How healthy is coffee actually?

Coffee is by far the most popular drink among Germans, ahead of mineral water and beer - everyone drinks around 169 liters per year on average. But how healthy is the popular hot drink? An overview.

It raises your blood pressure, makes you nervous, and robs you of sleep – coffee. It is said that its drinkers die sooner. This theory is now considered outdated. “The overall evidence is pretty compelling that when it comes to health, coffee is more beneficial than harmful,” said Frank Hu, chair of the department of nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, in an April 2021 article in Discover magazine. "For most people, moderate coffee consumption can be integrated into a healthy diet." The latest studies on the subject of coffee consumption also support this thesis.

How much coffee is healthy

A moderate coffee consumption of three to four cups per day has a positive effect on health. It reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke and liver cancer. It is also assumed that there is a low risk of Parkinson's, diabetes, Alzheimer's and depression. The basic rule is that coffee is now one of the most studied foods in the world. And new findings are constantly being added, which are also being evaluated by major international health institutions.

Coffee maintains mental performance

Other current studies show that regular coffee consumption reduces the risk of diabetes and that coffee has a positive preventive effect against uterine cancer and liver cancer. The latest research also shows that lifelong consumption of coffee reduces the risk of developing depression and maintains mental performance in old age.

The idea that coffee is bad for your health is an outdated assumption. “Some experts are now saying boldly: There is a greater health risk not to drink coffee,” says Birgit Warnecke, a graduate ecotrophologist at the German Coffee Association.

“Some experts are now saying boldly: There is a greater health risk not to drink coffee.”

Birgit Warnecke, qualified ecotrophologist at the German Coffee Association

The positive effects on liver health are particularly well scientifically proven. Current studies show the positive effect on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (if there is no lipid metabolism disorder) when consuming a maximum of six cups of coffee per day. The reason: The caffeine reduces inflammation.

Does coffee remove water from the body?

The answer is: no. It used to be said that coffee removes water from the body, which is why many cafés served a glass of water with coffee. This theory is now considered outdated. Although it has a diuretic effect, the body treats it like water, so it makes a positive contribution to the body's fluid balance. Therefore, it is not necessary to drink more water. Nevertheless, coffee is not a thirst quencher; coffee should be enjoyed in moderation.

Coffee is not the same as caffeine

Caffeine is popular. Ultimately, the substance makes you alert, increases concentration, mood, drive and attention. Thinking and long-term memory are also increased. But the basic rule is that caffeine in coffee works differently than caffeine in energy drinks. The reason: The caffeine is bound to other substances in coffee. Caffeine is one of the many ingredients in coffee. It combines with the adenosine receptors in the cells and displaces the tiredness-inducing messenger adenosine. This is how it develops its awakening effect.

Effect varies from person to person

Caffeine not only promotes concentration, but also accelerates heart activity – and triggers the urge to urinate. The stimulating effect occurs after 15 to 30 minutes and can last for several hours. The duration of the effect depends on person to person and is also influenced by genes. Caffeine usually works twice as long in women as in men. The following applies: children, young people and pregnant women react differently than older people. The basic rule is: those who drink regularly react less strongly to caffeine.

How is caffeine content affected? How much caffeine you consume depends not only on the amount of coffee, but also on whether Arabica or Robusta ends up in the cup. The caffeine content of Robusta beans is around two to four times higher than that of the Arabica plant.

Filter coffee and espresso

A distinction must also be made between the health effects of filter coffee and espresso. Espresso contains less acid because it has been roasted for longer. On the other hand, filter coffee contains significantly less cafestol and kaherol because they get stuck in the filter. These substances have a negative effect on cholesterol levels. If you have elevated levels, it's better to drink filter coffee.

Does coffee raise blood pressure?

Caffeine in coffee affects blood pressure. It gets some morning grouches up on their feet. “That’s a fact,” says Birgit Warnecke, a qualified ecotrophologist at the German Coffee Association. However, this effect is only temporary: there is usually no risk of developing permanent high blood pressure. This is the result of most scientific analysis. Even in patients with existing high blood pressure, most scientific studies did not show any adverse effects.

“In recent studies there was even more evidence that coffee drinkers had lower blood pressure than non-coffee drinkers.” It is assumed that the antioxidants contained in coffee in abundance are responsible for this. “With regard to hypertensives – i.e. high blood pressure patients – the study situation is still not clear,” says Warnecke. Hypertension patients should therefore enjoy their coffee in moderate doses (up to three cups a day) or switch to decaffeinated coffee.

Coffee during pregnancy

Coffee can have negative effects during pregnancy, but the studies are not yet clear. Consequences may include lower birth weight or premature birth. This is what most studies suggest. This may be less relevant for full-term babies, but for premature babies every single gram counts.

“According to current findings, the consumption of up to 200 mg of caffeine per day (from all sources – based purely on coffee, this corresponds to around two to three cups of coffee per day) is harmless both during pregnancy and while breastfeeding,” says Warnecke. If you don't want to go without coffee during pregnancy, you can of course switch to decaffeinated coffee. For women who suffer from osteoporosis, they should reduce their coffee consumption. Osteoporosis is a disease in which bones break more easily.

Our recommendation: specialty coffee

For the recommended moderate coffee consumption of up to four cups per day, we recommend focusing on quality rather than quantity when it comes to coffee, i.e. enjoying it in moderation. Try coffee from a local roaster! The gentle roasting by hand also prevents coffee from hitting your stomach and at the same time makes your taste buds dance. The coffee is also traded much more fairly than commodity coffee and has a completely different quality. This is noticeable in the cup.

written by

Christopher Braemer

Christopher is a trained journalist and works in marketing at Röststätte Berlin. The Röststätte newsletter and the content area are close to his heart. For the blog he writes about coffee from all over the world, but also about economics, politics and sustainability. If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to write him a message.

Quellen: Deutscher Kaffeeverband, NDR, SWR, Apothekenumschau, Oekotest.de
Fotos: Laura Droße, Constantin Gerlach

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