Coffee has been see-sawing between healthy and unhealthy for years, according to medical experts. One study finds it helps, while sometimes only weeks later, another warns of hidden risks.
Not that Americans are waiting around for the final verdict — coffee stands firmly as America’s favorite drink, even surpassing water, according to the National Coffee Association.
So, what exactly are the health benefits — and the risks — of your morning cup of Joe?
Coffee is a complex beverage, and the beans contains hundreds of naturally occurring chemicals. While doing the java jive may be a health risk for some folks, it can encourage well-being in many others.
Coffee contains nutrients
People are often surprised to learn that coffee beans, even after roasting, contain a number of nutrients, according to Healthline. The average eight-ounce cup of regular coffee contains:
- Vitamin B2 (riboflavin): 11% of your daily value (DV)
- Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid): 6% of DV
- Vitamin B1 (thiamine): 2% of DV
- Vitamin B3 (niacin): 2% of DV
- Folate: 1% of DV
- Manganese: 3% of DV
- Potassium: 3% of DV
- Magnesium: 2% of DV
- Phosphorus: 1% of DV
And that’s just from one small cup of brew, which many dedicated drinkers will consume more than three times a day, every day.
Coffee raises blood pressure
The caffeine in coffee — eight ounces contains about 100 mg — results in a pleasant, stimulating buzz.
But caffeine can also cause a sudden spike in blood pressure. People with very high blood pressure who drink two or more cups of coffee per day could double their risk of death from a heart attack or stroke, according to the American Heart Association.
Drinking just one cup of coffee or green tea or did not have the same effect, so consider lowering your intake of caffeinated coffee if you have high blood pressure — your heart will thank you.
Coffee and weight loss
Coffee might be helpful for people who are watching their weight: In one 2023 study, adding an extra cup of unsweetened coffee each day was linked to a reduced risk of gaining weight over a four-year period.
That benefit, however, was canceled if a person added a teaspoon of sugar to their mug — but adding milk or creamer didn’t raise the risk of gaining weight, possibly because the milk contributed to a feeling of fullness.
The caffeine in coffee also appears to boost metabolic rate, which increases how quickly your body burns fat. In a small study of 8 men, ingesting caffeine led to a 13% increase in calorie burning, as well as a two-fold increase in fat burning.
Coffee and pregnancy
A number of studies have found that coffee might not be a good idea for women during pregnancy. Caffeine travels within the bloodstream and can cross into the placenta, where it can cause fetal heart rate and metabolism to increase.
And too much caffeine during pregnancy can also slow fetal growth and increased risk of miscarriage.
A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggested that just a half-cup of coffee each day during pregnancy can shave almost an inch off your child’s height by the time they reach elementary school.
For these reasons, pregnant women are usually advised to consume less than 200 mg of caffeine daily, roughly the amount in two cups of coffee.
Coffee and Alzheimer’s disease
In a study called CAIDE (Cardiovascular Risk Factors, Aging and Dementia), three to five cups of coffee a day at midlife was associated with a decreased risk of Alzheimer’s disease later in life, when compared with people who drank less coffee, after 21 years of follow-up, the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health reports.
Espresso, too, might have a protective effect against Alzheimer’s disease. In the brain, tau proteins can clump together into threads that accumulate in brain regions involved in memory.
But in the presence of an extract of espresso, tau protein threads were shorter and didn’t form larger sheets, suggesting that the progress toward Alzheimer’s might be slowed or halted.
In addition to Alzheimer’s, some studies have found that coffee drinkers have up to a 60% lower risk of Parkinson’s disease — and the more coffee people drink, the lower the risk.
Coffee and anxiety
Getting a case of the “jitters” can occur in people who drink large amounts of coffee. But in some sensitive people, the caffeinated drink can cause significant anxiety.
According to a report from Cambridge University in the UK, caffeine “is implicated in the exacerbation of anxiety and sleep disorders, and people with eating disorders often misuse it. It antagonizes adenosine receptors, which may … exacerbate psychosis. In psychiatric in-patients, caffeine has been found to increase anxiety, hostility and psychotic symptoms.”
Health experts recommend that people who have anxiety issues, such as an anxiety disorder or other mental health concerns, try reducing or eliminating their use of coffee and other caffeinated drinks.
Type 2 diabetes and coffee
A number of studies have revealed that regular coffee drinkers have a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes, which is characterized by elevated blood sugar levels due to resistance to the effects of insulin.
Coffee fans may have a 23 to 67% reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes, depending on which study is cited. One meta-analysis of 18 studies in over 457,000 people associated each daily cup of coffee with a 7% reduced risk of type 2 diabetes.
Coffee and longevity
Longevity — the holy grail of health — may be aided by regular consumption of coffee.
Data of more than 170,000 adults in the UK has revealed that those who drink between two and four cups of coffee each day, regardless of added sugar, appear to live longer lives compared to those who don’t.
But those who drank coffee with an artificial sweetener did not live significantly longer than those who drank no coffee at all. Researchers believe higher rates of obesity and hypertension occur among people who use artificial sweeteners might be the cause.
Black coffee health benefits
An eight-ounce cup of coffee has just two calories — that’s it.
Compare that to a Starbucks peppermint white chocolate mocha, which weighs in at 510 calories, 18g fat and 12g saturated fat, and it’s easy to see why black coffee may be the best choice.
There are few studies that pinpoint any specific advantages to drinking your coffee black, but if you’re trying to manage your calorie intake, black coffee wins hands-down.
The verdict: Relax and have a cup
Overall, the association between coffee and health benefits is fairly strong and consistent across numerous studies, so drinking a moderate amount of coffee probably confers many advantages to most people.
A moderate amount of coffee is typically defined as three to five cups a day, or about 400 mg of caffeine, according to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
But like many items on the American diet, portion control is, well, out of control: While an eight ounce cup of coffee has about 90 to 100 mg of caffeine, a Starbucks Blonde Roast 16-ounce grande has about quadruple that amount of caffeine, at 360 mg, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
And not everyone can enjoy the benefits of coffee, of course: Pregnant women, people who have high blood pressure as well as anyone who has an anxiety disorder or wrestles with insomnia should sharply limit their intake of coffee — or eliminate it altogether.
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