For many coffee drinkers, brewing a pot first thing in the morning isn’t so much a choice as a reflex. Without it, they might as well be half asleep.
A recent study from the U.K. followed 495,585 participants for more than 10 years to find the effects of coffee consumption.
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The result: Coffee drinkers had a 21 percent lower risk of chronic liver disease, and a 49 percent reduced risk of dying from liver disease. Decaf and caffeinated coffee both had an effect.
A 2017 meta-analysis found wide-ranging health benefits from coffee.
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In numerous studies, coffee has been shown to reduce type-2 diabetes risk by up to 30 percent. Comparable effects were seen in caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee.
Multiple studies have found a surprising link between coffee and heart health.
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Caffeine is responsible for both coffee’s famous energizing effect and the anxiety that puts some people off the drink. A 2021 analysis found the caffeine in coffee cuts heart failure risk by 5–12 percent per cup.
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Some studies have shown that caffeine’s protective effects on the heart only kick in with the second cup. A 2018 study found that it takes four cups to see the biggest benefit.
According to the American Cancer Society, coffee has shown a protective effect against prostate, liver, mouth, throat, and endometrial cancers.
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Cafestol and kahweol are chemicals in coffee associated with health benefits, but they also increase bad cholesterol. Filtered coffee has lower levels of these chemicals but the biggest health benefits — meaning other substances may contribute to coffee’s protective effects.
Whatever is behind its health effects, current research suggests three to six cups of drip coffee per day is the sweet spot to get the health benefits without overloading on caffeine.
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