Coffee is the most widely consumed source of caffeine in the world. As one of the most popular beverages, there are several good reasons to drink coffee. Coffee is rich in antioxidants, can give you energy and boost productivity, helps with weight loss by burning fat, and lowers your risk of diabetes and Alzheimer’s. If you want an excuse to enjoy your daily habit, the health benefits of coffee will support your morning ritual.
Like any food or drink, there are scientifically proven pros and cons of coffee. While coffee is good for the average person, coffee can be bad for men and women with health issues. How you drink your coffee can also determine whether it is healthy or not for you. Black coffee takes advantage of all the positives, while too much sugar or milk can start to make your caffeine consumption a disadvantage. To help you understand the effects on the human body, we’ve compiled the top 10 health benefits of drinking coffee.
Health Benefits of Drinking Coffee
Anything we consistently consume will affect your health. If you need reasons to keep drinking your black coffee or espresso, here are some of the most popular health benefits of coffee to make you feel better.
1. Coffee contains antioxidants.
Coffee is a rich source of antioxidants that help protect your cells against free radicals. We are exposed to free radicals daily, whether it’s the food we eat or exposure to radiation and smoke. And while most of these are beyond our control, we can control our antioxidant intake by drinking coffee.
2. Coffee contains polyphenols that help fight infection.
Phenolic acids are absorbed by the GI tract and promote our natural anti-inflammatory capacities, so it effectively fights off injury and infection in our bodies. It is an excellent immune system assistant.
3. Coffee increases productivity.
Increasing productivity and performance is the most common reason to drink coffee. If you’ve ever experienced the before and after benefits of coffee, you’ll notice more energy, improved awareness, and a boost in work ethic. Black coffee before a workout improves your performance by up to 12% as caffeine gives you an adrenaline rush. Adrenaline is your body’s fight-or-flight response that keeps you in top shape for any form of physical exertion.
4. Coffee helps you lose weight by burning fat.
Besides your increased productivity, coffee also aids in appetite control. A drink of coffee in the morning or afternoon will give you a feeling of satiety, so you don’t snack on unhealthy food. Caffeine is also known to stimulate thermogenesis, affecting an individual’s resting metabolic rate.
5. Coffee lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes.
As of 2019, the IDF (International Diabetes Federation) reports that 463 million adults are living with diabetes, and they project a rise in the coming years. According to studies, coffee consumption is associated with higher insulin sensitivity, lowering the risk for type 2 diabetes.
6. Coffee lowers the risk of Alzheimer’s or Dementia.
There is a 30% reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease among coffee consumers as it reduces the beta-amyloid in the brain. Beta-amyloid 42 is toxic, and people with Alzheimer’s have this in their brain at abnormal levels. Although larger studies need to be completed, a trend in the results suggested caffeine as a protective effect against late-life dementia.
7. Coffee lowers the risk of stroke.
Moderate coffee consumption reduces the risk of stroke among women by up to 20%. Caffeine causes a decrease in cerebral blood flow. The antioxidant properties in coffee also aid in reducing the risk of stroke.
8. Coffee helps fight depression.
Mental health is an important issue nowadays, and coffee helps stimulate the brain by increasing dopamine levels that gives its drinkers a sense of euphoria or an elevation in the mood. Moderate coffee consumption reduces the risk of suicide by 50%, making coffee an excellent drink for mental health.
9. Coffee lowers the risk of cancers.
The caffeic acid in coffee possesses anti-carcinogenic properties that assist with anti-tumor activity. Studies done on coffee drinkers show that coffee reduced liver cancer by 54% and endometrial cancer by 27%.
10. Coffee increases the intake of fiber.
According to the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, coffee has higher amounts of soluble dietary fiber than other beverages, maintaining excellent digestive health.
Disadvantages of Coffee
While there are advantages and health benefits to coffee, there are also disadvantages and unhealthy aspects of drinking coffee. The pros and cons for your health need to be weighed, but most of the reasons why coffee is bad for you can be mitigated by drinking in moderation, ensuring you buy quality beans and preparing your coffee in a healthy way. Here are some of the reasons coffee can be bad for you.
- Too much caffeine can cause dizziness, headaches, high blood pressure, an abnormal heartbeat, and increase your risk of heart disease.
- Bad coffee can be toxic if the beans are low-quality.
- Coffee can cause restlessness and lead to insomnia.
- Unfiltered coffee can lead to high cholesterol.
- High levels of caffeine intake can cause incontinence.
- Caffeine can cause indigestion.
How To Make Good Coffee
It is a truth universally known that too much of something is a bad thing. To make the most of the healthy coffee experience, we’ve come up with some tips for creating a healthy caffeinated beverage.
Drink black coffee.
If you’ve heard about the benefits of black coffee, you’re not mistaken. Overloading your coffee with sugar can be detrimental to your health, leading to serious diseases like obesity and diabetes. Choosing black is a healthy way to enjoy your coffee.
Consider using paper.
You can reduce the cholesterol-increasing properties of coffee by brewing coffee with a paper filter. This method lowers cafestol amounts in coffee, which contributes to high cholesterol, without filtering the antioxidants that make your coffee healthy.
Use cocoa on your coffee.
If you’re a fan of mocha, this addition should be a no-brainer, but there are significant benefits to cocoa in coffee besides the delicious chocolate flavor. Cocoa is an excellent sugar substitute and is loaded with antioxidants.
Low-fat doesn’t mean it’s healthy.
The hype on low-fat and artificial creamers may give the impression of health, but they tend to be highly processed with questionable ingredients. It is wise to go for full-fat cream that still contains calcium and important nutrients.
Moderation is key.
Too much coffee may negate all its health benefits, which is why moderation in coffee consumption is essential. And since our caffeine tolerance varies, we have to be mindful of our consumption.
Choose quality.
The unhealthy effects of coffee are linked to chemical use in farming. High-quality and organic coffee is free from synthetic pesticides toxic to human consumption.
Control the time you take in your caffeine.
It isn’t healthy to take in caffeine at odd hours of the day. One of the negative effects of coffee is insomnia and anxiety, which can be curbed if taken in moderation and at appropriate times of the day. If you need a coffee fix before bed, consider decaf options.
Is Coffee Good or Bad For You?
There are many pros and cons of coffee, and the ultimate decision to start or continue drinking coffee depends on your health and lifestyle. For the average person, the health benefits of drinking black coffee outweigh the bad reasons to consume this source of caffeine. Generally, studies have shown that coffee is good for you. Enjoying coffee in moderation is the most important way to stay healthy and safe. There are even ways to prepare coffee to minimize the negative side and health effects.