A Quest To Find The Purest Coffee On The Planet (& The Shocking Truth About Popular “Organic” Coffee Beans)

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Body, Diet & Nutrition, Mental Health, Mind-Spirit, Nutrition, Podcast, Podcast-new

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My guest on today's podcast is one fascinating dude. His name is Andrew Salisbury, and originally (after setting the world record for the world's longest bungee jump), he founded Corsidian, which grew to be the largest provider of call center software in Latin America. After Corsidian installations in 13 countries and offices in 5, Andrew sold the company in 2011. 

 

He then turned to coffee. It was clear to Andrew that coffee had tremendous health benefits so he decided to work with the best to define what makes coffee so good for you, and to figure out how to get rid of the notorious bad stuff in coffee such as pesticides, yeast, mold and a series of flavor imperfections.

Andrew worked with a Professor named Adriana Farah for over 18 months lab testing coffees to figure out how to source the right beans (with no consideration for cost and convenience), with the correct roast curve, organic source and freshness. He then validated his coffee against 49 of the most popular brands in the market. His goal was to decide on every step of the production chain to determine how to avoid damage and maintain antioxidants in the coffee. That is not the driver for most decisions about coffee because the concern normally is taste and cost.

Andrew asked a different question and the answers led him to decisions not normally made by coffee companies. The result was a coffee called “Purity“, that is not the result of what Andrew did in the lab, but the result of over 30 choices in the production chain prioritizing health above everything without exception. Andrew personally made every one of those decisions and explains why on today's podcast. He'll also explain how he asked different coffee questions to the best experts in the industry, not just coffee scientists, but also the farmers and everyone else involved in every step of production.

He is truly knowledgeable about the difference in the process from bean to cup as it relates to the compounds that hurt or harm health, and during our discussion, you'll discover:

-The mysterious debilitating illness that Amber's wife experienced while drinking 4-6 cups of coffee a day…[12:15]

-Why Andrew began to study coffee at the Vanderbilt University’s Institute of Coffee Studies…[14:30]

-What science knows about coffee that most consumers don't and why coffee has gotten a bad rap as early as the 1950's…[15:35]

-Why coffee has gotten such a bad rap of late in California due to acrylamide levels…[17:35]

-The host of chronic diseases that coffee can control or eliminate risk for…[19:40]

-How to concentrate levels of chlorogenic acid in coffee to maximize antioxidant levels…[27:30]

-The shocking results of the laboratory results that Andrew conducted on 49 different coffees…[30:40]

-The unique three-step process used to select coffees that allow for extreme flavors combined with a crystal clean health profile…[42:15]

-How you can lower the caffeine content of coffee while maximizing antioxidants and taste…[49:15]

-Why the highest-standard packaging method is called nitrogen flushing to gain the height of freshness…[54:00]

-And much more!

Resources from this episode:

Kion Coffee (use code BEN10 to get 10% off your order)

-My Man In The Arena coffee mug

-My interview with Sanjiv Chopra

Show Sponsors: 

-Joov – Visit BenGreenfieldFitness.com/joovv and use the code BEN25 to get a nice little discount off your purchase.

-Fisher Wallace – Visit FisherWallace.com/Ben to try the Fisher Wallace Stimulator® for 30 days and save $150 on your purchase.

-ZipRecruiter – Post jobs on ZipRecruiter for FREE by visiting ZipRecruiter.com/Green.

Do you have questions, thoughts or feedback for Andrew or me? Leave your comments below and one of us will reply!

 

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86 thoughts on “A Quest To Find The Purest Coffee On The Planet (& The Shocking Truth About Popular “Organic” Coffee Beans)

  1. Danielle says:

    Wow- it’s been over 2 years and they never reap the study. 🤔 man I’m glad I skimmed the whole page before buying. Now to research some more…

  2. Sarah McDermott says:

    How is.Kion.and Purify coffee’s related, if applicable? Do you have Kion available in podcasts?

  3. Bill says:

    Hey Ben,

    What’s with the lack of any response regarding those coffee studies you promised longggg ago? I’m really curious and you would be doing a great service on top of the fact that you promised to post them.

    1. Bill says:

      Studies!!!!!! You made a big deal of the studies comparing your coffee to all the other brands AND PROMISED to post the results of those studies months ago and NO Word from you since. Ben, at least post that you have no intention of posting the results. This is really bullshit!

      1. Here are the studies we promised. Thank you for your patience. https://getkion.com/kion-coffee-lab-results/

        1. Jennifer says:

          Just wanted to let you know that the link is not working. Can you post the updated link? Many thanks :)

        2. Daniel Rebson says:

          The “…kion-coffee-lab-results/” link proceeds to display a sales page rather than lab results. Today is April 20 2021.

          1. Hi Daniel and others,
            The studies mentioned during this episode were posted back in 2018 shortly after they were conducted, but because they are no longer relevant, Kion has removed them from their site and I no longer have access to them. Kion has gone through painstaking lengths to ensure all varieties of Kion Coffee (whole bean, decaf, and ground) are not only sourced from 100% organic beans free of mold, mycotoxins, and pesticides but are also grown on sustainable, fair-trade coffee cooperatives. Sorry for any confusion.

        3. Jon M Ubick says:

          This is NOT RESEARCH it’s advertising!

  4. joseph brown says:

    I’m intrigued by Kion Coffee and ready to make an initial purchase, but now am confronted with your prices. $27.44 for a 12 oz bag of Kion beans (with the 10% discount, plus tax and shipping)? Compare this price to $11.98, which is what you pay for a 20 oz bag of coffee beans (e.g. Starbucks Espresso Dark Roast Whole Bean). Okay, that’s Starbucks, widely considered evil, but after experiencing a VIP tour of their Seattle HQ I’m reasonably convinced that even the big bad Starbucks spends considerable resources on quality assurance and quality control.

    Kion Coffee is simply too expensive. My sense is that the market you are cultivating for extreme health has an attractive elasticity of demand, but at a certain point it just becomes stupid. That’s where I land on Kion. Hoping you can score some big volume contracts so that prices can plummet for individual sales.

    1. jim says:

      I couldn’t agree more. Maybe they can get into Whole Foods or the Vitamin Shoppe. Bulletproof coffee arrived at whole foods about a year ago & although it landed there at $19.99 (which was still cheaper that ordering it with shipping), It is not down to $14.99 & on sale sometimes for $12.99 & I’m sure that’s a result of increasing the volume of sales. I’m just glad that more coffee manufacturers are paying more attention to mold free coffee & higher sales and competition drives down prices. I listen to both Ben’s & Dave Asprey’s podcasts & feel they both offer great products.

      Now if we can just get some good competition for Organifi!!

  5. Kira Miftari says:

    Ben, love you!
    But honestly, if you are going to charge premium price for your coffee – why wouldn’t you care tp get a single origin coffee that is certified organic? thnx

  6. Bill says:

    Where are those studies you promised? If you’re not going to post them at least say so. It’s been long enough that it’s feeling a lot like you’re simply letting it slip away hoping that the demand to actually see some sort of proof to back up the claims are there. Please! I love your podcast and your largely unbiased approach but this is challenging that.

  7. Mike says:

    Can we get a ground up version instead of whole beans? I don’t have a grinder :(

  8. pete says:

    Still waiting for the lab studies. Trust in your brand is fading away….

    1. john says:

      Yes. Claiming that a study was done showing “X” is quite different than publishing a study which actually shows “X” after the methodolgy, results, etc are reviewed and subjected to analysis.
      This doesnt just put in doubt the alleged claims of this alleged study but also puts in doubt any other studies cited by this site which one (now) cant simply assume were done a methodologically sound manner.

      I propose that those of us who are interested in determining high quality coffee purchase coffee we’re interested in testing and create a youtube video showing us open the coffee, marking the coffee and sending that sample to a lab. Then publish the results on youtube. If worried about lawsuits from alleged “biohackers” like Asprey, Greenfield, et al, wear a mask and publish using a fake name. Maybe there’s a way to crowdfund this. Im sick of alleged biohackers defining an alleged problem and then supplying a (non-patentable) solution for “only $39.99/month and 10% with this coupon code”. Yuck, this isnt science, only a step above the 1980s infomercials.

    2. Bill says:

      Tick, tick, tick….. Another few weeks and a whole new study could have been conducted. In fact that’s what should be done. While a one time lab assessment has value what about repeating it and confirming all that was “supposedly” documented the first time around?

    3. Al says:

      Ben- Can we get an update as to when we might expect to see study results?

  9. Bill says:

    C’mon Ben, it’s been 3+ weeks and still no coffee studies yet you are still promoting on your podcast you are selling lab tested cleanest coffee out there. Let’s see the chart of ALL the coffees evaluated. Make it a priority as this is tarnishing your relatively unblemished record.

  10. Bill says:

    I keep checking back for the studies that evaluated the popular coffees for their contaminant levels and nothing as yet. If these studies were done then why such a challenge in getting the results posted? I agree with others that you can’t state how ‘clean’ your coffee is and that it has been documented in labs (albeit in a one time analysis), be willing to post the pics of the other coffees (how interesting that Kion has eliminated the Bulletproof logo from the rest of the coffees), yet not be willing to offer anything of substance to back this all up.

    One of the things I have appreciated about Ben as opposed to Dave Asprey is that he has been less of an unabashed self-promoter and willing to interview people who actually produce competitive products. His podcast has maintained a high interest level for me where Dave seems more and more to select individuals with whom he stands a greater self-promotion outcome.

    1. Al says:

      I’ve been checking daily as well and become more disappointed by the day. I’ve continued to listen to podcast but with a less trusting ear.

    2. Jason says:

      Dave has probably sicked his lawyers on them. No way he’s going to let any negative publicity get out about his coffee if he can stop it. That’s the base of his empire.

  11. Michael says:

    Great podcast and awesome work.

    I would so buy your coffee if I was a current USA resident and didn’t have to get it shipped to Canada and worry about exchange rates.

  12. John says:

    Hey Ben can you post a video of you brewing a cup of coffee and everything you put in it like you did with your smoothies.

    Thanks, big fan!!

  13. Fernando Aramburo says:

    How’s this for some BS. After requesting the information explicitly said that would be shared and now you’ve responded many times in these comments Ben, that it would be available; here is the response from Andrew Salisbury website customer service:

    Hello,

    We have lab results and standards available on our website: puritycoffee.com/lab-results. I am unable to release more specific information on the testing because we believe it is not ethical to reveal other brand’s results. We are happy to refer you to an independent lab to test your coffee against those we reference.

    We did this extensive testing in order to feel that we achieved what we set out to achieve, but we believe that coffee is good for you in general. Publishing specific results of the companies that we tested rather than standards and our performance against averages would not send the right message. We understand that comparing products will be useful but for the moment we can’t open up the specific product scores and need to stay general.

    Lab testing completed by: 1. Silliker-Merieux Neutrisystems in Illinois. Tested for: Mold, yeast, ochratoxin, aflatoxin, and pesticides. Tested between: June 2016 – Feb 2017; 2. Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Department of Nutrition. Tested for: Chlorogenic Acids (CGA’s). Tested between: July 2016 – Feb 2017. Official university info: Prof Dr. Adriana Farah, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Instituto de Nutrição, Laboratório de Química e Bioatividade de Alimentos; 3. University of Porto, Portugal. Tested for: Acrylamide and PAH. Tested between: July 2016 and Feb 2017. Official university info: Dr. Sarah Cunha, Requimte-Faculty Pharmacy. Rua Jorge de Viterbo Ferreira, 218, Porto, Portugal

    Please let me know if you have any other questions”

    Ben, this is very dissapointing.

    1. katie says:

      I don’t understand how it is ethical to post logos of brands and insinuate through comparison that they contain mold and toxins but not share results.

    2. Jeremy says:

      Cut the man some slack. Ben successfully decreased his biological age by 5 years over the course of 1 year as a highly active endurance athlete, business person, husband, and dad amongst many other things. As a person who loves hard data also, I can appreciate the commitment to purity and transparency from everyone requesting the data. Thats why I love this field of work, we all understand the value of quality product especially that which we consume in high volume like coffee, just as Ben does. That being said I think applying some trust goes a long way. Look at the results Ben’s achieved personally and for so many others in an infinitely complex and ever changing field. Hes literally reversing his biological age and helping others do the same…Find someone who is achieving Ben’s results with his lifestyle…VERY few and far between. This is just my opinion but I think it would be advantageous from a mental standpoint to concern ourselves less with seeking something that’s wrong and trust/appreciate the work done so far. He’s done an amazing job with the work-load he takes on for us. Give him a break. And again, this message is not to bash anyone, Im not about that. We may have different view points but we’re all in the same game on the same mission. I just think we can use our energy a little more wisely. Things will shake out as their meant to. Thanks to all the dedicated folks out there and to you, Ben. Cheers!

      1. Thanks man, and we will be publishing the studies – Just taking a little longer than expected.

        1. Mila says:

          Yes there has to be transparency. The results MUST be published to validate your claims.

  14. Sandbox says:

    Please clarify, does Kion offer decaf organic coffee?

    1. Not at the moment, but it's something we're looking into for the future. Stay tuned!

  15. sue says:

    Not many have said it specifically, but we all want the results of Bulletproof. We were all big fans and trusted him blindly and now we want to see has he kept his word? His entire brand is about 100% health focus, so it would be very sad to see his products not be superior to low end brands and more in line with what you are producing. Therefore, if you are punishing results, please don’t leave Bulletproof out.

    1. Mike says:

      Agree 100%. I would switch brands in a heartbeat, I spend thousands of dollars a year on coffee products, specifically the Bulletproof coffee beans and additives. I want the best product to support my health And would love to have a comparable or better product to chose from, competition is a good thing, especially for the consumer, keep it up!

  16. Lynn Musselman says:

    Where are the test results for the independent lab testing you said was completed and would be posted for a lot of other coffees?

    1. david weinstein says:

      Here is the link to the information referenced in the podcast about the study but the study itself does not appear to be published.
      https://puritycoffee.com/lab-results/

  17. Patrick says:

    Hi Ben,

    To add to the above, would love to see the studies… Also love your products and the Kion brand, I’m in Ireland and its amazing how many companies can not provide product outside of the US, you seem to be very well setup, why would that surprise me :-)
    I have no issue with you putting your own product out there, I feel you will provide quality product and its up to people to choose if they want to buy or not, I would place an element of trust in you and I think we should all be confident that that trust wouldn’t be misplaced. There are plenty of corporates out there that I don’t trust !!! We all have to make a living !!!!
    While the coffee is a bit on the expensive side, I for one will be trying it !! Taste, feeling, analysis and some common sense will decide if I continue to buy it.

    Thanks for all the amazing content

    Good luck with Kion !!!

  18. Oscar says:

    Hey Ben, I would like to see the study comparing the antioxidants of the coffee brands, not just the list but the data. Also, what were the other coffee brands that were certified organic? Thanks for the podcast.

    1. Oscar says:

      Sorry I meant which organic coffee brands that sell green coffee beans.

    2. freddie says:

      I’d love to see the coffee study, Ben! Hook us up with the link….great podcast!

    1. heide says:

      Thank you for sharing… I’m going to read them.

  19. will says:

    what are the origins of the beans? is this a blend? african/south american? you mentioned that in order to meet the standards set you will have to constantly change growers and regions to find the best bean. In order for me to consider purchasing i need to know where it came from, i’m not seeing any of that information being made available (or are you hedging your sources?). I do like the idea of the regions changing as i like to have a variety of coffee to rotate through I just think it’d be nice to know where your beans are from and if they are a single origin or blend.

    ps – post the data…you’ve built your reputation on transparency, don’t stop now.

    1. This batch (and foreseeable future batches) is a blend from Nicaragua and Costa Rica. 100% Arabica beans.

  20. Gary says:

    Hey, do you have a link to the study that compared the different coffee’s like Starbucks, etc..

  21. Slim Shady says:

    Folks, there really is no need to look at the test results, look at the Kion coffee page to see the brands that were included in this test. OF COURSE a good organic coffee beat all of them because it was tested against the HUGE trash brands that the MASSES consume: https://getkion.com/coffee/#ordernow starbucks, dunkin, foldgers, maxwell house, Peets, Cafe Bustelo, etc. C’mon!

    1. Slim Shady says:

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwY4H3cNTH0 watch this

    2. RJ says:

      They don’t list Bulletproof on the Kion page but it was mentioned during the podcast as being one of the brands they tested and beat out.

  22. Julie says:

    Could you now formulate Instant coffee for busy folks that don’t want to hassle with ground coffee and cleaning up?

  23. RB says:

    title should be changed from “21 THOUGHTS ON “A QUEST TO FIND THE PUREST COFFEE ON THE PLANET”
    to
    “Here’s why our coffee is the best on the market”.

    After reading your title I was hoping this would be a list of helpful ways to assess any coffee beans. Considering there are lots of specialty roasters out there i find it silly to group all other brands as bad, and yours as the only one with high antioxidants and freshness.

  24. Ron says:

    I am not able to find the lab results as to how it compared to all the other major brands? Where do I find it?

    1. ROBIN KYLE says:

      Im looking for the same thing? Please post the actual results somewhere.

  25. Hayden says:

    Great Podcast Ben.
    I’m a regular listener and it was great to listen to your approach to seek the best coffee….. I’m also a keen coffee roaster. My brand is Horrocks Bounty Coffee Roaster, based in South Australia. We focus on only roasting single origin organic beans, but after listening today I’m keen to find out more about the green beans I buy and to start some extra testing for mould and micro toxins. Also keen to try some different origins and blends to see if I can create a high antioxidant brew for my customers!!

    I’m also a keen runner and cyclist, so I am always finding great information from your podcasts. Keep up the great work!!
    Thanks

  26. julie says:

    where is the test results to the 49 brands tested. I really want to know about BPC

    1. John says:

      Where are the lab results? No one likes being deceived. You said you would link to the lab results, and you are selling the coffee, please post the lab results!

  27. Joel Thellend says:

    Humhum … Sounds a bit familiar.

    Ben this all looks and sounds so fishy particularly your brand new Kion coffee webpage with pictures of you smelling coffee and stuff…I mean c’mon…

    For those interested in mycotoxins claims: ( Joe Rogan and Dave Asprey (beef explained ) .

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rwY4H3cNTH0

    Also Dr.Rhonda Patrick ( who actually has credentials vs Salisbury) stated that mycotoxins are pretty much Harmless and should not be worried about so much .

    Anyways I liked the info in pretty much every other epidode but IMO this Kion thing is on a slippery slope .

    1. Stephanie says:

      Maybe if you’re not in the 25% gene category who can’t detox mold mycotoxins, but why would you want to have to detox them if you could choose cleaner coffee and have your body do less work and feel better?

  28. Justin says:

    Loved this podcast, can’t wait to order yours after I run out of Kimera Koffee. Keep up the amazing work. Also looking for the lab results on the 49 different brands.

  29. Ryan says:

    I am now officially a very concerned fan. I absolutely love your podcast Ben – I don’t miss an episode. I’ve purchased products from your website and want to continue to do so. Hear me out please. I used to love the early days of Bulletproof Radio with Dave Asprey, at a certain point he really began pushing his own products which I was totally okay with. I bought many of them knowing full well that many were over priced because I wanted to support what he is was doing. I eventually drew a line and have not listened to Bulletproof Radio in years and I will never buy one of Dave’s products again. It wasn’t that Dave began pushing products so much his show became one repetitive infomercial (which it did) that turned me away from him. It was a complete lack of transparency. He started saying his lab results were “proprietary” and would make claims for things with no evidence to back them up. You are dangerously close to that line here Ben. You did not open this podcast by disclosing that you are the creator and seller of this coffee (you did later on… but still, it was slightly deceptive) and most importantly you are making a lot of claims about this coffee and not publishing the lab results. Please correct this or risk losing loyal fan. I want to keep listening to your podcast but the moment I’m listening to a whole lot of hype about things you’ve seen that you won’t share with me and expect me to give you money for those unbacked claims is the moment I start to feel like I’m listening to someone from “IT WORKS” in the form of a podcast.

    1. slim shady says:

      #truth

    2. Raf says:

      very well said! I loved Headstrong but refrained from buying bulletproof brand products for reasons mentioned here. I also tried searching for any honest reviews of this Purity brand but all i could find was blog spam .. not a great sign

    3. Tara says:

      Great comment. I felt the same way. If there was a “heads-up, I’m selling something here” before we got to the end, it would have come across more authentically.

      As a farmer, I get having to market and make a living off of what you produce. I think social media is such a great tool in that realm. That said, there does seem to be a line that’s crossed where every podcast, every piece of information is a monetary gain for these smart entrepreneurs. That’s when they lose me. I had to stop listening to Asprey as well. His relentless drive to weave in a product, or five, into every conversation was eye-rolling.

      Came here to order coffee, Ben, but not posting these lab results has stopped me dead in my tracks. Really hoping you will publish the results and then I can order some to see how it works out in my bod.

    4. Lab results will be published shortly! I'll let you know when they are.

    5. Michael rosen says:

      +1

  30. Jessica Nelson says:

    Would love link to lab results

    1. Stay tuned! Working on gathering the information.

  31. Peter says:

    Where are the lab results?

    1. They'll be added soon, I"ll let everyone know when they are!

  32. Raf says:

    its just hard to be objective when the person explaining benefits of coffee is directly selling the product in question and on top of that you’re selling that product too. feels more like an infomercial

  33. Dale Myers says:

    Awesome interview. I would love to see the study as well.

    I know there will be “mongrels” that might disagree with the study

    but seeing the study would be nice.

    Ben, I know you wouldn’t put out a product if it didnt

    pass your testing. I will be ordering soon.

  34. Eric Changelian says:

    I grind a few days of beans before I do a “pour over” method of brewing. How would I store the unground beans – refrigerator or freezer?

    1. Coffee beans are best stored in an opaque, airtight container in your pantry. Avoid keeping your beans in the freezer or refrigerator because it exposes them to moisture through condensation (unopened bags of coffee are safe in the freezer for up to a month, however), and other odors. Coffee beans are very absorbent (similar to butter in the refrigerator), so it’s best to keep them away from moisture, heat, direct sunlight, oxygen and odors.

    2. Carter says:

      Literally said to not do either

    3. slim shady says:

      You should never bulk grind beans. The whole reason for buying whole beans and owning a grinder is to be able to grind your coffee fresh or else it begins oxidizing and losing its freshness and natural oils within minutes of grinding.

      Fridges and freezers are cold, therefore humidity is low, so they will affect the moisture content of your pre-ground coffee.

      Grinding only takes seconds – why bulk grind?

  35. heide says:

    ditto, looking forward to seeing the study results

    1. We are working on gathering all of this information and adding it to the site! Please stay tuned, and I'll alert everyone once the the studies are published.

  36. Matt says:

    Great podcast! Thank you. Two questions –

    Could you link to the studies & lab tests you mentioned in the podcast?

    And you mentioned caffeine but never got back around to it: Are there any harmful health effects from high caffeine consumption?

    Thanks.

    1. Hey there, we are working on gathering all of this information and adding it to the site! Please stay tuned, and I'll alert everyone once the the studies are published.

  37. mia says:

    where are the links to the study? usually they are on here. went to your site as well? thanks

  38. Clay Higgins says:

    Studies to mention in the podcast?

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