For many people, the morning cup of coffee is a habit essential to daily function. For some time, it was assumed that drinking coffee was a habit that was primarily harmful to the drinker's health -- similar to smoking and drinking beer. High-fat, high-calorie lattes, of course, are certainly very lacking in nutritional value, but recent studies indicate that drinking coffee in moderation actually can benefit your health in several ways.
Nutrition Information
One 8 oz. cup of brewed black coffee contains 2.4 calories and no fat, cholesterol or carbohydrates. There are about 4.7 mg of sodium in the coffee, which is about 0.2 percent of your recommended daily sodium intake. The coffee's protein content is 0.3 g, which is about 0.6 percent of your requirement. There are 94.8 mg of caffeine in one cup of coffee.
Benefits
According to the Harvard School of Public Health, drinking coffee can help lower your risk for liver cancer and Parkinson's disease. The risk of developing type 2 diabetes also is lower for those who drink coffee consistently or even daily. Other benefits of coffee consumption include a somewhat lower risk of heart disease, stroke and gallstones.
Risks
According to MayoClinic.com, even though it is now known that coffee provides several significant health benefits, you should still drink it only in moderation. Up to about six cups per day should not have any harmful effects, but it is not as nutritionally complete -- or as rich in vitamins and minerals -- as other beverages like milk or juice. Also, some people genetically have difficulty processing caffeine in their diet, which can increase their risk of heart disease if they drink more than two cups per day.
Other
You can easily make your cup of coffee so high in fat, sugar and calories that the harmful dietary elements have a stronger impact than the beneficial dietary elements. To keep your coffee as nutritious as possible, be careful how much sugar and cream you add to it. Black coffee, of course, is the most nutritious, but if you like your coffee with added flavorings, try using skim milk or a nonfat dry creamer to minimize the nutritional harm of these additions.
References
- Harvard School of Public Health; Coffee: The Good News
- MayoClinic.com; Coffee and Health: What Does the Research Say?; Donald Hensrud, M.D.; May 2010
- Harvard School of Public Health; Coffee: The Downsides
- Harvard School of Public Health; Ask the Expert: Coffee and Health; Dr. Rob van Dam;
- CalorieLab: Coffee, Brewed From Grounds, Prepared With Tap Water
- CBS News; The Truth About Coffee; Dr. Holly Phillips; August 2008
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