What Science Says About Your Daily Brew

What Science Says About Your Daily Brew

This International Coffee Day, we are raising our cups not only for the taste and comfort of coffee, but also for what it can do for our health. Coffee is one of the most enjoyed drinks in the world, and science shows it may help us live healthier lives. More than 1,000 natural compounds are found in coffee, including caffeine and antioxidants, which work together to support the body in surprising ways [1,2].

One of the strongest discoveries about coffee is its link to brain health. A large study showed that people who drank 3-5 cups a day in midlife had up to a 65% lower chance of developing dementia or Alzheimer’s disease later in life [3]. Other research supports this, showing that regular coffee drinkers often have sharper memory, better focus, and even a lower chance of developing Parkinson’s disease [4,5].
Image: Pour of hot water from a kettle into a white cup for coffee brewing, with steam rising from the cup.
Coffee also plays a role in protecting the body from other common conditions. Studies have found that regular coffee drinkers may have a lower risk of type 2 diabetes because coffee can help the body use insulin more effectively, which means as coffee intake goes up, the risk of type 2 diabetes tends to go down, a pattern also seen for decaffeinated coffee [6,7]. Coffee has compounds that fight oxidation and inflammation; the clearest cancer link is that coffee drinkers tend to have a lower risk of liver cancer; and coffee usually looks heart‑friendly overall, but heart attack risk can differ for people who metabolise caffeine slowly. [8,9]. Coffee has also been linked with stronger physical performance and less frailty in older age [10].

Of course, coffee is not perfect for everyone. Drinking too much or being sensitive to caffeine can cause sleep problems, anxiety, stomach upset or a racing heartbeat [11,12]. For older people, very high intake may also affect bone strength and blood pressure [13]. The key is balance. Most research suggests that 3 to 4 cups a day is a safe and beneficial amount for most healthy adults.

Image: Four people clinking cups of coffee together at a wooden table, each cup topped with latte art.

Today, we celebrate coffee as more than just a daily ritual. Your morning coffee is more than flavour, it can be part of a healthier routine when enjoyed in moderation and matched to individual tolerance.

 

Disclaimer: This article was drafted with the assistance of artificial intelligence to support structure and readability. All scientific findings, data, and references included are drawn from peer-reviewed research. The narratives and perspectives are written for our community and reflect real evidence, not AI-generated opinion.

References

  1. Farah, A. (2012) ‘Coffee constituents’, in Chu, Y.-F. (ed.) Coffee: Emerging health effects and disease prevention. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, pp. 21–58. Available at: http://download.e-bookshelf.de/download/0000/5957/63/L-G-0000595763-0002309685.pdf.
  2. Poole, R., Kennedy, O.J., Roderick, P., Fallowfield, J.A., Hayes, P.C. and Parkes, J. (2017) ‘Coffee consumption and health: umbrella review of meta-analyses of multiple health outcomes’, BMJ, 359, j5024. Available at: https://www.bmj.com/content/359/bmj.j5024.
  3. Eskelinen, M.H., Ngandu, T., Tuomilehto, J., Soininen, H. and Kivipelto, M. (2009) ‘Midlife coffee and tea drinking and the risk of late-life dementia: A population-based CAIDE study’, Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, 16(1), pp. 85–91. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19158424/.
  4. McLellan, T.M., Caldwell, J.A. and Lieberman, H.R. (2016) ‘A review of caffeine’s effects on cognitive, physical and occupational performance’, Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 71, pp. 294–312. Available at: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7739593/.
  5. Cai, H., Qi, Z., Wu, H., Liu, L., Wang, Z., Li, X., Yu, D. and Li, Z. (2011) ‘Coffee and caffeine intake and risk of Parkinson’s disease: A dose-response meta-analysis of observational studies’, Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, 23(3), pp. 531–542. Available at: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8467199/
  6. van Dijk, A.E., Olthof, M.R., Meeuse, J.C., Seebus, E. and Heine, R.J. (2009) ‘Coffee intake, insulin sensitivity, and glucose tolerance’, Diabetes Care, 32(6), pp. 1043–1045. Available at: https://diabetesjournals.org/care/article/32/6/1043/27377/Coffee-Intake-Insulin-Sensitivity-and-Glucose.
  7. Huxley, R., Lee, C.M., Barzi, F. and Czernichow, S. (2009) ‘Coffee, decaffeinated coffee, and tea intake in relation to incident type 2 diabetes mellitus: A systematic review with meta-analysis’, Archives of Internal Medicine, 169(22), pp. 2053–2063. Available at: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/773949.
  8. Bravi, F., Bosetti, C., Tavani, A., Gallus, S. and La Vecchia, C. (2017) ‘Coffee drinking and hepatocellular carcinoma risk: A meta-analysis’, Hepatology, 66(2), pp. 512–524. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23660416/.
  9. Cornelis, M.C., El-Sohemy, A., Kabagambe, E.K. and Campos, H. (2006) ‘Coffee, CYP1A2 genotype, and risk of myocardial infarction’, JAMA, 295(10), pp. 1135–1141. Available at: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/202502.
  10. Lee, J., Park, S., Kim, J., et al. (2023) ‘Association between coffee intake and frailty among older adults’, Frontiers in Nutrition, 10, 1075817. Available at: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2023.1075817/full.
  11. Nawrot, P., Jordan, S., Eastwood, J., Rotstein, J., Hugenholtz, A. and Feeley, M. (2003) ‘Effects of caffeine on human health’, Food Additives & Contaminants, 20(1), pp. 1–30. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12519715/.
  12. StatPearls (2024) ‘Caffeine’, StatPearls Publishing. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519490/.
  13. Hallström, H., Byberg, L., Glynn, A., Lemming, E.W., Wolk, A. and Michaëlsson, K. (2013) ‘Coffee intake and CYP1A2 genotype in relation to bone mineral density of the proximal femur in elderly women: A cohort study’, Nutrition & Metabolism, 10(1), 7. Available at: https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:609884/FULLTEXT01.pdf.

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