Is coffee good or bad for your health? (2024)

FAQs

Is it bad to drink coffee every day? ›

Up to 400 milligrams (mg) of caffeine a day appears to be safe for most healthy adults. That's roughly the amount of caffeine in four cups of brewed coffee, 10 cans of cola or two "energy shot" drinks. Keep in mind that the actual caffeine content in beverages varies widely, especially among energy drinks.

High intake of boiled, unfiltered coffee has been associated with mild increase in cholesterol levels. The bottom line? Your coffee habit is probably fine and may even have some benefits. But if you have side effects from coffee, such as heartburn, nervousness or insomnia, consider cutting back.

“For most people, moderate coffee consumption can be incorporated into a healthy diet.” Hu said that moderate coffee intake—about 2–5 cups a day—is linked to a lower likelihood of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, liver and endometrial cancers, Parkinson's disease, and depression.

“Even in moderate amounts it can cause jitteriness and anxiety,” said Dr. Kilgore, noting that caffeine “can also increase respiratory rate, heart rate and blood pressure, which is most often fine in normal people, but if they have a light health condition it should be under consideration.”

Researchers have found several benefits of consuming a moderate amount of caffeine. It can help improve your energy levels and boost your metabolism to aid in fat burning, and it is high in antioxidants. Overall, caffeine is not likely to damage your kidneys as long as it is consumed in small doses.

Excessive coffee content can also lead to diarrhoea, loose stools, or even incontinence. It can also play a large role in developing gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Quitting coffee can get rid of these issues, leaving you healthier and far more comfortable.

Caffeine should be avoided as much as possible during pregnancy and lactation. According to Dr. Vu, caffeine quickly makes us jittery and can increase heart rate in young children, increasing feelings of anxiety, difficulty concentrating, and abdominal pain.

It should be safe for you to drink coffee if you have a liver condition. There is some evidence that it can slow down the progress of liver disease in some people. Some research found that people were less likely to die of liver disease or to develop cirrhosis if they drank coffee.

However, not all effects are positive for everyone: For some individuals, regular coffee consumption may lead to increased stomach acidity and digestive discomfort. High-acid coffees can potentially disrupt the mucosal barrier in sensitive individuals leading to irritation or inflammation.

Blood pressure spikes when you drink caffeine. Researchers think it might also keep your arteries from staying as wide as they should for healthy blood pressure. If you cut caffeine, you skip this blood pressure bump and potential complications along with it.

Is quitting caffeine worth it? ›

You Could Feel More Relaxed. Nixing caffeine means no more morning or late-night jitters, and that could be good for your stress levels. All that irritability and restlessness you may experience during the workday could dissipate or lessen simply by cutting out coffee or soda.

If you want to have a good night's rest, experts suggest you stop drinking caffeine within six to eight hours of your bedtime. So if you typically hit the hay around 10 p.m., you'll want to plan your last cup of coffee between 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Caffeine is well absorbed by the body, and the short-term effects are usually experienced between 5 and 30 minutes after having it. These effects can include increased breathing and heart rate, and increased mental alertness and physical energy.

Caffeine increases energy metabolism throughout the brain but decreases at the same time cerebral blood flow, inducing a relative brain hypoperfusion. Caffeine activates noradrenaline neurons and seems to affect the local release of dopamine.

Some research suggests coffee can lower the risk for high blood pressure, also called hypertension, in people who don't already have it. But drinking too much coffee has been shown to raise blood pressure and lead to anxiety, heart palpitations and trouble sleeping.

For healthy adults, the FDA has cited 400 milligrams a day—that's about four or five cups of coffee—as an amount not generally associated with dangerous, negative effects. However, there is wide variation in both how sensitive people are to the effects of caffeine and how fast they metabolize it (break it down).

The high acidity of coffee can interfere with your hormones and impact the amount of oil your skin produces. Coffee drinks with dairy products increase your risk of developing acne. Dehydration from coffee and other drinks such as soda or alcohol may also cause skin redness or inflammation.

Coffee is full of health benefits. According to the American College of Cardiology, drinking two to three cups of coffee per day is associated with maintaining a healthy heart.