Is Your Morning Coffee Good for Your Health?
Lindsay Knake
| 3 min read
When you drink coffee, you may think about the benefits and risks of caffeine.
A little boost is great, but too much caffeine can make you jittery and disrupt your sleep. But your cup of morning coffee has many different benefits, according to a new study.
Here’s a look at the health benefits of morning coffee.
What are the health benefits of coffee?
A recent, observational study of 40,725 American adults from the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey looked at food and drink habits of the participants during a 10-year period.
Researchers found people who drank coffee in the morning were 31% less likely to die of cardiovascular disease and 16% less likely to die of any cause than people who don’t drink coffee. Those who drink more than one cup of coffee in the morning had a slightly stronger association with lower mortality risk than those who drank one cup or less.
However, that benefit disappeared for people who drank coffee all day.
What are the reasons for the benefits of drinking coffee only in the morning? The researchers believe this difference could be that all-day coffee drinkers may have greater sleep disturbance, and quality sleep is necessary for healthy blood pressure, heart health and overall health. Caffeine has a half-life of five hours, so drinking it late into the day can interfere with sleep. It’s best to stop consuming caffeine eight hours before you go to bed.
The anti-inflammatory benefits of coffee may also combat inflammatory markers that peak in the morning, according to the study. The researchers added they would like to see more follow up studies on the topic.
Other health benefits of coffee
This study was not the first to examine how coffee can improve your health. According to the Mayo Clinic and Johns Hopkins University, coffee is connected to decreased risk of:
- Alzheimer's disease
- Colon cancer
- Depression
- Gallstones and kidney stones
- Kidney disease
- Liver cancer and disease
- Parkinson’s disease
- Stroke
- Type 2 diabetes
Coffee contains antioxidants and micronutrients such as magnesium, niacin, potassium and vitamin E.
Risks of drinking coffee
Drinking one to four cups of coffee with little or no added sugar or artificial sweetener is generally healthy for most, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
The risks of drinking coffee come mainly from the caffeine content. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), adults should drink no more than 400 milligrams of caffeine a day. This is about four cups of coffee.
Pregnant women should not consume more than 200 milligrams of caffeine a day. Children younger than 12 should not drink caffeine, and teenagers should only have about 100 milligrams a day. This includes caffeine from all food and drink sources, including tea, energy drinks, sodas and chocolate.
For those who want a late-afternoon coffee, it’s best to switch to decaf to get the nutrients without the caffeine.
Image: Getty Images
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