When You Drink Coffee Every Day, This Is What Happens To Your Body

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Do you start your day with coffee or tea? Tea may get all kinds of positive PR, but coffee has nutritional benefits too. In fact, it has powers we're only beginning to understand. In the hopes of remedying any knowledge gaps, The Takeout spoke with Johannah Katz, RD. As the dietitian informed us, coffee may have a few drawbacks, but it can also do a lot of good for your body.

"Potential downsides include a temporary increase in blood pressure, shakiness, anxiety, restlessness, digestive symptoms, or palpitations, particularly with larger doses or in caffeine-sensitive people," Katz stated, although she debunked the myth that coffee will dry you out. As she explained, "Coffee may mildly increase urine production, but moderate intake does not appear to cause dehydration in habitual coffee drinkers." As for the positives, she told us, "In the short term, coffee can increase alertness, concentration, and reaction time ... It may also improve endurance, muscular endurance, perceived effort, and other aspects of exercise performance, although responses vary." Medical studies likewise seem to indicate that drinking coffee on a regular basis may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, liver disease, and Parkinson's disease. Consumption of caffeinated coffee is also associated with lower rates of dementia.

Overall, it seems coffee can definitely be part of a healthy diet. As Katz put it, "Over the long term, moderate coffee consumption is associated more often with beneficial than harmful outcomes." She did note that this doesn't automatically make your venti Frappuccino a superfood, saying "Coffee's potential benefits should not automatically be extended to large specialty drinks containing substantial added sugar, syrups, cream, or whipped toppings."

So, is it the caffeine in coffee alone that affects our bodies? No, there's other stuff at work too. According to Katz, there are actually hundreds of different chemical compounds at work and most can be found in other substances as well. "Caffeine is responsible for many of coffee's immediate effects on alertness, fatigue, and exercise performance," Katz said. She noted that chocolate, energy drinks, certain sodas, teas, and herbal beverages such as yerba mate are also known for their caffeine content.

Apart from caffeine, coffee also contains polyphenols, including chlorogenic acids which can promote gut and liver health, reduce inflammation and oxidative stress, and affect how the body metabolizes glucose. (Artichokes, apples, berries, eggplants, pears, and potatoes also contain polyphenols.) Another coffee compound, trigonelline, may also affect glucose metabolism as well as the nervous and digestive systems, and non-coffee drinkers can benefit from it by taking supplements such as Nootropics Depot Fenugreek Extract Capsules. Meanwhile, the melanoidins that form when coffee beans are roasted are what gives the drink its color and much of its flavor, but they also provide antioxidant benefits. "Similar compounds form when bread, cocoa, and malt are browned or roasted," Katz informed us.

A few compounds can have a negative influence, depending on how the coffee is made. Cafestol and kahweol (which are both coffee oils) may have the effect of raising LDL (aka "bad") cholesterol. As Katz cautioned, "Paper filters remove most of these compounds, while French-press, boiled, Turkish, and some espresso-style coffees retain more."

Coffee, like most things, is best in moderation. According to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, 400 milligrams of caffeine is a safe upper limit for most people and equates to two or three 12-ounce cups of standard drip coffee at 113 to 247 milligrams each. If you also consume soda, tea, or energy drinks, you'll need to dial back the coffee a bit to compensate since sodas contain up to 83 milligrams, tea up to 71 milligrams, and energy drinks nearly 250 milligrams per serving. In the professional opinion of Johannah Katz, RD, "Because caffeine content varies widely, it is more useful to think in milligrams than cups."

The time of day you drink your coffee also matters. As Katz stated, "For most people, morning or early-day coffee is best." The reason for this is rather obvious — the later in the day you drink it, the more it can affect your sleep. "A practical guideline is to stop caffeine at least six to eight hours before bedtime, or earlier for sensitive individuals."

Some people may need to moderate their coffee intake even further. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists advises pregnant persons to keep their caffeine intake below 200 milligrams per day. Anyone experiencing anxiety, digestive difficulties, or insomnia may also benefit from switching to decaf. Of course, you don't need to start drinking coffee for its benefits if you don't care for it. Katz characterizes the drink as "an optional part of a healthy lifestyle, not a substitute for adequate sleep, exercise, a nutrient-dense diet, or medical treatment."