Have you heard that coffee is bad for your health? While too much caffeine isn’t good for you—the maximum you should be drinking is 3-4 cups of coffee per day—coffee has some surprisingly good health benefits.
It’s crucial to understand that the type of coffee you consume, the quality of the beans, and the additions you make to your drink can significantly influence its health benefits. For instance, adding sweeteners, sugar, syrups, excessive milk, and whipped cream can compromise these benefits. However, regular black coffee or coffee with a dash of milk, like a flat white or cappuccino, can be incredibly beneficial. This knowledge empowers you to make informed choices about your coffee consumption.
To maximize the health benefits of coffee, it’s essential to invest in the best quality beans you can afford, ensure they are ground fresh for each drink, and learn how to store coffee beans to keep your beans fresh. Understanding how to prepare coffee without compromising its benefits or flavour profile puts you in control of your health and enjoyment of coffee.
But have you ever considered the potential health benefits of drinking coffee? Let’s explore the positive impact it can have on your health.
Improved Heart Health
Recent studies have shown that women, in particular, are less likely to die from coronary heart disease if they’re coffee drinkers, and 1-2 cups per day can protect against heart failure in cases where you have a weakened heart (a study carried out on a test size of 21,000 people).
Increased Protection Against Strokes
A review of 21 different studies found that those who drink 1-2 cups of coffee per day have a 21% lower chance of stroke than those who don’t or who drink more than 2 cups per day.
Energy Boost
If you get that energy boost after drinking coffee, then you need to run with it—not literally run, but utilise the energy it gives you to get it done. This isn’t true for everyone; some neurodivergent people find that caffeine helps to calm the brain and induce sleep and restfulness; however, caffeine has been scientifically proven to help increase energy levels. In fact, a study on cyclists found that drinking caffeine prior to riding increased time to fatigue by 12%.
Lower Risk Of Type 2 Diabetes
Again, this doesn’t mean you can drink a sugar-laden cup of coffee. However, black coffee has been linked to a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes. A review of 30 studies found that one cup of coffee can reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 6% per cup. This is due to coffee preserving the function of beta cells in the pancreas, which is responsible for producing insulin.
Improved Brain Health
While some studies have thrown up mixed results, it’s thought that there are some grains of truth in coffee helping to protect you from developing conditions such as Alzheimer’s, dementia, and even Parkinson’s. 11 observational studies of over 29,000 people found that in the group, the more coffee that people consumed, the lower the risk of Alzheimer’s, while other studies found coffee consumption slowed the progression of Parkinson’s.
