Coffee has been praised and demonized throughout its documented 600-plus-year history. Banned by the Qur'an as intoxicating during the Turkish Ottoman Empire, coffee drinkers were severely beaten. In 2000, over half the U.S. population drank coffee and more than 18 percent drank gourmet coffee beverages daily. Despite its popularity, coffee has been viewed as one of the bad boys of beverages. Blamed at some point for conditions as diverse as dehydration, ulcers, cancer, miscarriages and birth defects, recent research has begun to clear coffee's bad name.
Caffeine
The lightning rod that has attracted detractor's ire throughout coffee's history is caffeine. The amount of caffeine, and other nutrients for that matter, varies based on the type of coffee bean, the way coffee is processed and the manner in which it is brewed. Caffeine is a mild stimulant. It alleviates fatigue, increases concentration, attention, endurance and athletic performance. The amount of caffeine in an 8 oz serving of coffee ranges from 65 to 100 mg in instant to 115 to 175 mg in drip coffee. Instant or brewed decaf coffee has 2 to 4 mg of caffeine.
Nutrition Downside
Coffee would appear to be an inert substance based on the essential minerals and vitamins on a standard nutritional label. It essentially has zero vitamins and minerals, no protein and no fiber. Unlike other foods and beverages, it is not required by the FDA to have a nutritional label because it doesn't contain any of the essential nutrients that are normally listed.
Positive Nutrition
On the upside, an 8 oz. serving of coffee doesn't contain any fats, sugars or cholesterol and it has a nearly negligible 5 calories. Coffee is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, according to Gaiam.com. These are compounds that neutralize free radicals, molecules that cause oxidation and deterioration of cell tissues throughout your body. Omega-3 fatty acids may play a role in the reduction of risk for a wide variety of conditions, including Alzheimer's disease, asthma, cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, eczema, lupus, migraine headaches, multiple sclerosis, osteoarthritis, psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis. Coffee also contains catechins, a type of antioxidant bioflavonoid that reduces the risk of certain types of cancer, according to Active.com.
Positive Health Effects
Research confirms positive health effects for coffee. For example a Swedish study, summarized at EMaxHealth.com, found that coffee drinkers who drank 3 to 5 cups per day had a significantly lower risk of Alzheimer's. Other studies, noted at MSNBC, Anti-aging Guide, Precision Nutrition and Harvard School of Public Health have found that moderate consumption of coffee may enhance mood by enhancing sensitivity to the brain chemical called serotonin and decrease the risk for certain illnesses including certain cancers, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, liver cancer and liver cirrhosis.
Hold the Fixin's
Although moderate consumption of coffee, meaning 2 to 3 cups per day, may have some positive health benefits, the addition of sugar, cream or other high-fat, high-calorie fixings to your coffee alters the biochemical equation. A 16 oz. latte contains 180 to 220 calories, a 20-fold increase over regular black coffee. A 16 oz. serving of white chocolate mocha from a popular national coffee chain contains 470 calories and provides 60 percent of the recommended daily limit of saturated fat. The high fat and sugar content tastes great, but compromises the health benefits. These gussied-up drinks provide some nutrition, such as protein and calcium, but these nutrients can be found in far less belt-straining sources like skim milk.
Conclusion
Coffee is not the egregious beverage the Ottoman Turks thought or its more modern critics assume. Negative nutritional consequences come mostly from drinking more than a few cups per day or loading the beverage with sugar and fat.
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