I started drinking coffee when I was a sophomore in college. I was incredibly busy working and attending classes. I often found myself staying up late to study, so I needed the caffeine to help me remain alert!
Years and years have passed, but I continue drinking coffee. My primary motivation for drinking it nowadays is that I like the flavor (though I won’t deny that caffeine can be a useful tool for a mom of young kids). I sometimes wonder if it is safe to drink coffee. What are the health implications of regular coffee consumption? I looked into this recently and here is what I found.
The health implications of drinking coffee
According to researchers, the case for coffee consumption gets stronger every day. In study after study, they have found that coffee contains antioxidants and other active substances that may reduce inflammation and protect against disease.
Top health benefits of coffee
- You’re less likely to develop heart failure. Drinking one or two cups of coffee a day may help prevent heart failure (which is when a weakened heart has difficulty pumping enough blood to the body).
- Your body may process glucose more effectively. Researchers believe that the antioxidants in coffee improve insulin sensitivity, decreasing an individual’s risk of type 2 diabetes.
- You’re less likely to suffer a stroke. Drinking as little as one cup of coffee per day is associated with a decreased risk of stroke.
- You’ll have stronger DNA. Coffee, particularly dark roast coffee, decreases breakage in DNA strands. DNA strand breakage can lead to cancer or tumors if not repaired by your cells.
- Your odds of getting colon cancer decrease. Overall, 1 in every 23 women develop colon cancer. However, researchers have found that coffee drinkers are 26% less likely to develop colorectal cancer than individuals who don’t drink coffee.
- Your liver may be healthier. Coffee appears to protect the liver. When compared to individuals who don’t drink coffee, coffee drinkers are more likely to have liver enzyme levels within a healthy range.
- You’re less likely to develop Parkinson’s disease. Caffeinated coffee is linked to a lower chance of developing Parkinson’s disease. It may also help those with the disease better control their movements.
- You’re less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease. Caffeinated coffee appears to provide significant protection against the development of Alzheimer’s disease. In fact, among women age 65 and older who consume 2-3 cups of coffee each day, this protection extends to other forms of dementia.
- You may live longer. Researchers have found that coffee drinkers are less likely to die from coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and kidney disease (these happen to be some of the leading causes of death in the U.S.).
Risks of coffee consumption
As you might guess, coffee isn’t a perfect beverage. There are some risks associated with coffee consumption. Excessive intake of coffee may cause:
- Jitteriness
- Increased heart rate
- Increased blood pressure
- Anxiety
- Trouble falling asleep
Additionally, coffee drinks can be super high in calories. Coffee itself isn’t (an 8 oz. cup of black coffee only contains 2 calories), but the addition of milk products, sugars, and flavored syrups can really increase the caloric content of a cup of coffee.
To avoid consuming too many calories, it’s best to stick to plain coffee or coffee with very little mixed into it. To avoid the other troubling side effects of coffee, consume decaf coffee or consume no more than 3-5 cups of caffeinated coffee a day.
Please note that the recommendations differ for pregnant women. The exact impacts of caffeine consumption during pregnancy are unknown, so out of caution experts recommend that pregnant women limit their caffeine intake to less than 200 milligrams per day, which is the amount of caffeine in approximately one 11-ounce cup of coffee (source).
Final thoughts
The health benefits of coffee are pretty amazing. Moreover, the benefits noted above have been found by researchers in multiple studies, so the evidence is pretty strong. The evidence isn’t so strong and the benefits aren’t so great that doctors are going to start prescribing coffee to their patients as they would medications, but the benefits are great news for those of us who enjoy drinking a cup of coffee (or a few cups of coffee) each day. We don’t have to feel bad for indulging. In fact, the evidence indicates we’re actually doing something good for our bodies!
For more information on the health impacts of coffee, check out my sources:
- Other Healthy Beverage Options from Harvard School of Public Health
- 9 Reasons Why (the Right Amount of) Coffee is Good for You from Johns Hopkins Medicine
- Does Coffee Offer Health Benefits? from Mayo Clinic
Do you drink coffee? What do you like about it? What do you think is the best way to drink it—black, iced, with cream and sugar, etc.?
I never knew about these potential health benefits of coffee! That is so cool!!! I love coffee, though I typically don’t drink it every day (though lately I have been drinking it nearly every day) and I restrict myself to one cup a day, since I don’t want to have too much caffeine. I have always loved the smell, and I really love the taste!
How I drink coffee depends a lot on what kind of coffee it is. If it’s mass-produced coffee from the church hall or drip coffee from a donut shop, I always dump in powdered creamer if it’s available. When I visit my neighbor and she makes me Keurig coffee, I usually have it with some half-and-half and a tiny bit of sugar as a treat. When I make coffee with freshly ground beans in my French press at home, I either drink it black or with a little milk. OR, if I make iced cold brew at home, I may put in a teensy bit of sugar. I’m never consistent haha. I do like the occasional “fancy coffee” type beverage, but those are usually just so sweet that I only have one every once-in-a-while.
I really love the taste, too, so I’m glad it has health benefits!
If it’s good coffee, I’ll drink it black. If it’s not-so-good coffee, I’ll add a splash of milk or cream.
Just an added caution for expectant moms, decaf coffee as well as excessive caffeine consumption has been linked to miscarriage:
http://web.cn.edu/stkarr/caffeine%20and%20miscarriage.htm
I don’t drink coffee because I’ve never liked the taste, but this article is almost enough to make me try it again when I’m not pregnant/nursing!
That’s interesting, Kathryn. I hadn’t seen this information on decaf coffee. Thanks for sharing it!
Personally, I was surprised at the breadth of the health benefits. I was aware of a couple of them, but I had no idea that coffee consumption was linked with so many good things.