Coffee lovers can’t get enough of coffee, as one of our favorite funny coffee quotes by Henry Rollins states, “What goes best with a cup of coffee? Another cup.” Sure, having another cup of coffee sounds like a good idea to us coffee drinkers, but have you ever thought… is coffee actually good for you?
We’re just coffee lovers, not medical professionals, so we’ve searched around for studies and reports to quote experts on their research on the benefits and disadvantages of drinking coffee.
Benefits of Drinking Coffee
1. Coffee makes you happy.
Do you enjoy drinking coffee, like does it actually make you feel a real sense of happiness? Psychology Today reports that coffee stimulates the neurotransmitter dopamine, which is what gives people pleasant feelings.
2. Coffee helps burn fat.
A study found that coffee stimulates brown fat, which is the fat that keeps your body warm by burning calories. And coffee was also found to increase metabolic rate in both normal weight and obese individuals.
Read More: Coffee and Weight Loss
3. Coffee contains essential nutrients.
Coffee contains nutrients that are good for you, including riboflavin (vitamin B-2), niacin (vitamin B-3), magnesium and potassium and various phenolic compounds.
4. Coffee may increase cognitive function.
Harvard Health Publishing summarized from the Journal of Nutrition that coffee may help maintain memory and boost thinking skills. In particular, those over the age of 70 who drank caffeine scored better on tests that required mental function.
5. Coffee may protect against Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.
Coffee contains antioxidants and other substances that may reduce internal inflammation and protect against diseases, such as Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s, according to a report by Johns Hopkins Medicine.
6. Coffee may also protect against type 2 diabetes.
Other reports have found coffee intake was associated with a low risk of type 2 diabetes, and was also associated with lower risk of obesity.
7. And also heart related issues.
A few points from studies conducted by the American Heart Association include that compared with no coffee consumption, the risk of hospitalization or death from heart failure was 17% higher. And a similar report showed that higher coffee consumption was inversely associated with the risk of stroke.
8. Coffee could strengthen bones.
A study has found that drinking coffee habitually was positively associated with bone mineral density.
9. Coffee may lower the odds of getting Multiples Sclerosis.
Research was conducted with participants from Sweden and the US and found that the risk of MS was reduced for those who reported to have had 900 mL of coffee per day.
10. Coffee lowers risk of gout.
According to the Arthritis Foundation, a study was conducted and found that men who drank 4-5 cups of coffee a day had a 40% lower risk of gout compared to those who didn’t drink coffee.
11. Coffee may prevent growth of melanoma cells.
A study set out to find whether caffeine would inhibit the growth of melanoma cells, which causes skin cancer. They found that caffeinated coffee consumption was inversely associated with risk of cutaneous malignant melanoma.
12. And potentially other cancers too.
Like liver cancer. Harvard Health Publishing reported that the consumption of coffee may protect against liver cancer due to cafestol and kahweol, which are found in unfiltered coffee.
Read More: Will Coffee Reduce Cancer Risk?
13. Coffee gives us a reason to socialize.
Coffee is not just good for you health wise. Years ago, scholars and political activists would hang out in coffeehouses to discuss their ideas and to form alliances. Hangouts today, whether for business or fun, aren’t complete without some sort of beverage, like coffee.
Read More: 50 Reasons to Drink Coffee
14. Coffee is good for your eyes.
According to a study done by Cornell University, caffeine contains chlorogenic acid, which prevents retinal degeneration, which can be due to glaucoma, aging or diabetes. So drinking coffee may help prevent deteriorating eyesight.
15. Black coffee may prevent cavities.
If coffee is consumed without additives, it can help prevent cavities as found in a study. The key is that coffee from roasted coffee beans has antibacterial activities, which may result in preventing cavities.
16. Coffee may ease workout pain.
Research has suggested that drinking coffee before exercise may reduce post workout pain, but is mostly beneficial for those who do not usually consume caffeine or are new to exercising. Meanwhile, another study found caffeine ingestions resulted in lower levels of soreness after working out.
17. Coffee may help alleviate depression.
There have been studies linking the consumption of coffee to the reduction of the risk of depression. One study reported that consuming a caffeinated cup per day reduced the risk of developing depression by 8%. Another study even found that drinking coffee related to a lower risk of suicide.
Some Disadvantages of Drinking Coffee…
1. Coffee may stain your teeth.
Tannins that are found in coffee stick to your teeth when you drink. Your teeth have ridges, according to Colgate, so the color from the coffee can embed into those ridges of your teeth and can permanently discolor them over time.
2. Coffee causes bad breath.
Dry mouth is a condition where you don’t have enough saliva in your mouth. Caffeine, according to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, can dry out your mouth. And some symptoms of having dry mouth are trouble chewing and swallowing, cracked lips and bad breath.
3. Coffee disrupts sleep.
A study found that taking caffeine 0, 3 and 6 hours prior to bedtime disrupts sleep and suggests consuming before 5 pm.
Read More: Coffee Without the Caffeine: 7 Best Decaf Coffee to Try
4. High in calories (if you don’t drink black coffee.)
A cup of black coffee contains less than 5 calories. While adding sweeteners to coffee will make it taste great, that’s adding additional calories. If you added sugar to your black coffee, that’s an additional 16 calories per teaspoon, 101 calories for 2 tablespoons of heavy whipping cream and 37 calories for half and half, according to Mayo Clinic.
If you don’t like to drink black coffee because of the taste, read our article on how to make black coffee not bitter.
5. Coffee causes an increase in anxiety.
A study suggests that those with anxiety may benefit from avoiding caffeine. By studying a group of healthy individuals and another group who have had panic attacks, they found that caffeine increased nervousness, fear and tremors compared to the healthy subjects.
6. Coffee is addictive.
The American Heart Association has stated that caffeine is addictive. Harsh headaches can be experienced when cutting back quickly. A study found that those who consume a high amount of caffeine were also shown to have attentional bias, similar to a range of other drugs.
7. Coffee may interfere with medications.
As reported on Mayo Clinic, some medications or supplements that you are taking may interact with caffeine, including ephedrine, theophylline and echinacea. For example, having caffeine while taking ephedrine may increase risk of heart related issues.
8. And drinking too much coffee has its own set of side effects.
Mayo Clinic has also stated that drinking more than 4 cups of coffee a day can lead to headache, insomnia, nervousness, irritability and more.
Conclusion
We still agree with Henry Rollins’ funny coffee quote, that a cup of coffee goes best with another cup of coffee, but as with anything, coffee is best enjoyed in moderation.
Before you go, here are some of our favorite coffee recipes, some to treat yourself with and others for ideas to have a cup without adding too many unnecessary calories:
