My first cup of Joe in the morning does wonders for my concentration and mood, especially before the busy school run.
Caffeine is well known for boosting alertness and focus, but drinking coffee has way more benefits than that. It’s rich in plant compounds called polyphenols—particularly chlorogenic acids (CGAs)—which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
But experts say it’s the way you make coffee that can influence how many of those beneficial compounds you get over time.
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“Coffee contains antioxidants, and when consumed in moderation, it can help protect against Type 2 diabetes and heart disease,” explains Shelley Balls, a registered dietitian and nutritionist for skincare and supplement brand Flawless Bloom.
“It can also reduce the risk of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. And the way you make it can add up to meaningful health benefits over time.”
Here’s what you need to know.
Opt for freshly ground coffee
To get the best health benefits from coffee, Balls recommends grinding your beans, because freshly ground coffee contains more polyphenols.
Plus, “the less time that passes between grinding the coffee beans and brewing them the better for antioxidant content,” says Balls, explaining that this locks in the beneficial polyphenols before they are degraded from oxidation (exposure to air).
And there are longer-term benefits too. “Drinking freshly ground coffee on a daily basis over time can provide a consistent amount of antioxidants that can help lower the risk of certain conditions such as Type 2 diabetes and heart disease,” says Balls.
“If you have time, it’s worth grinding your beans in the morning for your cup of Joe, as you’ll have more health benefits that can help reduce inflammation and decrease oxidative stress.”
Oxidative stress occurs when your body has more harmful free radicals—that can damage your cells over time—than protective antioxidants.
“Long-term benefits such as reduced oxidative stress can take four to six weeks, however those polyphenols enter your bloodstream within approximately 45 minutes,” says Balls.
Shop coffee grinders
Here are three recommendations from our colleagues at Tom’s Guide.
Choose light and medium roasts
“If you want to boost your antioxidant intake, light and medium roasts are better than dark,” says Balls. This is because they are roasted for less time and at lower temperatures than dark roasts.
During roasting, the heat changes the chemical composition of the beans and the longer and hotter it is, the greater the reduction of antioxidants.
That’s not to say a dark blend is bad. It still contains antioxidants, just typically less of certain types—such as CGAs, which support metabolic health and blood sugar regulation—compared with lighter roasts.
Brew for longer
Keep it freshly ground, use a filter and brew for longer to boost antioxidant levels.
“Brewing coffee for six minutes can help boost flavonoid [a type of polyphenol] intake,” says Balls. “Longer brewing times increase antioxidant extraction—providing more protection against oxidative stress—while providing a less acidic coffee that’s easier on your stomach.
“Using a filter will also eliminate diterpenes, which are oily compounds that can raise the so-called ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol that increases the risk of heart disease,” she adds.
Decaf also has benefits
Even without the caffeine, decaf coffee still has antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties that can improve heart health—just not as much compared with regular coffee.
“Regular coffee provides energy and metabolism benefits, while decaf provides other benefits such as decreased anxiety, acid reflux and sleep disruption,” says Balls.
“Both decaf and regular coffee contain high levels of antioxidants that can help protect against diabetes. Picking the right coffee for you, and your health needs and goals, is important to consider.”
How much coffee is healthy?
“According to the Food and Drug Administration, healthy adults should limit their caffeine intake to 400 milligrams per day,” says Balls, suggesting three cups a day can be beneficial for better health and anything more than four should be avoided.
“One cup (eight ounces) of regular brewed coffee contains 95 milligrams of caffeine, so when it comes to [how much] caffeine, you could consume four cups or less per day to fit within this recommendation.”
What are the risks of too much coffee?
Too much coffee can spike blood pressure, increase anxiety and disrupt sleep.
Registered dietitian Dawn Menning, who is program director for digital health at health app Nutu, explains: “Caffeine can cause a temporary increase in blood pressure as it may narrow blood vessels and boost heart rate. This forces the heart to work harder, which increases pressure to pump blood throughout the entire body.
“For those individuals who have been diagnosed with hypertension, regular excessive caffeine consumption may put a strain on the cardiovascular system.”
But drinking coffee while eating can help slow the digestive process and regulate blood sugar levels, says Menning.
“Having coffee with food can help to slow digestion and buffer glucose levels, to help keep levels from spiking. This is especially important for people with insulin resistance, prediabetes or diabetes.”
While drinking coffee in moderation can be good for you, if you suffer from reflux, it could make symptoms worse, says Balls. She suggests switching to a low acid coffee such as VitaCup Perfect Coffee, or Dayes Enzyme Coffee.
“You can also switch to darker roasts because they are less acidic than lighter roasts due to darker roasts being processed longer, which breaks down some of the natural acids found in the coffee beans.”
If coffee isn’t your thing, other polyphenol-rich foods Balls recommends include walnuts, chestnuts, pecans, sunflower seeds, apples, artichokes, kale and plums.