Is coffee good for you? Health benefits, disadvantages, and more

When people think of coffee, they usually think of its ability to provide an energy boost. However, according to some research, it can also offer some other important health benefits. Such benefits may include a lower risk of liver cancer, type 2 diabetes, and heart failure.

Worldwide, experts estimate that people consume around 2.25 billion cups of coffee per day. Researchers have looked at the benefits of drinking coffee for conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and liver disease. There is evidence to support some, but not all, of these claims.

Coffee contains a number of useful nutrients, including riboflavin (vitamin B2), niacin (vitamin B3), magnesium, potassium, and various phenolic compounds, or antioxidants. Some experts suggest that these and other ingredients in coffee can benefit the human body in various ways.

This article looks at the possible health benefits of drinking coffee, the evidence supporting those benefits, and the risks of drinking coffee.

Health benefits of drinking coffee

Some potential health benefits associated withTrusted Source drinking coffee include protection against type 2 diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, liver disease, and liver cancer. Coffee consumption may also support cardiovascular health.

The sections below cover these benefits in more detail.

Coffee and diabetes

Coffee may help protect against type 2 diabetes.

In 2014, researchers who gathered data on over 48,000 people found that those who increased their coffee consumption by at least one cup per day over 4 years had an 11% lower risk of type 2 diabetes than those who did not increase their intake.

A 2017 meta-analysisTrusted Source concluded that people who drank four to six cups of either caffeinated or decaffeinated coffee each day appeared to have a lower risk of metabolic syndrome, including type 2 diabetes.

Coffee and Parkinson’s disease

Various studies have suggested that caffeine, which is present in coffee and many other beverages, may help protect against Parkinson’s disease.

One team concluded that men who drink over four cups of coffee per day might have a fivefold lower risk of Parkinson’s disease than those who do not.

The findings of the 2017 meta-analysisTrusted Source suggested a link between coffee consumption and a lower risk of Parkinson’s disease, even among people who smoke. This team also found that people who drink coffee may be less likely to experience depression and cognitive conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease.

However, there was not enough evidence to prove that drinking decaffeinated coffee helps prevent Parkinson’s disease.

Coffee and chronic liver disease or cancer

In 2019, a literature reviewTrusted Source concluded that coffee intake is likely to reduce the risk of liver cancer.

Earlier, in 2015, a cohort study of a multiethnic population in the United States suggested that depending on the dose, consuming two to three cups of coffee daily reduced the participants’ risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma and chronic liver disease (CLD) by 38% and 46%Trusted Source, respectively.

The meta-analysis from 2017Trusted Source also concluded that consuming any type of coffee appears to reduce the risk of liver cancer, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and cirrhosis. These findings are now bolstered by a 2021 studyTrusted Source suggesting that consuming all types of coffee may offer some protection against CLD.