Health benefits of drinking coffee

 Health benefits of drinking coffee

When people think of coffee, they usually think of its ability to provide an energy boost. However, according to some research, it can also offer some other important health benefits. Such benefits may include a lower risk of liver cancer, type 2 diabetes, and heart failure.

Worldwide, experts estimate that people consume around 2.25 billion cups of coffee per day. Researchers have looked at the benefits of drinking coffee for conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and liver disease. There is evidence to support some, but not all, of these claims.

Health benefits of drinking coffee

Some potential health benefits associated with Trusted Source drinking coffee include protection against type 2 diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, liver disease, and liver cancer. Coffee consumption may also support cardiovascular health.

Coffee and diabetes

Coffee may help protect against type 2 diabetes.

In 2014, researchers who gathered data on over 48,000 people found that those who increased their coffee consumption by at least one cup per day over 4 years had an 11% lower risk of type 2 diabetes than those who did not increase their intake.

A 2017 meta-analysis Trusted Source concluded that people who drank four to six cups of either caffeinated or decaffeinated coffee each day appeared to have a lower risk of metabolic syndrome, including type 2 diabetes.

Coffee and Parkinson’s disease

Various studies have suggested that caffeine, which is present in coffee and many other beverages, may help protect against Parkinson’s disease.

One team concluded that men who drink over four cups of coffee per day might have a five fold lower risk of Parkinson’s disease than those who do not.

 suggested a link between coffee consumption and a lower risk of Parkinson’s disease, even among people who smoke. This team also found that people who drink coffee may be less likely to experience depression and cognitive conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease.

However, there was not enough evidence to prove that drinking decaffeinated coffee helps prevent Parkinson’s disease.

Coffee and chronic liver disease or cancer

In 2019, a literature review Trusted Source concluded that coffee intake is likely to reduce the risk of liver cancer.

Earlier, in 2015, a cohort study of a multiethnic population in the United States suggested that depending on the dose, consuming two to three cups of coffee daily reduced the participants’ risk of developing extracellular carcinoma and chronic liver disease (CLD) by 38% and 46%Trusted Source, respectively.

The meta-analysis from 2017 Trusted Source also concluded that consuming any type of coffee appears to reduce the risk of liver cancer, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and cirrhosis. These findings are now bolstered by a 2021 study Trusted Source suggesting that consuming all types of coffee may offer some protection against CLD.

Learn more about the 2021 study on coffee and liver disease here.

Coffee and other liver diseases

People who consume coffee may also have a lower risk of gallstone disease.

In 2014, researchers looked at coffee consumption among people with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) and primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). These are autoimmune conditions that affect the bile ducts in the liver.

They found that people with PSC were more likely Trusted Source to have a lower coffee intake than those without the condition. There was no evidence to suggest that coffee intake was different among people with or without PBC.

Also, another 2014 study suggested a link between coffee consumption and a lower risk of dying from nonviral hepatitis-related cirrhosis. The researchers suggested that drinking two or more cups of coffee every day might reduce the risk by 66%Trusted Source.

Coffee and heart health

The 2017 meta-analysis Trusted Source found that caffeine consumption may have at least a small benefit for cardiovascular health, including blood pressure.

In a 2018 study, researchers found that drinking three to five cups of coffee per day may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by 15%. Drinking one to five cups daily also seemed to be associated with lower overall mortality resulting from any cause.

For those people who have already experienced a heart attack, drinking coffee does not appear to increase their risk of experiencing another or dying as a result.

The 2017 meta-analysis, however, also found that there may be higher levels of blood lipids (fat) and cholesterol in people who consume more coffee. These substances may predispose a person to heart problems.

Coffee and obesity

There is some evidence suggesting that consuming coffee may help people lose weight. One 2018 paper Trusted Source indicated that the more coffee the participants drank, the higher their mean reduction in weight, body mass index (BMI), and fat mass.

A 2019 study Trusted Source suggested that drinking coffee may have a modest association with weight loss, with a greater association in men than in women. However, these results have not been replicated, so they may not be definitive.

Although coffee may provide some benefits in reducing obesity, it is not a substitute for eating a balanced diet and exercising often.

Nutritional value

One hundred milliliters (about 3.3 ounces [oz]) of regular black coffee (without milk or cream) is low in calories. That is about one typical cup of black coffee, and it only contains around 2 calories. However, adding cream or sugar will increase the calorific value.

Coffee beans also contain polyphenols, which are a type of antioxidant. Antioxidants can help protect the body against free radical damage. Free radicals are a type of waste product that the body naturally produces as a result of certain processes.

Free radicals act as toxins in the body and may cause inflammation. Scientists have found links between inflammation and various aspects of metabolic syndrome, including type 2 diabetes and obesity.

In 2018, some researchers Trusted Source suggested that the antioxidant content of coffee may offer protection from metabolic syndrome.

Although scientists can prove that certain compounds are present in coffee beans, it remains unclear what happens to them once they enter the human body.