The Health Benefits of Coffee (and Kopi)
Updated: Apr 29
A recently released study (below) in The European Journal of Preventive Cardiology on long term coffee consumption confirmed what many of us would like to hear and what other studies have indicated… coffee is good for one’s health. In this case, cardiovascular health. 2 to 3 cups per day, of your favourite grind or instant mix will provide maximum benefit for your heart and blood vessels.
At The Whole Health Practice we love beans and we love fermented products. Coffee (being both) has a host of over 100 biologically active chemicals including caffeine. A few things to note for the health conscious:
Coffee is a stimulant, good if you need to be alert – not so good if you need to sleep. The half-life of caffeine is 3 to 5 hours, so beware the afternoon or evening coffee if you want to ensure a good night's sleep.
Be sure to enjoy coffee that is filtered as coffee particles raise cholesterol.
The addition of milk to coffee has also be shown to partially reduce its antioxidant, health promoting, effects.
For the weight or calorie conscious, be aware of added sugars that can turn the drink into a dessert. A straight espresso can come in at 05 calories but a large size Frappuccino type coffee 500 calories.
So, for maximum health effect - if we can be conscious of when and how we enjoy our coffee - we can gain the most from its health promoting benefits. Otherwise, just breath in and smell the kopi!
Stay Healthy,
Alastair
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Key Studies:
van Dusseldorp M, Katan MB, van Vliet T, Demacker PN, Stalenhoef AF. Cholesterol-raising factor from boiled coffee does not pass a paper filter. Arterioscler Thromb. 1991 May-Jun;11(3):586-93. doi: 10.1161/01.atv.11.3.586. PMID: 2029499.
Niseteo T, Komes D, Belščak-Cvitanović A, Horžić D, Budeč M. Bioactive composition and antioxidant potential of different commonly consumed coffee brews affected by their preparation technique and milk addition. Food Chem. 2012 Oct 15;134(4):1870-7. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2012.03.095. Epub 2012 Mar 30. PMID: 23442632.
David Chieng, Rodrigo Canovas, Louise Segan, Hariharan Sugumar, Aleksandr Voskoboinik, Sandeep Prabhu, Liang Han Ling, Geoffrey Lee, Joseph B Morton, David M Kaye, Jonathan M Kalman, Peter M Kistler, The impact of coffee subtypes on incident cardiovascular disease, arrhythmias, and mortality: long-term outcomes from the UK Biobank, European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, 2022; zwac189, https://doi.org/10.1093/eurjpc/zwac189