Researchers continue to find new benefits for drinking coffee. If you are already a coffee drinker or consume caffeine in your diet, you may already be taking steps to increase your longevity.
Coffee has many ingredients in it that researchers still are unaware of their individual benefit. What is known is that it may be one of the best drinks for your health – even better than tea.
Besides being able to help you wake up in the morning and get focused, recent research has also shown that it has cardiometabolic benefits. It helps keep your heart healthy and reduces your risk of cardiac events.
The term cardiometabolic refers to your heart, blood vessels, and blood. Someone with good cardiometabolic health has normal blood pressure and blood sugar, no evidence of cardiovascular disease, good cholesterol levels (and not taking medicine), and a healthy body mass index (BMI).
Caffeine also has other benefits. People who drink regular coffee (not decaf) have a lower risk of developing dementia – including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. These benefits are most apparent in those who drink between two and four cups of joe daily. It also reduces the risk of depression and cancer.
Positively, coffee can also improve your mood, memory, and reaction time. Some studies indicate that it may also improve your endurance while you exercise.
Coffee is also a healthy drink because it contains several vitamins. One 8-ounce cup includes 118mg of potassium, 7.2 mg of magnesium, vitamins B2, B3, and B5, phosphorus, manganese, and folate. The drink also contains phenolic compounds, which help protect your body from inflammation and oxidative stress.
Although coffee has many health benefits, the benefits are more substantial when you drink it black. Adding sugar or sweet creamers reduces the health benefits because they are not good for you. Some additives in specialty coffee also contain saturated fat, and their harmful effect is worsened if you drink several cups a day.
Different types of coffee have varying amounts of caffeine in them. Online charts have varying amounts for the same kind of coffee but are generally in the same ballpark. Cold brew has the most caffeine, with about 200 mg per cup; Turkish coffee has about 160mg per cup; pour-over coffee has about 150mg; French Press has about 125mg; a latte has about 130mg; and Espresso has about 65mg per 1 oz. cup.
In comparison, a cup of black tea only contains about 45mg of caffeine, and a cup of green tea contains about 28mg. Energy drinks contain much more caffeine, and some contain dangerous amounts.
A 1-ounce piece of dark chocolate can contain up to 35mg of caffeine. Caffeine is also put into some over-the-counter medications and weight-loss supplements.
The most benefits were evident in people who drank 2 to 4 cups of coffee daily. They had a reduced risk of heart disease and stroke by about 17% and reduced their risk of developing Type 2 diabetes by about 30%.
Some people may need to be careful about how much coffee and caffeinated drinks they consume. Drinking too much can lead to headaches, prevent quality sleep, speed up your heart rate, or produce jitters, upset stomach, and nausea. Pregnant women should consult a doctor before drinking much coffee, but an occasional cup should be fine.
The benefits of drinking coffee are that it increases your longevity. If you have heart issues or other health problems, you should contact your doctor before increasing the amount of coffee you drink each day.
