Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsIs Coffee Healthy?Everyday ConsumptionUnhealthy Coffee Drinks
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Is Coffee Healthy?
Everyday Consumption
Unhealthy Coffee Drinks
Even though coffee is a popular beverage across the world, it’s common to wonder if coffee is bad for you.
Initially, it was thought that coffee was bad for you because early research linked coffee consumption to diseases like heart disease and asthma. However, many of the participants in those studies also smoked, and smoking was likely the cause of poor health outcomes, not coffee.
Fortunately, more recent research has found some connections between coffee consumption and improved health. It may not be suitable for everyone, though.
Learn more about coffee’s impact on your health, dailyconsumption recommendations, and what to look out for in certain coffee drinks.
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Due to the beverage’s popularity, coffee has often been thesubject of many studiesthat explore how it impacts your health and well-being.
Potential Health Benefits
In general, caffeine (often a component of coffee) can increase performance. But caffeine isn’t the only property in a brewed cup that may impact your health. Once coffee beans are roasted, they contain over 1,000 bioactive compounds. Roasted beans are associated with some antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer properties.
With that in mind, a few benefits have been associated with coffee consumption.Drinking coffee may reduce the risk of certain health conditions, including:
However, the amount and type of coffee you drink matter related to any benefits from coffee. A review of several studies published in 2021 showed a 9% reduction in depression risk for people drinking 4 or more cups of coffee daily. Similarly, people who drink about 3 to 5 cups of coffee daily are more likely to have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease.
What’s more, the benefits of coffee may not be due to the caffeine component alone but rather something else in coffee. For example, one study found that risk reduction for diabetes was present for those who consumed both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee.
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Possible Downsides to Coffee Consumption
In general, anyone who has too much caffeine from coffee or other sources may end up feeling anxious or jittery, or with an upset stomach. Other potential negative effects of coffee include:
Though not all researchers agree, some people have experienced an increase inlow-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), considered “bad” cholesterol, when drinking unfiltered coffee prepared in a French press or a percolator.High levels of LDL can increase your risk for heart disease and stroke.
Coffee may also interact with certain medications.
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Caffeinated vs. Decaffeinated CoffeeCaffeinated coffee has about 80–100 milligrams (mg) of caffeine per cup, while decaffeinated coffee contains about 5–12 mg.Many researchers have studied whether coffee’s caffeine content affects its health benefits. It’s been determined that coffee’s bioactive properties are retained when caffeine is removed from the beans to make decaffeinated coffee. Bioactive properties are the components of coffee that contain anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
Caffeinated vs. Decaffeinated Coffee
Caffeinated coffee has about 80–100 milligrams (mg) of caffeine per cup, while decaffeinated coffee contains about 5–12 mg.Many researchers have studied whether coffee’s caffeine content affects its health benefits. It’s been determined that coffee’s bioactive properties are retained when caffeine is removed from the beans to make decaffeinated coffee. Bioactive properties are the components of coffee that contain anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
Caffeinated coffee has about 80–100 milligrams (mg) of caffeine per cup, while decaffeinated coffee contains about 5–12 mg.
Many researchers have studied whether coffee’s caffeine content affects its health benefits. It’s been determined that coffee’s bioactive properties are retained when caffeine is removed from the beans to make decaffeinated coffee. Bioactive properties are the components of coffee that contain anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
The Verdict on Everyday Consumption
Experts recommend a daily limit of 400 mg of caffeine for adults. This comes to about 4 8-ounce cups of coffee daily, typically containing 80–100 mg per cup.
Pregnant people are advised to limit their caffeine intake to 200 mg daily (about 2 8-ounce cups of coffee). It’s unclear whether ingesting more would pose health risks.
While there is no proven safe dose of caffeine for children, pediatric experts advise against caffeine for children under 12 and against any use of energy drinks for all children and teens. They also suggest limiting caffeine to at most 100 mg (about two 12 oz cans of cola) daily for those 12-18 years old.
If you are concerned about your child’s caffeine use, talk with your child’s pediatrician, child psychiatrist, or mental health professional about whether more intensive help or guidance is needed.
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How Can Coffee Drinks Be Bad for You?
While coffee may positively impact your health, what you add to your coffee may make it a less healthy choice.
Brewed black coffee has minimal calories; 1 8-ounce cup contains just under 3 calories.A visit to a coffeehouse will confirm that there are many ways to prepare coffee, and many of those coffee drinks contain added sugars, flavorings, milk, creamer, and whipped cream. Be aware that these additions can tack on the calories and mask any health benefits coffee offers.
Summary
Roasted coffee contains caffeine as well as many compounds that may be associated with health benefits.
Regular coffee consumption may reduce your risk for certain health conditions, including diabetes, stroke, depression, cardiovascular disease, and even some types of cancer. However, having too much caffeine can cause you to be jittery and anxious and make it difficult to sleep at night.
Most healthy adults can have about four cups of coffee daily. Discuss healthy coffee consumption with your healthcare provider if you’re pregnant or have other underlying conditions. While black coffee contains few calories, add-ins such as sugar, cream, milk, and flavorings can increase the calorie count and make it less healthy.
15 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.Coffee.Poole R, Kennedy OJ, Roderick P, et al.Coffee consumption and health: umbrella review of meta-analyses of multiple health outcomes.BMJ. 2017;359. doi:10.1136/bmj.j5024Sala LL, Pontiroli AE.Coffee, LDL-cholesterol and cardiovascular risk.Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases. 2021;31(9):2735-2736. doi:10.1016/j.numecd.2021.05.036Johns Hopkins Medicine.9 reasons why (the right amount of) coffee is good for you.Chan L, Hong CT, Bai CH.Coffee consumption and the risk of cerebrovascular disease: a meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies.BMC Neurol. 2021;21(1):380. doi:10.1186/s12883-021-02411-5Ding M, Bhupathiraju SN, Chen M, et al.Caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and a dose-response meta-analysis.Diabetes Care. 2014;37(2):569-586. doi:10.2337/dc13-1203U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Spilling the beans: how much caffeine is too much?Gleason JL, Sundaram R, Mitro SD, et al.Association of maternal caffeine consumption during pregnancy with child growth.JAMA Netw Open. 2022;5(10):e2239609-e2239609. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.39609Liu H, Yao K, Zhang W, et al.Coffee consumption and risk of fractures: a meta-analysis.Arch Med Sci. 2012;8(5):776-783. doi:10.5114/aoms.2012.31612Rakic V, Burke V, Beilin LJ.Effects of coffee on ambulatory blood pressure in older men and women: A randomized controlled trial. Hypertension. 1999 Mar;33(3):869-73. doi: 10.1161/01.hyp.33.3.869Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.LDL and HDL cholesterol and triglycerides.Hall S, Yuen JW, Grant GD.Bioactive constituents in caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee and their effect on the risk of depression—a comparative constituent analysis study.Beverages. 2018;4(4):79. doi:10.3390/beverages4040079American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Moderate caffeine consumption during pregnancy.American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.Caffeine and children.U.S. Department of Agriculture.Coffee, brewed nutrients.
15 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.Coffee.Poole R, Kennedy OJ, Roderick P, et al.Coffee consumption and health: umbrella review of meta-analyses of multiple health outcomes.BMJ. 2017;359. doi:10.1136/bmj.j5024Sala LL, Pontiroli AE.Coffee, LDL-cholesterol and cardiovascular risk.Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases. 2021;31(9):2735-2736. doi:10.1016/j.numecd.2021.05.036Johns Hopkins Medicine.9 reasons why (the right amount of) coffee is good for you.Chan L, Hong CT, Bai CH.Coffee consumption and the risk of cerebrovascular disease: a meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies.BMC Neurol. 2021;21(1):380. doi:10.1186/s12883-021-02411-5Ding M, Bhupathiraju SN, Chen M, et al.Caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and a dose-response meta-analysis.Diabetes Care. 2014;37(2):569-586. doi:10.2337/dc13-1203U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Spilling the beans: how much caffeine is too much?Gleason JL, Sundaram R, Mitro SD, et al.Association of maternal caffeine consumption during pregnancy with child growth.JAMA Netw Open. 2022;5(10):e2239609-e2239609. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.39609Liu H, Yao K, Zhang W, et al.Coffee consumption and risk of fractures: a meta-analysis.Arch Med Sci. 2012;8(5):776-783. doi:10.5114/aoms.2012.31612Rakic V, Burke V, Beilin LJ.Effects of coffee on ambulatory blood pressure in older men and women: A randomized controlled trial. Hypertension. 1999 Mar;33(3):869-73. doi: 10.1161/01.hyp.33.3.869Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.LDL and HDL cholesterol and triglycerides.Hall S, Yuen JW, Grant GD.Bioactive constituents in caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee and their effect on the risk of depression—a comparative constituent analysis study.Beverages. 2018;4(4):79. doi:10.3390/beverages4040079American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Moderate caffeine consumption during pregnancy.American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.Caffeine and children.U.S. Department of Agriculture.Coffee, brewed nutrients.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.Coffee.Poole R, Kennedy OJ, Roderick P, et al.Coffee consumption and health: umbrella review of meta-analyses of multiple health outcomes.BMJ. 2017;359. doi:10.1136/bmj.j5024Sala LL, Pontiroli AE.Coffee, LDL-cholesterol and cardiovascular risk.Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases. 2021;31(9):2735-2736. doi:10.1016/j.numecd.2021.05.036Johns Hopkins Medicine.9 reasons why (the right amount of) coffee is good for you.Chan L, Hong CT, Bai CH.Coffee consumption and the risk of cerebrovascular disease: a meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies.BMC Neurol. 2021;21(1):380. doi:10.1186/s12883-021-02411-5Ding M, Bhupathiraju SN, Chen M, et al.Caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and a dose-response meta-analysis.Diabetes Care. 2014;37(2):569-586. doi:10.2337/dc13-1203U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Spilling the beans: how much caffeine is too much?Gleason JL, Sundaram R, Mitro SD, et al.Association of maternal caffeine consumption during pregnancy with child growth.JAMA Netw Open. 2022;5(10):e2239609-e2239609. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.39609Liu H, Yao K, Zhang W, et al.Coffee consumption and risk of fractures: a meta-analysis.Arch Med Sci. 2012;8(5):776-783. doi:10.5114/aoms.2012.31612Rakic V, Burke V, Beilin LJ.Effects of coffee on ambulatory blood pressure in older men and women: A randomized controlled trial. Hypertension. 1999 Mar;33(3):869-73. doi: 10.1161/01.hyp.33.3.869Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.LDL and HDL cholesterol and triglycerides.Hall S, Yuen JW, Grant GD.Bioactive constituents in caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee and their effect on the risk of depression—a comparative constituent analysis study.Beverages. 2018;4(4):79. doi:10.3390/beverages4040079American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Moderate caffeine consumption during pregnancy.American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.Caffeine and children.U.S. Department of Agriculture.Coffee, brewed nutrients.
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.Coffee.
Poole R, Kennedy OJ, Roderick P, et al.Coffee consumption and health: umbrella review of meta-analyses of multiple health outcomes.BMJ. 2017;359. doi:10.1136/bmj.j5024
Sala LL, Pontiroli AE.Coffee, LDL-cholesterol and cardiovascular risk.Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases. 2021;31(9):2735-2736. doi:10.1016/j.numecd.2021.05.036
Johns Hopkins Medicine.9 reasons why (the right amount of) coffee is good for you.
Chan L, Hong CT, Bai CH.Coffee consumption and the risk of cerebrovascular disease: a meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies.BMC Neurol. 2021;21(1):380. doi:10.1186/s12883-021-02411-5
Ding M, Bhupathiraju SN, Chen M, et al.Caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and a dose-response meta-analysis.Diabetes Care. 2014;37(2):569-586. doi:10.2337/dc13-1203
U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Spilling the beans: how much caffeine is too much?
Gleason JL, Sundaram R, Mitro SD, et al.Association of maternal caffeine consumption during pregnancy with child growth.JAMA Netw Open. 2022;5(10):e2239609-e2239609. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.39609
Liu H, Yao K, Zhang W, et al.Coffee consumption and risk of fractures: a meta-analysis.Arch Med Sci. 2012;8(5):776-783. doi:10.5114/aoms.2012.31612
Rakic V, Burke V, Beilin LJ.Effects of coffee on ambulatory blood pressure in older men and women: A randomized controlled trial. Hypertension. 1999 Mar;33(3):869-73. doi: 10.1161/01.hyp.33.3.869
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.LDL and HDL cholesterol and triglycerides.
Hall S, Yuen JW, Grant GD.Bioactive constituents in caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee and their effect on the risk of depression—a comparative constituent analysis study.Beverages. 2018;4(4):79. doi:10.3390/beverages4040079
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Moderate caffeine consumption during pregnancy.
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.Caffeine and children.
U.S. Department of Agriculture.Coffee, brewed nutrients.
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