The healthiest way to take your coffee is hot-brewed and black. One cup has virtually no calories or carbs, no fat, and is low in sodium. Black coffee also has micronutrients, including potassium, magnesium, and niacin.
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.
The bottom line: A large body of evidence suggests that consumption of caffeinated coffee does not increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases and cancers. In fact, consumption of 3 to 5 standard cups of coffee daily has been consistently associated with a reduced risk of several chronic diseases.
The healthiest way to take your coffee is hot-brewed and black. One cup has virtually no calories or carbs, no fat, and is low in sodium. Black coffee also has micronutrients, including potassium, magnesium, and niacin.
What's the better choice, coffee or tea? “Neither is particularly harmful, and both offer an abundance of potential health benefits. Like most things in life, it comes down to portion control and individual preference,” Bollig said. If you aren't sensitive to caffeine, both are considered healthy.
Decaf coffee contains many antioxidants that help the body prevent disease, fight illness, and stay healthy. Many medical professionals suggest drinking or eating food high in antioxidants also helps improve the cardiovascular system, fight cancer, and avoid common illnesses such as the common cold and flu.
Benefits of drinking decaf coffee
The antioxidants present in decaf coffee help to neutralise free radicals. This reduces oxidative damage and can prevent diseases such as Type 2 diabetes, as well as heart disease and cancer. Decaf coffee also contains magnesium, which acts as a shield against diabetes.
For those who drink coffee, experts suggest brewing it with a paper filter, because unfiltered coffee is associated with higher rates of early death, and can contain compounds that raise levels of LDL, or “bad,” cholesterol.
Light roasted coffee has been found to contain higher levels of the antioxidants polyphenol and chlorogenic acid than darker roasts. These compounds may be damaged during the longer, hotter roasting process for dark coffees. However, research has also shown that dark coffee may have higher total antioxidant activity.
Key takeaways: Decaf coffee contains many of the same substances found in regular coffee. But it has a much lower amount of caffeine. It can have many of the same health benefits as regular coffee, too, such as a reduced risk of diabetes, colon cancer, stroke, and dementia.
Decaffeinated coffee
The decaffeination process removes ingredients that give coffee its flavor. To maintain it, manufacturers use beans that are richer in oils than regular coffee beans. As a result, decaf can contribute to higher cholesterol levels than regular coffee.
Is decaf coffee bad for you? Like all coffee, decaffeinated coffee is safe for consumption and can be part of a healthy diet. If you are wondering whether the decaffeination process itself is safe, the answer is yes.
As coffee contains many different compounds aside from caffeine, other compounds could be responsible for its effects on blood pressure. However, a person could try switching to decaffeinated coffee to see whether their blood pressure decreases.
With the same caffeine content, black coffee is clearly more beneficial to your health in comparison to milk coffee. It can stimulate brain activity, help improve memory and even protect against cognitive decline long-term.
The severity of symptoms vary from individual to individual, and most commonly include a headache, fatigue, decreased energy/activeness, decreased alertness, drowsiness, decreased contentedness, depressed mood, difficulty concentrating, irritability, and feeling foggy/not clearheaded.
Earl Grey tea contains antioxidants that support heart health and prevent serious cardiovascular disease such as heart attacks and high blood pressure. These antioxidants work to remove plaque buildup in blood vessels and the heart.
Best for overall health: green tea
When it comes to tea, green tea gets the gold. “Green tea is the champ when it comes to offering health benefits,” says Czerwony. “It's the Swiss Army knife of teas. It covers a lot of territory.”
Green tea is often touted as the healthiest tea. It is chock full of polyphenols and antioxidants that help to boost brain and heart health. Green tea is considered one of the least processed true teas as it does not undergo oxidation. Leaves are harvested and immediately dried and rolled.
Lower Blood Pressure: Quitting caffeine can lower your blood pressure and take pressure off of your heart. Improved Sleep: Because it has a relatively long half-life, caffeine can negatively impact sleep long after you've consumed it.