<p>Yes. Coffee grounds are simply the ground up seeds found inside the berry of the <em>coffea</em> plant, <strong><em>so eat up!</em></strong> Even after the beans have been ground and extracted into your favorite coffee beverage, they still contain plenty of caffeine and are perfectly digestible. </p>

<p>Before people learned to brew coffee, folks were eating the beans to get that coffee boost. Today we eat straight coffee beans through all sorts of preparations. Chocolate covered espresso beans are quite popular and pack quite the kick.</p>

<p>Eating coffee beans has even <em>more</em> effect than <em>drinking</em> coffee because not all of the caffeine is extracted through your brewing process. According to the <a href="http://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/pressroom/presspacs/2013/acs-presspac-january-9-2013/used-coffee-grounds-are-a-rich-source-of-healthful-antioxidants.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry</a>, leftover coffee grounds from filter and espresso-type coffeemakers are especially abundant in antioxidants. Plus, you'll get all the benefit of the dietary fiber that's <em>not</em> present in your morning brew.  Enjoy!</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-04-23T21:14:27.580Z
Well would you look at that! And I thought it might just be a minor thing, if anything...
Ludwik
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-04-23T21:17:35.443Z
You may want to clarify on the "more effect" portion.  It has more effect if the grounds have not been brewed (unlike what his grandmother was doing).  It will have much less effect if the grounds have been brewed since caffeine is highly soluble in hot water and the normal brewing process removes the majority of it.
Suspended User
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-04-24T14:17:57.620Z
I once made the mistake of having a few handfuls of chocolate covered coffee beans while waiting for a flight... The airport had coin-op dispensers in the terminal, very tasty, but they left me more than a little jittery on the plane... Much more powerful than a couple cups of coffee.
apaul
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-04-23T20:51:57.110Z
2016-11-11T14:28:03.493Z
2016-11-11T14:28:03.493Z
Robert Cartaino
<p>I'm told my great-grandmother used to drink the coffee, then eat the grounds with some sugar. Assuming there was caffeine left in them, is the body able to extract caffeine from coffee grounds by digesting them, versus getting it boiled out in the form of coffee?</p>

<p>Or in other words, if someone were to eat the grounds without drinking the coffee, could he feel some caffeine effects?</p>

<beans><caffeine><extraction><ground-coffee><digestion>
Can caffeine be extracted by the body when digesting coffee grounds?
Ludwik
# Can caffeine be extracted by the body when digesting coffee grounds?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-04-23)

I'm told my great-grandmother used to drink the coffee, then eat the grounds with some sugar. Assuming there was caffeine left in them, is the body able to extract caffeine from coffee grounds by digesting them, versus getting it boiled out in the form of coffee?

Or in other words, if someone were to eat the grounds without drinking the coffee, could he feel some caffeine effects?

**Tags:** beans, caffeine, extraction, ground-coffee, digestion


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2015-04-23. Score: 10 | Accepted answer

Yes. Coffee grounds are simply the ground up seeds found inside the berry of the *coffea* plant, ***so eat up!*** Even after the beans have been ground and extracted into your favorite coffee beverage, they still contain plenty of caffeine and are perfectly digestible.

Before people learned to brew coffee, folks were eating the beans to get that coffee boost. Today we eat straight coffee beans through all sorts of preparations. Chocolate covered espresso beans are quite popular and pack quite the kick.

Eating coffee beans has even *more* effect than *drinking* coffee because not all of the caffeine is extracted through your brewing process. According to the [Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry](http://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/pressroom/presspacs/2013/acs-presspac-january-9-2013/used-coffee-grounds-are-a-rich-source-of-healthful-antioxidants.html), leftover coffee grounds from filter and espresso-type coffeemakers are especially abundant in antioxidants. Plus, you'll get all the benefit of the dietary fiber that's *not* present in your morning brew. Enjoy!

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Well would you look at that! And I thought it might just be a minor thing, if anything...  
> **username_2**: You may want to clarify on the "more effect" portion.  It has more effect if the grounds have not been brewed (unlike what his grandmother was doing).  It will have much less effect if the grounds have been brewed since caffeine is highly soluble in hot water and the normal brewing process removes the majority of it.  
> **username_3**: I once made the mistake of having a few handfuls of chocolate covered coffee beans while waiting for a flight... The airport had coin-op dispensers in the terminal, very tasty, but they left me more than a little jittery on the plane... Much more powerful than a couple cups of coffee.  

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