The Health Benefits Behind Coffee
Nov 05, 2024
I love coffee!
It's not only the buzz from the caffeine that I enjoy (which I'm almost certain I'm immune to at this stage),
But I love the taste and the ritual behind it.
So my heart skipped a beat (not caffeine related) when the latest version of a monthly research magazine (REPS) that I'm subscribed to included the following published review.
It's titled - Coffee consumption and health: umbrella review of meta-analyses of multiple health outcomes. Poole et al. (2017)
I'm going to quickly go through their findings with you and if you're a coffee lover like me,
It's going to be music to your ears.
The researchers essentially tried to answer the following 3 questions:
- Is coffee consumption beneficial, harmful, or neutral for health, and under what conditions?
- Do the potential health benefits of coffee consumption outweigh its risks?
- And importantly, how can this knowledge be translated into practical guidance for the public?
Now I'm not going to bore you with the exact details of the review but if you want to read the review for yourself you can do so here.
So what did they find?
General health benefits: Coffee consumption was more frequently associated with health benefits than harm. Interestingly, the largest benefits were observed with three to four cups per day...
3-4 cups you say 🙃
Cancer: Coffee consumption showed a lower risk of several specific cancers, including but not limited to prostate and liver cancer.
Cardiovascular Health: A lower risk of cardiovascular diseases, including coronary heart disease and stroke, was associated with coffee consumption.
Metabolic and Liver Conditions: Coffee was associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and various liver conditions.'
Neurological Health: Lower risks of Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and depression were associated with coffee consumption.
That's some pretty epic reading isn't it!
Now this is where things get really interesting.
These same benefits were also found in Decaffeinated coffee, suggesting that components other than caffeine may contribute to the health outcomes observed.
Coffee can get a bit of a bad rap because it contains caffeine and we know that caffeine can have an undesired effect on some people.
Coffee is often put in the same bracket as high-caffeine energy drinks, and people often associate the adverse effects of very high caffeine consumption with the direct consumption of coffee.
But what most people don't do is take into account coffee's complex chemical makeup.
Coffee is more than just a hit of caffeine and in fact it contains compounds that are believed to both anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
This completely separates it from those god awful energy drinks that are packed with a bunch of other crazy, usually unnatural ingredients.
The findings suggest that around three to four cups per day, is more likely to benefit health than harm.
This next part of worth taking note of.
They pointed out that the health impacts of coffee may vary based on:
- Individual sensitivity
- Preparation method
- Whether the coffee is caffeinated or decaffeinated.
As with everything we eat and drink, how your body deals with it is completely unique to you.
For instance, if somebody's gut microbiome is vastly different than someone else's, there's a high likelihood that the chemical compounds found in coffee will have varying effects.
So what does all this mean for you?
First of all, you need to remember that coffee contains caffeine and you 100% can overdose on caffeine.
So while coffee can offer potential health benefits, it may need to be limited by certain groups such as pregnant women and those with certain health conditions.
Personal caffeine sensitivity also needs to be factored in.
For those who are highly sensitive to caffeine or simply want to limit their intake, then the researchers suggest that decaffeinated coffee provides similar health benefits.
This means you can enjoy the social and health benefits that a cup of coffee brings with it,
But without the added caffeine content.
Win-win situation.
The study suggests that consuming three to four cups of coffee per day is associated with the greatest health benefits.
They also highlighted that more coffee doesn't mean more health benefits.
So please don't go and smash 8 cups of coffee and tell your husband or wife that Mark said it'll make you more healthy 😂 That's not how it works ok.
I'm going to finish with this last part, even though I'm going to assume it doesn't need to be said.
As great as coffee is, it should not be relied upon as some sort of miracle tool for preventing disease.
You still need to focus on having a great diet, regular exercise, and other healthy habits.
Think of coffee as the cherry on top, not as a main component of your health.
You need to have the fundamentals solidified, otherwise the only benefit you'll gain from coffee is the buzz from caffeine.
Now I don't know about you but reading this was music to my ears 😄
I loved coffee before but now it's gone to another level!
On that note, guess what I'm off to do...
P.S. Where's your spot for the greatest cup of coffee?
