The Health Benefits of Coffee aka Kopi.
- Alastair Hunt
- Mar 22, 2023
- 6 min read
Updated: Jan 12
Several recent studies on long term coffee consumption confirm what many of us would like to hear and what other studies have indicated… coffee is good for one’s health. This applies to cardiovascular health and physical robustness (in elderly Singaporeans) as well as evidence for combating diabetes. (See studies at bottom of page)
A Singapore study (Chua et al, 2023) showed an association that drinking coffee, black or green tea at midlife, were independently associated with a significantly reduced likelihood of physical frailty in late life. Possibly by improving muscle integrity and slowing the development of sarcopenia in aging.
In the USA, a 2020 study (Huang et al) demonstrated that coffee is the leading source of dietary polyphenols for many people, ranking key sources including coffee (39.6%), beans (9.8%), and tea (7.6%) as major dietary contributors.
How much coffee for health benefits? 2 to 3 cups per day, of your favourite grind or instant mix will provide maximum benefit for your heart and blood vessels. Some studies have shown that more than 4 cups per day may harm the cardiovascular system and also negatively affect cognitive health.
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 and chlorogenic acid - a powerful antioxidant polyphenol. 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 afternoon or evening coffee if you want to ensure a good night's sleep.
Habitual coffee consumption does not affect blood pressure, for better or worse.
Be sure to enjoy coffee that is filtered, as coffee particles appear to 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 or kopi o kosong can come in at 05 calories but a large size (Starbucks / Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf etc) Frappuccino type coffee 500 calories or more. That's equivalent to an 8km - 5 mile run!
Final Thoughts
So, for maximum health effect - if we are conscious of when and how we enjoy our coffee - we can gain the much from its health promoting benefits. Breath in and smell, or better yet drink, the kopi!
For most people, improving health is about finding motivation and prioritising self-care with an ultimate goal of taking action. If you want to take effective and targeted steps that fit into your unique lifestyle, The Whole Health Practice is here to help.
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Stay Healthy,
Alastair
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Related Studies
Xuan Wang, Hao Ma, Qi Sun, Jun Li, Yoriko Heianza, Rob M Van Dam, Frank B Hu, Eric Rimm, JoAnn E Manson, Lu Qi, Coffee drinking timing and mortality in US adults, European Heart Journal, 2025;, ehae871, https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehae871
Lopes CR, Cunha RA. Impact of coffee intake on human aging: Epidemiology and cellular mechanisms. Ageing Res Rev. 2024 Dec;102:102581. doi: 10.1016/j.arr.2024.102581. Epub 2024 Nov 16. PMID: 39557300.
Trevano FQ, Vela-Bernal S, Facchetti R, Cuspidi C, Mancia G, Grassi G. Habitual coffee consumption and office, home, and ambulatory blood pressure: results of a 10-year prospective study. J Hypertens. 2024 Jun 1;42(6):1094-1100. doi: 10.1097/HJH.0000000000003709. Epub 2024 Apr 22. PMID: 38646971; PMCID: PMC11064901.
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Wu E, Bao YY, Wei GF, Wang W, Xu HQ, Chen JY, Xu YN, Han D, Tao L, Ni JT. Association of tea and coffee consumption with the risk of all-cause and cause-specific mortality among individuals with metabolic syndrome: a prospective cohort study. Diabetol Metab Syndr. 2023 Nov 23;15(1):241. doi: 10.1186/s13098-023-01222-7. PMID: 37993869; PMCID: PMC10666405.
Chua KY, Li H, Lim WS, Koh WP. Consumption of Coffee, Tea, and Caffeine at Midlife, and the Risk of Physical Frailty in Late Life. J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2023 Nov;24(11):1655-1662.e3. doi: 10.1016/j.jamda.2023.06.015. Epub 2023 Jul 21. PMID: 37488031.
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