Coffee is the first thing many of us reach for when we climb out of bed, and the go-to beverage to power us through our hectic lives. In fact, according to official figures, between us, we drink around 3 billion cups of coffee every day.
Originating in Ethiopia and Yemen, coffee had arrived in western Europe by the late 17th century. Today there are countless international coffee brands selling an extensive range of hot and cold coffee concoctions. Even the youngest among us can enjoy a milky babyccino topped with marshmallows and chocolate flakes.
With International Coffee Day coming up on 1 October 2023, is your daily caffeine fix good or bad for your health?
First the espresso-sized bad news: caffeine
Caffeine blocks the adenosine receptors, keeping you alert and awake. As a result, drinking coffee in the morning is preferable to drinking it later in the day.
If you consume too much caffeine, as well as insomnia, according to research reported by Healthline, it could lead to increased blood pressure and cause stomach problems.
Consequently, experts generally recommend keeping daily caffeine consumption to around 300mg or below.
Of course, one way to avoid these problems and still enjoy a daily cup of coffee is to switch to decaf. A typical cup of decaffeinated coffee has about 2 mg of caffeine, compared to a cup of regular coffee, which typically contains around 95 mg.
But caffeine isn’t all bad
A well-known stimulant, while caffeine can be unhelpful in causing sleeplessness, scientific research has also proved that it can lead to a “short-term boost in brain function”, helping to:
- Reduce tiredness
- Make you feel more alert
- Improve your mood
- Increase your reaction time
- Support your overall cognitive function.
And the good news doesn’t stop there – here are 5 more health benefits for coffee drinkers
A daily cup of coffee can give you more than just an energy boost to kick start your day.
As well as caffeine, coffee also contains beneficial antioxidants and other active ingredients that could help reduce inflammation and protect you from disease.
In fact, nutrition experts, including academics from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, believe coffee could:
1. Reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes
Research suggests that, over the long term, drinking coffee regularly could decrease your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Scientists believe that this is because coffee can preserve the function of the beta cells in your pancreas, which are responsible for producing insulin to regulate blood sugar levels.
Because coffee is also rich in antioxidants, it may have a positive effect on insulin sensitivity, inflammation, and metabolism.
2. Support your brain health
Several studies have shown that drinking coffee in moderation could also be associated with lowering the risk of dementia and cognitive decline.
While there have been mixed results, there is also some evidence to suggest that coffee could protect the brain against certain neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.
3. Make you less prone to depression
On reviewing seven separate studies, researchers found that each cup of coffee you drink in a day could lower the risk of depression by 8%.
A study involving more than 200,000 people showed that drinking coffee could also be linked to a lower risk of death by suicide.
4. Keep your heart healthy
According to science, drinking coffee could help to lower your risk of heart disease, stroke, and heart failure.
In fact, in one study, drinking three to five cups of coffee a day was tied to a 15% reduced risk of heart disease.
Remember: caffeine could increase your blood pressure. So, it's always wise to moderate the amount of caffeine you consume each day.
5. Help you live longer
Thanks to multiple combined potential health benefits, drinking coffee could help to extend your life.
A review of 40 different studies revealed that drinking between two and four cups of coffee a day was associated with a lower risk of death – regardless of age, weight, or alcohol consumption.
In more good news, another study found that one coffee a day could be linked to reducing the risk of death from cancer.
The buzz will last
With the global coffee industry worth a massive $495.50 billion, research into the various health benefits will no doubt continue.
Plus, with a growing number of sophisticated machines available to make barista-style coffee at home, multiple global coffee chains reaping millions of dollars profit, and hundreds of new independent coffee shops popping up every week, we won’t be falling out of love with coffee anytime soon.
