The right brew may give you more energy, boost your mood and memory, and offer a host of other benefits. The evidence in coffee’s favor has never been stronger. Research shows that it may help protect your brain, heart, metabolism, and more.
Coffee drinkers can enjoy such benefits as increased alertness and stamina, sharper memory, and less fatigue and depression. One cup may even aid metabolism and help you stay regular. Longer term, coffee is associated with a lower risk for a number of major illnesses, including type 2 diabetes, liver disease, heart disease, stroke, some cancers (especially endometrial and liver), and certain neurological disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease. Some research suggests that it may also reduce the risk of high blood pressure.
Recently, researchers at Tufts University in Boston who studied the coffee drinking habits of more than 46,000 adults found that, compared with nondrinkers, those who had one to three cups a day had a 14 percent lower risk of dying from any cause over nine to 11 years of follow-up. Having one cup of coffee a day was linked to an 18 percent lower risk of dying of heart disease, as disclosed in a 2022 study involving nearly 450,000 adults published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.
Caffeine and Beyond: Coffee beans contain more than 1,000 chemicals, many of which are thought to contribute to beneficial health effects. Caffeine, its main component, has been linked by research to the mood lift coffee may provide, along with improved memory and focus. Caffeine could help one become more active as well. A 2023 study in the New England Journal of Medicine found that drinking more caffeinated coffee was associated with taking about 1,000 extra daily steps.
Then there are beneficial compounds, such as polyphenols, that may alter blood sugar and fat metabolism and improve gut health. They could also help shield cells from oxidative damage, which is linked to a variety of diseases. Most of the metabolic effects are probably not related to caffeine. These include reducing inflammation and insulin resistance, which is important for lowering the risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular and liver disease, and some cancers.
Get the Most from Every Cup: The way you prepare your coffee can either enhance or limit its benefits. You also want to make sure you’re not getting too much of a good thing. The following tips can help you enjoy your usual brew healthfully:
Know your limit: The caffeine in coffee varies, but in general, 12 ounces contain about 110 to 250 mg. For most adults, up to 400 mg a day is fine, but the tolerance for the same amount of caffeinated coffee can vary a lot from one person to the next. Plus, the rate at which people metabolize caffeine tends to slow with age. If you notice that your usual amount now seems to cause jitteriness, trouble sleeping, or other unpleasant effects, consider cutting back. Even one cup has benefits, so there’s no need to drink more.
Choose the right brew: It’s healthier to drink filtered coffee than to use a French press because unfiltered methods result in high concentrations of cafestol, a compound in coffee that can raise LDL (“bad”) cholesterol. One small study found that drinking a lot of unfiltered coffee raised LDL blood levels by 16 mg/dL in nearly 80 days. High LDL may elevate the risk of major heart events. But there’s good news for espresso lovers: Although it’s unfiltered, it seems to have a less significant effect on cholesterol.
Go easy on cream and sugar: In the Tufts study mentioned previously, the longevity benefits disappeared when people added more than a half teaspoon of sugar, 5 tablespoons of 2 percent milk, or 1 tablespoon of light cream or half-and-half into 8 ounces of coffee.
Drink sooner, not later. A recent study published in the European Heart Journal that followed more than 40,000 adults over 10 years found that those who usually had coffee before noon had a 16 percent reduced risk of dying from any cause and a 31 percent lower risk for heart disease. But drinking it throughout the day didn’t have the same effect. Why? Coffee consumed later in the day may disrupt the body’s circadian rhythms as well as suppress melatonin production, which has been associated with heart disease risk. Skipping caffeinated coffee in the afternoon and evening may also help prevent sleep disruptions, which can lead to chronic health problems.
Mind your medicines: Some drugs don’t mix well with caffeine. For example, certain antibiotics, cardiovascular and asthma drugs, and antidepressants can affect how caffeine is metabolized. And caffeine can reduce the effectiveness of other drugs. So, check with your doctor. You may need to take your medicines and drink coffee at different times, or switch to decaf.
Is Decaf Really Better?
You may not get the same kick from decaf, but a lot of the protective associations that we see in caffeinated coffee are also seen in decaf. They include increased longevity and a lower risk of diabetes, heart disease, and chronic respiratory illness. There’s also some evidence that the very ritual of drinking coffee contributes to alertness and focus, whether it’s decaf or regular. If you’re experiencing unwanted effects from caffeine, switching to decaf or drinking half-caf may help. Decaf has 97 percent less caffeine than a regular cup.
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