Sipping strong coffee first thing in the morning really gets your blood flowing and awakens the senses to start the day. For many, it’s a prerequisite. Whether you drink one or more cups per day, coffee offers an abundance of health benefits beyond the morning jolt. For example, regular coffee drinking has been associated with reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, liver disease, and certain cancer types.
What’s In a Cup of Coffee? Many of coffee’s health benefits boil down to the phytonutrients found within. Coffee is a plant-based beverage, and like other plant foods, contains phytochemicals and polyphenols. In fact, coffee provides more polyphenols and phytochemicals than tea.
One cup of coffee also contains around 80 to 100 milligrams of caffeine. To put this into perspective, a 12-ounce can of soda contains only 35 grams of caffeine, and a typical 16-ounce energy drink has anywhere from 160 to 300 grams of caffeine. That means four or five 8-ounce cups of coffee is well within the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommendation of no more than 400 milligrams of coffee per day.
Benefits of Drinking Coffee Every Day If you’re already having a daily “cup of joe,” studies show that drinking a cup a day can be associated with a reduced risk of chronic disease.
“Coffee is a source of vitamin B2 (riboflavin), magnesium, and polyphenols,” says Reihm. “Polyphenols are bioactive compounds in plants that have known health benefits. Particularly, coffee contains chlorogenic acid, quinic acid, and diterpenes like cafestol and kahweol. These compounds have antioxidant and anticancer effects.”
Reihm adds that some studies have also linked regular coffee consumption to reduced mortality from cardiovascular disease, heart attacks, and diabetes. Here are some additional benefits of drinking coffee.
- Reduces Risk of Type 2 Diabetes Studies suggest drinking three to four cups of coffee per day will reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 25%. Note that this result occurred from a study comparing those drinking three to four cups per day to those who do not drink coffee or consume less than 2 cups daily.
- Boosts Energy Levels The caffeine in coffee provides anti-fatigue effects. Caffeine works in the brain by antagonizing all four adenosine receptors causing wakefulness.
- Protects Against Cardiovascular Disease Your cup-o-joe even has heart health benefits. It’s possible that the phytochemicals including chlorogenic acids, phenolic compounds, and trace elements are partly responsible for these anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-thrombosis effects.
- Improves Athletic Performance The effects of caffeine on athletic performance have been studied extensively. The International Society of Sports Nutrition’s position on caffeine and exercise performance states that supplementing with caffeine has been shown to enhance a number of aspects of exercise performance.
Risks and Considerations Drinking three to five cups of coffee per day is generally considered safe for adults. However, people who are pregnant or trying to get pregnant should not consume more than 300 milligrams of caffeine per day as caffeine crosses the placenta and could pose a risk to the fetus.
If you have uncontrolled blood pressure, a history of heart disease, or another condition, you should speak to a healthcare professional before drinking caffeinated coffee. Increased caffeine intake can heighten anxious feelings and cause insomnia in certain people.
Is It OK to Drink Coffee Every Day? Drinking coffee every day is considered safe and offers a number of cardioprotective properties. Other health benefits include enhanced physical exercise and performance, and improved cognition, alertness, and mood.
This is good news for coffee lovers. Drinking three to five cups of coffee every day is more than enough to reap the benefits and is generally considered safe for most healthy people.
