Coffee: Health Boosting or Busting
Coffee has its share of health controversies. Billions of cups are consumed daily, and many coffee drinkers can’t imagine starting their day without them. [I’m one of them.] On the other hand, many people avoid coffee for their own health reasons. Research about coffee’s health effects has been ongoing for decades, and there are tens of thousands of studies on it.
In this post, you will find some of the latest, largest studies published on coffee’s health impacts. One of the biggest takeaways is that the amount of coffee regularly consumed is one of the keys to whether it is health-boosting or health-busting.
Coffee contains caffeine and other compounds, too
An average cup of coffee contains about 100 mg of caffeine, and it’s the most widely known compound in coffee (1). However, coffee is also a source of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory polyphenols, as well as other compounds like chlorogenic acid, and small amounts of some vitamins and minerals (2,3,4). This means that while some of the health effects of coffee are due to caffeine, there is more to coffee than just caffeine.
Caffeine is known for its ability to boost energy and mental clarity by alleviating fatigue and drowsiness (5). Technically, caffeine is a nervous system stimulant and is considered to be “the most utilized psychoactive stimulant worldwide” (5).
Caffeine naturally occurs in coffee beans, tea leaves, and cacao beans and is often extracted from these to be added to other foods and drinks like sodas and energy drinks (5). In addition to caffeine’s ability to restore mental alertness and wakefulness, it’s also used to improve athletic performance and even treat certain types of headaches and migraines (5).
Enjoy 2-3 cups per day for these health benefits
There is a Goldilocks effect when it comes to drinking coffee. Enjoying moderate amounts of coffee—about 3 cups per day—has proven health benefits. In fact, up to 200 mg of caffeine per day (about 2 cups of coffee) is even considered to be safe for most people during pregnancy (5).
Some of the health benefits of drinking coffee in moderation include:
- Lower risk of heart disease and death
- Lower risk of dementia and stroke
- Better exercise performance
[1] Healthier hearts and longer lives
Several large studies show that there are many heart and cardiovascular benefits for people who regularly drink a moderate amount of coffee (2-3 cups) per day.
For example, an analysis of 180,000 people found that those who drank about 3 cups of coffee each day had the lowest risk of developing cardiometabolic morbidity, about 48.1% lower than those who drank 0-1 cup per day (6,7).
Interesting Fact: Cardiometabolic multimorbidity is when at least two cardiometabolic diseases, such as coronary heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes, exist at the same time (6,7,8).
Another study followed 450,000 participants over 12 years and found that those who drank 2-3 cups of coffee each day had the lowest risk of cardiovascular disease and death (3). In this case, the health benefits were found in those who drank both regular and decaffeinated coffee. It seems that these heart benefits may be due to non-caffeine compounds that are found in coffee, possibly the polyphenols which are antioxidants and anti-inflammatory (3).
Research from the UK followed 170,000 people (average age of 56 years) for seven years. They found that those who drank 1.5-3.5 cups of coffee per day were up to 30% less likely to die during the study than those who did not drink coffee (9). This held true for both regular and decaffeinated coffee (9). The longevity benefits of drinking coffee tapered off for those who drank more than 4 cups of coffee per day (9).
It’s true that drinking coffee can temporarily raise your blood pressure, however it doesn’t make you more likely to develop high blood pressure in the long run. In fact, drinking coffee may even lower your risk of developing high blood pressure (10).
[2] Brain benefits
Several substances in coffee have potent effects on the brain. One study compared participants’ brain activity after drinking a cup of coffee to those who drank caffeine-infused water. Both groups experienced a boost to their alertness and reduced fatigue, as we would expect with caffeine. But over and above those effects, only the coffee-drinking group also experienced improved working memory, cognitive control, and goal-directed behavior and a heightened “readiness to transition from a state of rest to engaging in task-related activities” (2).
An 11-year study of 365,000 participants found that coffee and tea drinkers had reduced risks of dementia and stroke (11). Those who drank 2-3 cups of both coffee and tea each day had 28% lower risk of dementia and a 32% lower risk of stroke than those who didn’t drink any coffee or tea (11).
[3] Exercise performance
Caffeine is a stimulant that helps boost energy and mental and physical performance. It’s added as a supplement into many sports products such as chewing gum, pre-workout shots, energy drinks, gels and energy bars, for that very reason (12).
When it comes to the impact of drinking coffee on exercise, one study monitored 100 participants for two weeks. They drank their usual amounts of coffee for two days, and then skipped it for the next two days. This pattern repeated for two weeks. Researchers found that on the days participants drank coffee they walked an average of 1,000 more steps than on the days they didn’t drink coffee (10).
Coffee can be healthy, but too much may be harmful
As noted above, a lot of research points to about 2-3 cups of coffee per day as a safe and healthy amount to consume. There are some risks [linked to/associated with] consuming significantly more.
Older studies found that drinking high amounts of coffee (5-6+ cups per day) can be harmful to the heart and may affect the heartbeat by triggering palpitations [or fibrillations] (10). When it comes to brain health, at least one study found that those who drank more than 3 cups per day may experience more rapid cognitive decline than those who drank less coffee each day (4).
Coffee intake can also impede sleep. One study found that on days when participants drank coffee, they slept for about 36 fewer minutes on those nights (10). Insufficient sleep can negatively impact other areas of health, such as heart health.
Some people may experience mild adverse effects from too much caffeine consumption. Examples of these effects include “anxiety, restlessness, fidgeting, insomnia, facial flushing, increased urination, irritability, muscle twitches or tremors, agitation, tachycardia or irregular heart rate, and gastrointestinal irritation” (5).
Very high amounts of caffeine can come with risks for more serious health effects, such as “disorientation, hallucinations, psychosis, seizures, arrhythmias, ischemia, and rhabdomyolysis” (5).
Caffeine is known to interact with certain psychiatric medications such as “antidepressants, antipsychotics, anxiolytics, and sedatives” (5).
Regular caffeine use can also lead to addiction and withdrawal symptoms if trying to stop (5). Tapering to smaller and smaller doses over several days is often recommended to reduce withdrawal symptoms (5).
[Medical disclaimer: If you or someone you love is concerned about excessive caffeine intake or any of the concerns listed above, please see your healthcare professional or book an appointment with me to discuss your concerns, needs, and goals.]
Some factors can increase our risk of too much caffeine
As with many things we ingest, caffeine is metabolized (broken down) by enzymes and excreted by the body. Within about five hours of consumption, half of the caffeine has been metabolized and excreted, while the other half is still present in the body (5). Certain factors can slow the system down, keeping caffeine levels higher in the body for a longer time, which may lead to side effects. Examples of situations that can slow down the metabolism of caffeine include smoking, liver and kidney impairment, as well as babies and children, and during the final trimester in pregnancy (5).
The most healthful way to drink coffee
According to Harvard Medical School professor, Dr. Graziano, “If you like coffee, enjoy up to a few cups per day—as long as it’s not interfering with your sleep. And don’t dump a lot of cream and sugar into your coffee, since that adds saturated fat and empty calories” (10).
And, I would agree. The two pieces of coffee-drinking advice I’d give are:
- If you’re generally healthy and are not at risk for too-high caffeine levels, feel free to enjoy to 2-3 cups of coffee per day.
- Limit the amount of sugar, cream, or other additives.
Bottom line
Coffee is not the villain it was once made out to be. As with most things, there may be some risks from having too much coffee or caffeine. Moderation is the way to go, and many large studies support the heart, brain, and exercise performance benefits from drinking 2-3 cups of coffee per day, especially if it means you don’t take too much sugar or cream with it.
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References
1 – Brunning, A. (2014, January 30). Why is Coffee Bitter? – The Chemistry of Coffee. Compound Chem. https://www.compoundchem.com/2014/01/30/why-is-coffee-bitter-the-chemistry-of-coffee/
2 – Brooks, M. (2023, July 6). Coffee’s Brain-Boosting Effect Goes Beyond Caffeine. Medscape. https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/994049
3 – Godman, H. (2023, January 1). Drinking coffee linked to healthier hearts and longer lives. Harvard Medical School, Harvard Health Publishing. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/drinking-coffee-linked-to-healthier-hearts-and-longer-lives
4 – Anderson, P. (2024, August 1). Too Much Coffee Linked to Accelerated Cognitive Decline. Medscape. https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/too-much-coffee-linked-accelerated-cognitive-decline-2024a1000e6q
5 – Evans, J., Richards, J. R., & Battisti, A. S. (2024). Caffeine. In StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519490/
6 – Lu, X., Zhu, X., Li, G., Wu, L., Shao, L., Fan, Y., Pan, C. W., Wu, Y., Borné, Y., & Ke, C. (2024). Habitual Coffee, Tea, and Caffeine Consumption, Circulating Metabolites, and the Risk of Cardiometabolic Multimorbidity. The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism, dgae552. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1210/clinem/dgae552
https://academic.oup.com/jcem/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1210/clinem/dgae552/7754545
7 – Holcombe, M. (2024, September 19). Coffee could be more than a morning pick-me-up, according to new research. CTV News. https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coffee-could-be-more-than-a-morning-pick-me-up-according-to-new-research-1.7044498
8 – Sun, D., Gao, Y., Xu, B., Xiang, L., Liu, W., Luo, H., & Wu, I. X. Y. (2024). Association of coffee consumption with cardiometabolic multimorbidity: A prospective cohort study in the UK biobank. Nutrition, metabolism, and cardiovascular diseases : NMCD, S0939-4753(24)00301-6. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.numecd.2024.08.004
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39277537
9 – Salamon, M. (2022, September 1). Drinking coffee might lengthen life. Harvard Medical School, Harvard Health Publishing. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/drinking-coffee-might-lengthen-life
10 – Corliss, J. (2023, August 1). Does coffee help or harm your heart? Harvard Medical School, Harvard Health Publishing. https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/does-coffee-help-or-harm-your-heart
11 – Godman, H. (2022, February 1). Drinking both coffee and tea linked to lower risks for stroke and dementia. Harvard Medical School, Harvard Health Publishing. https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/drinking-both-coffee-and-tea-linked-to-lower-risks-for-stroke-and-dementia
12 – Morehen, J. (2024, February 29). Caffeine and sports performance: Pros, cons and considerations. Science for Sport. https://www.scienceforsport.com/caffeine-and-sports-performance-pros-cons-and-considerations/
