20+ Good Health Reasons To Drink Coffee (Lots of Research work inside)

There are good reasons to drink coffee and there are a few reasons not to. This article is for those that are looking for reasons to keep drinking it.
After all, you may have a caffeine-hater in your life. You know the type – they’re always telling you what’s bad for your health.

Coffee’s health promoting properties are likely due to the antioxidants naturally occurring in the coffee bean.

A typical serving of coffee contains more antioxidants than typical servings of grape juice, blueberries, raspberries, and oranges.
Antioxidants in coffee may dampen inflammation, reducing the risk of disorders related to it, like cardiovascular disease.

While there are still some health benefits to drinking decaf coffee, most of the above studies showed that caffeinated coffee had the greatest benefits.

This is due to many of the antioxidants being removed during the decaffeination process.

Here’s a list of some good reasons to drink coffee.Cut the Pain
Two cups of coffee can cut post-workout muscle pain by up to 48%. From the Journal of Pain, March 2007 (link)

Increase your fiber intake
A cup of brewed coffee represents a contribution of up to 1.8 grams of fiber of the recommended intake of 20-38 grams. From the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (link).

Protection against cirrhosis of the liver
Of course, you could just cut down on the alcohol intake. From the Archives of Internal Medicine (link). Another more recent study also showed coffee’s liver protecting benefits. link. Yet another study showed that both coffee and decaffeinated coffee lowered the liver enzyme levels of coffee drinkers. This study was published in the Hepatology Journal.

Lowered risk of Type 2 Diabetes
Those who consumed 6 or more cups per day had a 22% lower risk of diabetes. From the Archives of Internal Medicine (link). A recent review of research conducted by Harvard’s Dr. Frank Hu showed that the risk of type II diabetes decreases by 9% for each daily cup of coffee consumed. Decaf coffee decreased risk by 6% per cup.

Lowered risk of Alzheimer’s disease
There is considerable evidence that caffeine may protect against Alzheimer’s disease. From the European Journal of Neurology (link).

Reduces suicide risk and Depression
A 10-year study of 86,000 female nurses shows a reduced risk of suicide in the coffee drinkers. From the Archives of Internal Medicine (link). Another study conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health found that women who drink 4 or more cups of coffee were 20% less likely to suffer from depression. Study link.

Protection against Parkinson’s
People with Parkinson’s disease are less likely to be smokers and coffee drinkers than their healthy siblings. Just make sure you don’t get lung cancer on the way. From the Archives of Neurology (link).Even newer research out of Sweden revealed that drinking coffee reduces the risk of Parkinson’s even when genetic factors come into play. link.

Coffee drinkers have less risk of heart disease. 

Korean researchers found that study participants who consumed 3 to 5 cups of coffee a day were less likely to show the beginning signs of heart disease. The study. Other dietary factors should also be noted as Koreans typically have a different diet than do Westerners.

Coffee drinkers have stronger DNA. 

A study published in the European Journal of Nutrition showed that coffee drinkers have DNA with stronger integrity since the white blood cells of coffee drinkers had far less instance of spontaneous DNA strand breakage. Study abstract.

Lower Risk of Multiple Sclerosis. 

Recent research showed that at least 4 cups of coffee a day may help protect against the development and reoccurrence of MS. It is believed that the coffee prevents the neural inflammation that possibly leads to the disease developing. The study was published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry. 

Coffee reduces colorectal cancer risk. 

Even moderate consumption of coffee can reduce the odds of developing colorectal cancer by 26%. This protective benefit increases with more consumption. The study is described in detail here.
Reduced Liver Cancer Risk: Researchers at USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center found that those that consume 1-3 cups of coffee a day have a 29% reduced risk of developing liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which is the most common type. Src.

Less Gout Risk: 

Yet another reason: Risk for developing gout (in men) decreases with increasing coffee consumption. This is a large study of over 50,000 men (link).

Longevity: 

Greek boiled coffee linked to longevity and heart health. –link. Another study published in the June 17, 2008, issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine showed that women who consume coffee had a lower risk of death from cancer, heart disease, and other factors, which therefore promotes a longer lifespan. Yet another study published in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that coffee drinkers were at less risk of dying prematurely from diseases like diabetes, heart disease and forms of cancer. Study link. Another study from Japan found that men who drink at least 3 cups of coffee per day have a 24% less risk of dying early from disease. Yet another study from Harvard also confirmed that those who drink 1-5 cups of coffee a day avoid diseases linked to premature death. The study. A Japanese-based study also found similar results when it comes to coffee and longevity. The study.Two more 2017 research studies have confirmed what earlier studies have found. Those that drink coffee live longer than those who don’t. The American study is found here and the European-based study is found here.

Prevents Retinal Damage. 

A Cornell University Study showed that coffee may prevent retinal damage due to oxidative stress. Caffeine isn’t the culprit here, but chlorogenic acid (CLA), which is one of the strong antioxidants found in the coffee bean. link

Black coffee prevents cavities. 

Researchers out of Brazil found that strong black coffee kills the bacteria on teeth that leads to tooth decay. Adding milk or sugar to coffee negates this benefit. –link

Coffee may protect against periodontal disease. 

As part of the US Department of Veterans Affairs Dental Longitudinal Study coffee consumption and dental health among 1,152 men was tracked from 1968-1998. The researchers found that coffee didn’t promote gum disease and actually showed a protective benefit. Link

Coffee may protect against melanoma. 

A study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute found that melanoma risk decreases with coffee consumption and that this risk decreases with each cup consumed. Study link.
The USDA’s new 2015 dietary guidelines recommend it for better health. They advise people that having 3 to 5 cups of coffee a day is good for their overall health and reduces the risk of disease. However, they report that adding sugar, cream, or flavored creamers quickly negates the potential benefits. The complete report here.(pdf)

Reduced heart attack mortality risk. 

Researchers found that those who drink two or more cups of coffee daily after having a heart attack have the least risk of dying from the heart attack. The study.

REDUCES RISK OF CANCER

Here are just a few of the studies that support the notion that caffeinated coffee reduces risk of certain types of cancer.

Oral Cancer: 

More than 4 cups of coffee a day decrease oral and head cancers by 39%.

Uterine Cancer: 

Woman who drink more than two cups of coffee a day have less chance of uterine cancer.

Prostate Cancer:

 Men who have 6 cups of coffee a day reduce their prostate cancer risk by 60%.

Brain Cancer: 

At least 5 cups of coffee prevents certain types of brain cancer by 40%.

Colon Cancer: 

At least 2 cups of coffee a day can cut colon cancer risk. A newer study showed that colon cancer patients who drank four or more servings of coffee a day were 42% less likely to have bowel cancer recurrence after surgery and treatment. This study was conducted by the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. An even newer study also supported this previous research regarding the reduced risk of colorectal cancer among coffee drinkers.

Breast Cancer: 

At least 3 cups of coffee a day can prevent or delay the onset of certain types of breast cancer. Another study showed that at least 2 cups of coffee consumed along side the breast cancer drug tamoxifen, resulted in 49% less early breast cancer recurrence among breast cancer patients in Sweden.

Liver Cancer: 

Coffee drinkers have 41% less instance of liver cancer. A more recent study showed that 1-3 cups of coffee a day reduces risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma by 29%. Link

Endometrial Cancer: 

Women who consume at least 3 cups of coffee a day have a 19% decreased risk of developing endometrial cancer, which claims the lives of about 10,000 women in the USA each year. The research.
Caffeine protects against lung cancer. 

A new study published in the Experimental Hematology & Oncology journal showed that caffeine inhibits a couple of proteins found in lung cancer cells, which in turn prevents the cell’s growth and reproduction. The study.

Skin Cancer: 

A recent study published in The Journal of the National Cancer Institute found that caffeinated coffee drinkers were less likely to develop melanoma. The more coffee people consumed the less risk was observed. Study abstract.