diabetes

• DNA Protection
• Weight Management
• Gut Health
• Antimicrobial Activity, Dental Caries and Periodontal Disease

• Drinking coffee, even one cup per day, was inversely associated with all-cause mortality and mortality from cardiovascular, infectious and digestive diseases, according to the “Takayamo study" by Michiyo Yamakawa and others. They tracked over 31,500 people for more than 14 years and showed that even one cup of coffee was associated with a 16% lower risk of all-cause mortality and mortality from cardiovascular, infectious and digestive diseases. Subjects who drank 2–3 cups of coffee a day showed the highest results at 19% lower risk. (Yamakawa et al. 2019)
  • Several countries have published epidemiological research showing the association between coffee and a lower risk of mortality from all causes over a similar period of time. Interestingly, both the Japanese and European studies reported relationships between coffee drinking and lower mortality from digestive diseases.
    • In 2015, a study with 133,000 subjects showed that 3-5 cups a day reduced the risk of all-cause mortality by 15% (Ding et al. 2015)
    • In 10 European countries and half a million subjects, research showed a decrease in mortality of around 12% (Gunter et al. 2017)
    • In 2017, a study among non-white populations showed that 2-3 cups decreased all-cause mortality by 18%. (Park et al. 2017)

• A study that spanned 22 years with results first published in 1992 (updated in 2006) included 125,580 people from all ethnic backgrounds who volunteered information about their health habits voluntarily through their insurance plans. The statistics overwhelmingly indicated a correlation between coffee drinking and freedom from liver cirrhosis:
  • Cirrhosis is a late-stage liver disease in which healthy liver tissue is replaced with scar tissue and the liver is permanently damaged. Scar tissue keeps your liver from working properly. People who drank alcohol heavily reduced their chances of getting cirrhosis by 40% by drinking 2 cups of coffee per day and by 80% if they drank 4 cups per day. It appeared that, for alcoholic liver disease, coffee could impact the rate at which the disease progressed and could even work to reduce damage. (Klatsky et al. 2006)
• A 2001 study showed an 84% lower risk of developing liver cirrhosis for those drinking more than four cups per day. From 1994 to 1998, researchers recruited all the consecutive inpatients admitted with liver cirrhosis in 19 hospitals. After analyzing lifestyle issues and viral status, they observed a statistically significant trend toward lowered cirrhosis risk with increasing exposure to coffee. The liver cirrhosis odds ratios decreased in a dose-dependent way from 1 to 4 or more cups of coffee. They also identified that it was coffee but not other beverages containing caffeine, which may inhibit the onset of alcoholic and nonalcoholic liver cirrhosis. (Corrao, et al. 2001)
• Polyphenols such as chlorogenic acids (CGA) cause a decrease in immune and inflammatory markers in the liver.(Farah 2008, 2012, 2018)
• Cirrhosis is a late-stage liver disease in which healthy liver tissue is replaced with scar tissue and the liver is permanently damaged. Scar tissue keeps your liver from working properly.
• A study followed 90,000 Japanese subjects over ten years and concluded that coffee drinkers have half the risk of developing liver cancer as non-coffee drinkers. This effect was observed for those who drank just one to two cups daily, with the effect increasing at three to four cups. (Inoue et al. 2005 )

• According to Dr. Rob Van Dam of Harvard School of Public Health, the numerous studies on coffee and diabetes have been remarkably consistent—people drinking more coffee have a lower risk of diabetes. He noted, “It’s hard to imagine another factor that coffee drinkers have that would be so effective.”
• Meta-analyses of 28 different studies—which included 1,109,272 participants from the U.S., Europe, and Asia, as well as 45,335 cases of type 2 diabetes—saw a strong inverse relationship between the amount of coffee people drank and their risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Participants who drank six cups of coffee per day had a 33% lower risk of developing the disease compared to participants who drank no coffee at all. (Ding et al. 2014)
• Changing the amount of coffee can increase or decrease your risk of diabetes, according to another study. Findings showed that participants who increased coffee intake by more than one cup per day over a four-year period decreased their risk by 11%. On the other hand, the opposite turned out to be true as well! People who decreased the amount of coffee they drank over that four-year period actually raised their diabetes risk by 17%. (Bhupathiraju et al. 2014)

• A 2021 post on the American Heart Association website highlighted research from three large heart disease studies that showed that drinking one or more cups of caffeinated coffee was associated with decreased heart failure risk.
• A 15-year study followed almost 42,000 postmenopausal women between the ages of 55–69 in relation to coffee drinking and mortality from diseases with a major inflammatory component, including cardiovascular disease. They concluded, “Consumption of coffee, a major source of dietary antioxidants, may inhibit inflammation and thereby reduce the risk of cardiovascular and other inflammatory diseases in postmenopausal women.” (Andersen et al. 2006)
• A large cohort from the US Nurses’ Health Study of 83,076 female participants, which was followed over 24 years, observed a significant inverse association between coffee consumption and the incidence of stroke. Interestingly, the authors concluded that coffee consumption may modestly reduce the risk of stroke in women. (Lopez-Garcia et al. 2009)

• "Recent epidemiological evidence suggests that coffee consumption reduces the risk of cognitive decline, dementia, and AD. The strongest case for the protective effects of coffee was made by Eskelinen et al., who reported a 65% risk reduction for late-life dementia and AD among drinkers of 3-5 cups of coffee or tea per day during their middle life, compared with nondrinkers." (Miller & Shukitt-Hale 2012)

abolize those that make it to the large intestine, but the effects of that interaction are still not fully understood. Much more is left to learn about how this could impact our microbiota and the connection between our enteric nervous system and the central nervous system.

One important note on CGA: The major CGA compounds present in coffee are absorbed and/or metabolized in humans at different rates and quantities, with a large inter-individual variation. (Monteiro, Farah, et al. 2007)

COFFEE AND MAJOR HEALTH MATTERS

Coffee’s impact on chronic diseases has been studied for decades, and the growing body of research continues to astound us as new compounds in coffee are discovered in green (raw) coffee and from the thermodynamic results of roasting. Key topics in health include coffee’s impact on:

• Life Expectancy
• Liver
• Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke
• Alzheimer's, Parkinsons, and Depression

• Certain Cancers
• Metabolism and Performance
• Inflammation
• Type II Diabetes

• DNA Protection
• Weight Management
• Gut Health
• Antimicrobial Activity, Dental Caries and Periodontal Disease

There have been thousands of scientific papers and dozens of books on these topics, which are included in the citations at the end of this page, but here are some highlights:

LIFE EXPECTANCY

LIVER DISEASE

TYPE II DIABETES

CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE

ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE

DNA PROTECTION

At the end of each of our chromosomes, we have special sequences of DNA called telomeres. Many people compare them to the plastic end of a shoelace—they are there to hold things together and keep the laces from unraveling. Telomeres act to protect the DNA in the chromosomes. Each time cells divide, their telomeres are shortened until, at some point, they are completely degraded. Also, shortened, aged telomeres are associated with a variety of adverse health effects.

• In a landmark study with almost 5000 participants published in 2016, Jason J Liu and colleagues from the National Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, and Harvard School of Public Health found a link between coffee consumption and telomere length. They found that, compared with non-coffee drinkers, those who drank 2 to 3 and more than 3 cups of coffee per day, respectively, had 1.29 and 1.36 times the odds of having longer telomere length.
• A study of 40 chronic hepatitis C patients found that telomere length was significantly longer (as much as 40% longer in 89% of study participants) in patients who consumed 4 cups of coffee per day for 30 days. (Cardin)
• Researchers saw that oxidative DNA damage led to telomere shortening, which is linked to chromosomal instability. They demonstrated in vivo that coffee consumption induced a reduction in oxidative damage, and that was correlated with increased telomere length. These findings strongly indicate that coffee has positive effects on oxidative DNA damage. (Rudolph et al. 2009)

As with many coffee studies, the investigators look to see if it is coffee or the caffeine in coffee that impacts the results. One investigation evaluated the relationship between caffeine intake, coffee consumption and telomere length in over 5800 adults. Astonishingly, results suggest that non-coffee caffeine use accounts for shorter telomeres in U.S. adults, independent of numerous covariates, whereas coffee predicts longer telomeres. (Tucker 2017)