The health benefits of coffee? Are you dreaming? Nope, you’re awake (but you might need another cup of coffee). There are some things we hate to love. And some we love to hate. Coffee is both.
People talk about the evils of coffee in the same way they talk about addictions to meth or cocaine (or the so-called evils of sugar). But let’s play devil’s advocate for a minute and ask the question: “Is coffee healthy?”
I once believed that myth and quit drinking coffee completely for a couple of years. Now I drink coffee every day. Because I’m a hopeless addict? No. Because I sifted through the hype and learned about the health benefits of coffee.
The Health Benefits of Coffee
So, is coffee healthy? It can be. The benefits of coffee are very real. And some are pretty cool. So here’s a list of potential coffee benefits I’ve discovered in my research:
- Coffee is nutritious! It contains a lot of magnesium and B vitamins essential to our health and well being. I firmly believe it’s best to get nutrients from food sources if possible (supplements can be problematic for a variety of reasons), so coffee fits right into that equation.
- I don’t like cancer. Drinking coffee every day is linked to a 25 percent lower endometrial cancer risk in women. Plus women who drink coffee daily are far less at risk for certain types of breast cancer (like up to 57 percent less!). More studies have shown coffee’s protective effects against skin cancer and colon cancer.
- I do like my liver, and coffee may protect your liver. Studies show people who drink caffeinated coffee have lower markers of liver disease.
- Thyroid health is paramount if you want to be healthy and feel well, and some research suggests coffee may play a key role in protecting you from thyroid disease.
- Coffee can inhibit iron absorption, which can protect against various health problems associated with high iron. This can be one of the big coffee benefits for men and menopausal women. This benefit works best when consuming coffee with a meal.
- Coffee drinkers are less likely to develop Parkinson’s disease, and coffee can help reduce symptoms in current Parkinson’s patients.
But truth be told, the health benefits of coffee aren’t the only reason I indulge my java habit. Here are even more reasons I love drinking coffee every day…
#1 – Coffee is an excellent medium for other nutritious foods. I drink my coffee with a full serving of real milk and a healthy dose of my favorite collagen protein powder (read more about the benefits of collagen here).
Getting plenty of protein is a must for me, so it’s a great way to start my morning. I sometimes also throw in a spoonful of coconut oil, which can help with managing weight, clearing up acne and a whole lot more. Get my full “secret” coffee smoothie recipe HERE.
#2 – It smells fantastic! Very few people I’ve met have told me they don’t love the aroma of fresh-brewed coffee. Forget air freshener. Just brew me a cup of joe. And yeah, this might not be one of the coffee benefits that drastically affects my health – but for me it totally counts.
So… is coffee healthy for everyone? No.
Of course, there are two sides to every story, even this one. Instead of just asking, “Is coffee healthy?” maybe we should be asking, “Can I include coffee in my diet in a healthy way?”
Because the honest answer is: not everyone can. Just because we’re talking about the health benefits of coffee doesn’t mean it’s healthy for everyone all the time. Some people may feel seriously anxious after just one cup of coffee. Others find coffee affects their sleep negatively. Others are using coffee to help them cope with sleep problems and a stressful lifestyle – both of which probably need to be dealt with on their own (and coffee might be covering up the problem).
(If you experience coffee anxiety or jitters, following my tips HERE might help.)
As always, I recommend doing your own research and listening to your body when it comes to coffee–or food, exercise, and pretty much everything else in life! Some people do really well on coffee, and others don’t. It pays to know what works for you.
Do you drink coffee? Do you believe in the benefits of coffee, or is it not for you? Let me know what you think in the comments below!
MORE ARTICLES ON HEALTHY FOOD:
- How much protein do you really need every day?
- The Health Benefits of Magnesium and a List of Foods High in Magnesium
- Why I Eat Raw Egg Yolks Everyday
- Craving Peanut Butter? Learn The Root Cause
- 10 Foods That Affect the Thyroid for Better or Worse
- 10 Reasons Why I Love Butter
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References:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2816215
http://www.breastcancer.org/research-news/20110513
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/08/120801165353.htm
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/07/02/really-drinking-coffee-lowers-colon-cancer-risk/
B Bushey says
Oh thank God! I love my morning coffee and I am tired of people telling me whats right or wrong for me. Thanks for the post!
Elizabeth Walling says
You’re welcome! 🙂
angela says
Love reading! But the Share thing that hangs on the right side of the blog is very annoying (sorry to use such a negative word) It cuts off the last 2-3 words of every sentence. And the only way to not have that happen is to squeeze the whole article above or below it. Would you ever consider moving it. You have the facebook, twitter, etc links in other places.
Elizabeth Walling says
Sorry! It doesn’t do that for me at all, so I didn’t realize it was getting in the way for some of my readers until now. I believe it has to do with screen size/resolution, which is why it gets in the way for some but not others. I will consider removing it. Thanks for the heads up!
Ada says
We used to worry about my dad drinking maybe 8 or 10 cups a day. Mainly because he puts one teaspoon sugar and can milk. He’s 91 and still drinks coffee. I think I’ll drink more coffee.
Elizabeth Walling says
For men, the iron inhibiting qualities of coffee can be very important, because high iron has been linked to serious heart risks in men. (Similarly, men who donate blood experience a lower risk because this also lowers their iron.)
Kim says
I’m having my morning coffee as I read….I may have another! YAY!
Elizabeth Walling says
Glad you’re enjoying your coffee–me, too! 😉
Teri says
What source do you buy your gelatin protein from?
Elizabeth Walling says
I either buy Great Lakes gelatin:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001ELL3MI/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=naturallyexpe-20&link_code=as3&camp=211189&creative=373489&creativeASIN=B001ELL3MI
Or hydrolyzed collagen from Gelatin Innovations: http://www.gelatininnovations.com/pages/joint_care.html
Teri says
Thanks! Enjoying my coffee with real cream, as we speak!
Rachel J. says
Nope, I don’t drink coffee except for the occasional organic, swiss-decaf, about once a month. The caffeine in coffee stresses the adrenals, my adrenals are stressed and the pick me up I get from caffeine comes at great cost to my adrenals functioning well. My husband drinks it most days and is just fine. But most of my (girl)friends depend on it to function well when tired or stressed. I’m pretty sure they’re doing more harm than good. And they like to discuss the health benefits, too 🙂 Also the quality of the coffee is so important. The majority of people out there drink coffee laced with pesticides and mycotoxins. For liver health I prefer roasted dandelion root or chai with dandelion, burdock, astragalus, shatavari and other liver and adaptogenic herbs. Those are proven to support liver health, not just suspected to support it, and really have not drawbacks for anyone.
Elizabeth Walling says
I do believe the body needs to be in a decent metabolic state to handle the caffeine in coffee. Using caffeine as a crutch to excuse not eating enough, not sleeping enough, working too much, or exercising too much is definitely not good for anyone’s health. And unfortunately a lot of people use coffee in this way.
When coffee is used with the support of a good diet, sensible exercise, and healthy lifestyle habits (i.e. getting enough sleep, not overworking yourself, etc.), then you can really reap the benefits. It’s certainly not the answer to great health in and of itself.
Andrea D. says
Hey Rachel J.,
Would it be too much to ask for your resources/ingredient its for these things? I recently became intrigued by herbal/natural remedies and am trying to put together a notebook/binder of recipes, etc. Its so exciting to me! Thanks so much!
Sincerely,
Andrea
Drea0581@gmail.com
Sharyn Guthrie says
Rachel, I agree with much of what you say. I never drink coffee on an empty stomach, always choose organic coffee and dairy (no sugar). I just recently read that the best times to drink coffee are at 9:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. when cortisol levels are naturally low. So many interesting ideas about our daily hormone cycles, the Ayurvedic daily ‘clock’ and choosing our nutrients. ~Namaste
Dawn Tasher says
I personally don’t drink coffee but only because I don’t feel right when I drink it. My husband drinks it and feels great and enjoys the health benefits. I think it is all a matter of listening to your body!
Elizabeth Walling says
Good call. To me, there are no studies that should supersede listening to how your own body responds. Intuition doesn’t get the credit it deserves!
jackie says
i’ve been going back and forth about whether or not to drink coffee, which i LOVE!! my issue is my adrenals, just like rachel. i know coffee has great health benefits, but i’m thinking it can make adrenal issues worse. currently, i drink a cup a day, in the morning, but every once in a while i think about quitting. 🙁
Elizabeth Walling says
If you’re concerned, then definitely tune in to how you react when you drink coffee. Some people do better if they just drink a very small amount of coffee with a full meal (this generally eliminates any hypoglycemic affects). The time of day may also make a difference (since hormones fluctuate throughout the day). It’s something you can tweak to see if small changes make a difference. And in the end, it’s all about what’s right for your body in the state it’s in right now. That may mean coffee is okay for you, or not. It all depends!
Gena says
If you have adrenal issues coffee should be a once in a blue moon treat. Coffee will really stress your adrenals. A better bet in am is Yerba Mate. Loaded with nutrients, vitamins and minerals it is actually beneficial for your adrenals. My naturopath suggested it to me and I drink one cup every morning with hydrolyzed gelatin and a tsp of raw honey. Very yummy. I used to add coconut oil, but after spilling a bit on myself a time or two and staining my clothes I get my coconut oil other ways now.
Lisa says
Try changing to swiss water method decaf coffee if it is the taste you love…like me! The caffeine is what is hard on the adrenals. I also use alkaline water to brew it, to counter some of the acidity. I am also considering cold brewing then reheating, which lowers coffee’s acidity by about 70%. So, look for a low-acid decaf bean, use alkaline water, cold brew it, and I think your adrenals would be okay with it in modertion. I, myself, have cut back to one cup a morning, which is really hard, because coffee has been my BFF…almost completely for the taste. Hope this helps!
Penny O says
I simply adore coffee, but I am such a terrible insomniac and get so physically addicted to the caffeine that I gave it up. When I do drink a decaf I enjoy it with real cream – what a treat!!!
Elizabeth Walling says
Coffee with real cream is divine! When I had issues with my sleep, I did have to be careful with my coffee consumption (part of the reason I cut it out for a time). It’s always important to know your own body and what it can handle.
spiralgal says
Thanks so much for this. There are a lot of misconceptions out there about coffee. Personally, I drink water processed, organic decaf coffee because I love the taste and the small amount of caffeine in it is a pick me up for me. It is also interesting to note that coffee is one of the major source of antioxidants in the American diet, because so many people drink it. Some of these people don’t eat many fruits and vegetables in their pure form, so coffee adds some antioxidant protection for them.
Elizabeth Walling says
Coffee’s nutritional benefits definitely give it an edge over most of the other beverages available commercially. Like you said, in a world where many people’s diets are almost entirely void of nutrition, coffee can make a difference.
chris says
it seems that coffee has more benefits than determent’s. one would suspect that the determent’s are a product of added ingredients considering the tendencies of most name brand suppliers .
Elizabeth Walling says
I agree about additives. Commercial creamers and artificial sweeteners often accompany coffee in the modern world. What we are adding to our coffee can make all the difference.
Robin says
I drink organic coffee mainly as it helps remove free radicals. I make it with distilled water (made at home using a stainless steel distiller) and drink two large mugs of it with 8 oz. of whole goat’s milk. This is breakfast. Yum! In 1982 I was diagnosed with Environmental Disease /Illness with Multiple Chemical allergies. Coffee and distilled water have been hugely responsible for my staying healthy.
Elizabeth Walling says
Cool testimonial. Thanks for sharing!
Melinda says
Organic is best with raw creme.
Elizabeth Walling says
I agree! 🙂
Glenda Childers says
Our family enjoys tea at home. We go out for coffee, long talks and lots of laughter. I love both.
Fondly,
Glenda
Elizabeth Walling says
Great point about drinking coffee (or tea) as a social ritual, whether at home or going out with friends or family. These seemingly small traditions have been shown to positively affect our lives and how we handle stress.
Lynn says
Hey you do exactly what I do with my coffee!
But lately I’ve added even more…diatomaceous earth, gelatin, vanilla, butter plus coconut cream. It’s so heavenly rich and delicious. Coffee was giving me acid reflux so I had stopped drinking it daily then I switched to high altitude grown beans and no problem….ala the bulletproof exec’s info on coffee. Sometimes I use his coffee beans (very good but expensive), other times I just buy organic from whoever as long as it’s not shade grown in low altitudes. As long as it’s high altitude high caffeine I’m doing fabulous on coffee. Exactly the opposite of every preserve the adrenals article out there….
Elizabeth Walling says
Interesting about high altitude coffee. I’ll have to read up on that!
Candy says
Tried drinking coffee for a week. By the end of the week I couldn’t sleep at night. I was off the wall. I only had one weak cup in the AM
Elizabeth Walling says
Yikes! That sounds awful. I am terrible without my sleep, and I try to eliminate anything that interferes with it. If caffeine is messing with your sleep, I definitely say ditch the caffeine! Sleep is much too important for your health.
Prairie Lights says
Wow. I really appreciate this post. Thank you! (Love references and good research!) I have Hashimotos – low thyroid – and as I whined to my doctor years ago about giving up coffee, he actually told me to drink a cup a day! Yay him!
Elizabeth Walling says
You’re welcome, so glad you enjoyed this post! There is definitely some evidence that drinking coffee can help activate thyroid production, which can certainly be helpful for anyone with low thyroid function.
Jeanmarie Todd says
I’ve been experimenting with coffee drinking, using our lovely low-tech Aeropress coffee maker. I am extremely sensitive to caffeine, however, and for the time being have switched to decaf, though some people (such as The Bulletproof Executive) say it’s not better, even if the water method is used. William Davis points out that coffee sensitivity often goes hand in hand with gluten sensitivity, so maybe it’s the coffee itself, not the caffeine? I’m trying to figure it out, because the list of positive things about coffee is indeed impressive. Thanks for the post!
Elizabeth Walling says
I know Sarah from Health Home Economist mentioned she has a sensitivity specific to coffee, and that she can have tea or other caffeinated beverages without a problem. So coffee itself may not work for some individuals. But the interesting idea is that the caffeine in coffee could be the link to some of its benefits, so caffeine from other sources could also provide some benefits.
Natalie says
I keep hearing about the relationship between gluten and coffee. Are you sensitive to gluten? Have you quit drinking coffee and noticed any changes? Cheers!
Natalie
Sara says
My sister is full out Celiac…she has a crumb and is sick for about 6-8 hours straight, and she has no problems with coffee! She loves her coffee as she had to give up most of the foods she loved when she was diagnosed a couple years ago, it is something she enjoys very much!
Debbie says
Coffee can be a little tricky for me. Too much and I’m very cranky. And I’ve also found that if I drink it in the morning on an empty stomach I get terrible headaches. BUT when I have one nice strong cup in the afternoon it is PERFECT! I think everyone is different and has different tolerances to the caffeine. I’m just so glad I finally found the perfect formula for me and that I still get to enjoy coffee.
Elizabeth Walling says
It’s so good to know the “when” and “how much” when it comes to coffee. I also notice the right amount at the right time can resolve a lot of common issues with coffee. As they say, timing is everything!
Loretta St John says
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!! Seriously, thank you. So much of the things you mention, I’ve felt instinctually, but when I read this article, I almost jumped for joy. It speaks of truth to me and as someone with some difficult health struggles, always searching for simple truths regarding whole diets and living, I so appreciated this article. Thank you. Now to devour your entire blog, lol.
Elizabeth Walling says
So glad you enjoyed the post, Loretta! I think instinct is undervalued when it comes to what it means to eat well.