Although once classified as a potential carcinogen by the International Agency on Cancer, coffee's reputation has greatly improved over the past 25 years. Now, it is one of the world's favorite beverages.
Of course, a good diet is all about moderation and the right balance. Too much of something often leads to undesirable results -- coffee included. Now, let's into the health benefits of coffee.
Coffee is good for the heart
Drinking coffee may help to decrease the risk of atrial fibrillation, which the American Heart Association reports may progress to stroke. According to a 2018 study in JACC: Clinical Electrophysiology, the regular consumption of up to 300 milligrams a day of caffeine may be protective against heart rhythm disorders.
In fact, a Circulation analysis report found the greatest advantage of stopping at three to five cups of coffee a day. Drinking coffee can also help to reduce the risk of certain kinds of heart problems. The American Heart Association found that drinking coffee was linked with a 7% reduction in the risk of experiencing heart failure and an 8% stroke for each additional cup of coffee consumed each week.
Coffee may ease off symptoms of depression
Some evidence indicates that a lower risk of this mood disorder is linked to drinking coffee. A major Harvard longitudinal study of more than 50,000 people showed women consuming moderate quantities of coffee had a lower risk of depression. The study, reported by JAMA, showed a lower risk of depression in women who drank 2-3 cups a day than in women who drank 1-3 cups a week. In the report, consuming decaf coffee was not linked to a lower risk of depression.
Both regular and decaf contain antioxidants
Coffee is one of the most abundant and consistent sources of antioxidants for cell protection since many people are drinking it every day. In addition, according to a 2014 study in antioxidants, coffee is the main source of antioxidants in the Western Diet. A simple cup of coffee is actually a very complex product, containing more than 1,000 antioxidant compounds.
As for decaf, well, standard and decaf coffee have the same levels when it comes to antioxidants. However, the caffeine extraction process tends to be very capable of reducing phenolic acids and antioxidant ability in decaf coffee.
Simply put, regular coffee can offer more health benefits than decaf, but decaf coffee still offers health benefits.
