Coffee is one of the most popular drinks in the world, with more than 400 billion cups sold each year.

Drinking coffee is becoming more and more a way of life, whether it is a cup of black coffee in the morning to refresh the mind, or a cup of latte to accompany some reading time on the weekend afternoon. Even though drinking coffee is not one of our "cultural drinks", you are becoming more and more familiar with its taste.

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But besides refreshing the mind, what other health benefits does it have that are worth sticking with? Is it completely healthy? Are there any risks?

Health Benefits

Potential health benefits associated with coffee drinking include protection against type 2 diabetes, Parkinson's disease, liver disease, liver cancer, and improved cardiovascular health.

Coffee and diabetes: Coffee may help prevent type 2 diabetes

Researchers at UCLA found that drinking coffee increases levels of sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) in plasma.

SHBG has the function of controlling the biological activity of sex hormones (testosterone and estrogen) in the body, which play a role in the development and progression of type 2 diabetes.

Therefore, it is believed that there is an inverse correlation between coffee drinking and the risk of type 2 diabetes. In other words, increasing coffee consumption can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.

To this end, researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) collected data from three studies in which participants' diets were assessed using questionnaires every 4 years. Participants with type 2 diabetes were also assessed using questionnaires. In this population-based survey, a total of 7,269 people with diabetes participated in the study.

The researchers found that participants who increased their coffee intake by at least 1 cup per day over the 4 years (the average for all participants in the study was 1.69 cups per day) had an 11% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes over the subsequent 4 years, compared with those who did not change their coffee intake.

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Coffee and Parkinson's disease

Researchers in the United States conducted a study to evaluate the link between coffee drinking and Parkinson's disease risk. The authors of the study concluded that "higher coffee and caffeine intake was associated with a significantly lower incidence of Parkinson's disease."

Additionally, the caffeine in coffee may help control involuntary muscle movements in Parkinson's patients, according to a study published in the journal Neurology by the McGill University Health Centre Research Institute.

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Coffee and liver cancer

Italian researchers found that drinking coffee can reduce the risk of liver cancer by about 40%. Some studies also believe that if you can drink three cups of coffee a day, the risk of liver cancer will be reduced by more than 50%.

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Coffee and liver disease

According to a study by the California Health Care Program, drinking coffee can reduce the incidence of cirrhosis of the liver in drinkers by 22%. This may be because coffee contains substances that can prevent cirrhosis, especially alcoholic cirrhosis.

A study published in the journal Hepatology in April 2014 showed that coffee drinking was associated with a lower risk of death from cirrhosis. The researchers also suggested that drinking at least two cups of coffee a day could reduce the risk of death from cirrhosis by 66%.

Another study published in the journal Hepatology also found that even drinking decaffeinated coffee reduced liver enzyme levels, suggesting that the benefits of coffee are independent of the caffeine content.

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Coffee and heart health

The benefits to heart health depend mainly on the amount of coffee you drink each day.

Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health believe that moderate coffee drinking can protect against heart failure. They define "moderate" as 2 cups a day (1 cup is 8 ounces, about a small cup at Starbucks). People who drink 4 small cups of coffee a day have an 11% lower risk of heart failure.

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Other health benefits of coffee

1) Reduce overall mortality

2) Reduce the risk of multiple sclerosis

3) Prevent colorectal cancer

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Nutrition of coffee

l Low in calories

Ordinary black coffee (without milk or cream) is very low in calories. A cup of black coffee contains only about 2kcal.

However, if you add sugar and milk to it, the calories increase significantly.

High in antioxidants

We all know that because our bodies are in an oxygen-filled environment, they are constantly being oxidized, so antioxidants are particularly important. Nutritionists have also been suggesting that we choose foods rich in antioxidants. Coffee is one of them.

Regardless of whether it contains caffeine or not, the antioxidants in coffee do not change depending on the amount of caffeine. So don't worry about not being able to drink caffeine and not getting the health benefits of coffee~

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Not suitable for people

l Anxious people drink too much coffee, because the caffeine intake increases significantly, which can cause anxiety symptoms and aggravate the symptoms of anxiety;

l For people with depression , caffeine can cause mood changes and is not recommended for people who are already depressed;

For women who are trying to get pregnant , coffee may reduce their chances of getting pregnant;

Young people with mild hypertension who regularly drink coffee may have a negative impact on their cardiovascular health.

lPeople with disordered biological clocks ...Everyone should have some experience of not being able to sleep after drinking coffee at night. For people with disordered biological clocks, they should control their desire for coffee, especially the time of drinking coffee.

References:

“The History of Coffee” National Coffee Association of USA Accessed 15 December 2013.

“Coffee is number one source of antioxidants” news release via EurekAlert!. 28 August 2005. Accessed 15 December 2013.

“Ask the Expert: Coffee and Health” Dr. Rob van Dam. The Harvard School of Public Health Nutrition Source. Accessed 15 December 2013.

“Coffee and Caffeine Consumption in Relation to Sex Hormone – Binding Globulin and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes in Postmenopausal Women” Atsushi Goto, Yiqing Song, Brian H. Chen, Jo. Ann E. Manson, Julie E. Buring, and Simin Liu. Diabetes. doi:10.2337/db10-1193. 2011 January; 60(1): 269–275. Accessed 15 December 2013.

“Association of Coffee and Caffeine Intake With the Risk of Parkinson Disease “ G. Webster Ross, MD; Robert D. Abbott, PhD; Helen Petrovitch, MD; David M. Morens, MD; Andrew Grandinetti, PhD; Ko-Hui Tung, MS; Caroline M. Tanner, MD, PhD; Kamal H. Masaki, MD; Patricia L. Blanchette, MD, MPH; Lon R. White, MD, MPH. JAMA. doi:10.1001/jama.283.20.2674. 2000;283(20):2674-2679. Accessed 15 December 2013.

“Caffeine for treatment of Parkinson disease” Ronald B. Postuma, MD, MSc, Anthony E. Lang, MD, Renato P. Munhoz, MD, Katia Charland, PhD, Amelie Pelletier, PhD, Mariana Moscovich, MD, Luciane Filla, MD, Debora Zanatta, RPh, Silvia Rios Romenets, MD, Robert Altman, MD, Rosa Chuang, MD and Binit Shah, MD. doi:10.1212/WNL.0b013e318263570d August 1, 2012. Abstract. Accessed 15 December 2013.

"Coffee Reduces Risk for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: An Updated Meta-analysis" Francesca Bravi, Cristina Bosetti, Alessandra Tavani, Silvano Gallus, Carlo La Vecchia. Volume 11, Issue 11 , Pages 1413-1421.e1, November 2013. Abstract. Accessed 15 December 2013.

“Coffee Consumption is Associated with Reduced Risk of Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis but not Primary Biliary Cirrhosis” Crai Lammert, and others; presented at Digestive Disease Week,18-21 May 2013. Accessed 15 December 2013.

"Coffee, cirrhosis, and transaminase enzymes." Klatsky AL, Morton C, Udaltsova N, Friedman GD. Arch Intern Med. 2006 Jun 12;166(11):1190-5. Abstract. Accessed 15 December 2013.

"Habitual Coffee Consumption and Risk of Heart Failure: A Dose-Response Meta-Analysis" Elizabeth Mostofsky, Megan S. Rice, Emily B. Levitan, and Murray A. Mittleman. Circ Heart Fail. DOI:10.1161/CIRCHEARTFAILURE.112.967299. published online before print 26 June 2012. Abstract. Accessed 15 December 2013.

“”The Impact of Green Tea and Coffee Consumption on the Reduced Risk of Stroke Incidence in Japanese Population” Yoshihiro Kokubo, MD, PhD, FAHA, Hiroyasu Iso, MD, PhD, Isao Saito, MD, PhD, Kazumasa Yamagishi, MD, PhD, Hiroshi Yatsuya, MD, PhD, Junko Ishihara, PhD, Manami Inoue, MD, PhD and Shoichiro Tsugane, MD, PhD. Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association . doi: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.111.677500. March 14, 2013. Abstract. Accessed 15 December 2013.

"Coffee and tea consumption in relation to prostate cancer prognosis" Milan S. Geybels, Marian L. Neuhouser, Jonathan L. Wright, Marni Stott-Miller and Janet L. Stanford, Cancer Causes & Control . August 2013. Abstract. Accessed 15 December 2013.

"Caffeine and psychiatric symptoms: a review." Broderick P, Benjamin AB. J Okla State Med Assoc. 2004 Dec;97(12):538-42. Abstract. Accessed 15 December 2013.

'"Inhibitory effect of caffeine on pacemaker activity in the oviduct is mediated by cAMP-regulated conductances" RE Dixon, SJ Hwang, FC Britton, KM Sanders and SM Ward. British Journal of Pharmacology. 2011; DOI: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.2011.01266.x. Abstract. Accessed 15 December 2013.

“Caffeine Effects on Sleep Taken 0, 3, or 6 Hours before Going to Bed.” Christopher Drake, Timothy Roehrs, John Shambroom, and Thomas Roth. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. Volume 09 Number 11. DOI: 10.5664/jcsm.3170. 15 November 2013. Abstract.

"Coffee, alcohol and other beverages in relation to cirrhosis mortality: the Singapore Chinese Health Study." Woon-Puay Koh, et al., Hepatology. DOI: 10.1002/hep.27054. published April 2014. Abstract.

17.Health benefits and risks of drinking coffee, Joseph Nordqvist, Thu 14 December 2017, Medical News Today, https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/270202.php?sr.

About the Author

Zheng Yan, a registered dietitian, master of nutrition, and practicing public health physician, is an unconventional nutritionist and foodie who loves nutrition to the core...

I have been engaged in nutrition work for more than 5 years. I used to be a clinical nutritionist in the nutrition department of a hospital. Later, I was restless and transferred to a company to engage in nutrition management of chronic diseases. I have rich experience in nutrition management of chronic diseases such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and hyperuricemia.