Coffee is amazing. It tastes great, smells great, wakes you up, and energizes you for the day. Just the smell of coffee in the morning makes me smile. I didn’t start drinking coffee regularly until my mid-30s. But once I started, it became an important part of my morning routine.

For years, many of us thought coffee was “bad.” But that’s not what the research tells us. Coffee is actually good for you. In fact, it’s really good for you.

Coffee consumption is associated with a lower risk of several chronic diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, and neurodegenerative diseases. It’s even been shown to improve liver function, reduce depression, and enhance cognition.

Coffee provides a rich source of antioxidants such as chlorogenic acid, an antioxidant found in plants, fruits, and vegetables, which provides protection against cardiovascular diseases. Coffee also contains a plethora of polyphenols, which are antioxidants that help prevent and delay degenerative diseases.

Some new research shows that the benefits of coffee may depend on when you drink it.

A recent study found that drinking coffee in the morning was associated with a lower risk of dying from all causes and cardiovascular disease, but drinking coffee in the evening had no such effect. The study found that drinking coffee in the morning resulted in a 12% lower risk of all-cause mortality, and a 31% lower risk of cardiovascular disease mortality compared to non-coffee drinkers over a 10-year period.

The study also found that there were no benefits to drinking coffee throughout the day. People who drank coffee in the morning, afternoon, and evening didn’t experience the same risk reduction as those who enjoyed their coffee only in the morning.

The active ingredients in coffee produce many health-improving benefits. Dr. Rhonda Patrick has put together a list of the most important benefits of coffee consumption:

• Reduced inflammation: Regular coffee consumption has been associated with lower levels of inflammatory biomarkers.
• Increased insulin sensitivity: Coffee consumption has been linked to increased insulin sensitivity, and it has been shown to improve glucose control after a meal in people with type 2 diabetes.
• Improved liver function: Coffee has been shown to improve liver function.
• Cholesterol-lowering properties: Although some compounds in coffee can raise cholesterol, filtered coffee has less of these compounds and has not been shown to have adverse effects on plasma lipids.
• Improved autonomic function: Consumption of regular (caffeinated) coffee may help improve the balance of the autonomic nervous system, which plays a role in regulating heart rhythm and function.
• Improved blood vessel function: Coffee can improve blood vessel function in people with and without cardiovascular diseases.

Many of the health benefits of coffee are due to the antioxidants, but some are from the effects of caffeine. Caffeine can increase your metabolism and your urine production. It makes you more awake and more alert when you need to focus.

But drinking too much coffee late in the day can make it hard to fall asleep. Having coffee after lunch can reduce sleep by as much as 20%. Caffeine has a half-life of about 6 hours, which means it takes about 6 hours for half the caffeine you consume to be cleared from your system. So, if you drink a cup of coffee at noon, the caffeine can still keep you awake at midnight.

Why Coffee Timing Matters

The study included 40,000 adults from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. It gathered information on when they consumed coffee and how much they consumed. The study found there were two different types of coffee drinkers.

• Morning Coffee Drinkers: Drank all their coffee between 4:00 am and noon.
• All Day Coffee Drinkers: Drank coffee in the morning, afternoon, and evening.

2 – 3 Cups is Optimal

The study found that drinking more coffee linked to a lower risk of dying from any cause over a 10-year period. People who drank anywhere from one to three cups per day experienced a 14–19% lower risk of dying from any cause and a 28-40% lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease.

People who drank coffee throughout the day saw no reduction in their mortality risk.

For morning coffee drinkers, the amount of coffee consumed was important:

• 1-2 cups reduced risk of death by 16%
• 2-3 cups reduced risk of death by 28%
• 3 or more cups by 21%

As we’ve mentioned in the past, two to three cups of coffee seem to be the sweet spot for enjoying its health promoting benefits. Up to four cups can be okay for most of us. In fact, four cups per day seems to provide the optimal effect for improving mitochondrial function of the heart.

It’s important to keep in mind that in most research, a cup of coffee is eight ounces. A Starbucks Grande is 16 ounces, and a Venti is 20 ounces. The coffee cup you use at home probably holds 12 ounces. Be mindful of the actual serving size of the coffee you drink.

Coffee offers a lot of great health benefits. In fact, the benefits of coffee seem to outweigh the benefits of not drinking coffee. Stay around the 3- to 4-cup mark for the best benefits. Don’t drink it after noon. Consume it before a workout to get amped up. Stay completely away if you’re pregnant. And avoid the sugary stuff.

Stay Strong and Keep it Simple,

Bo Railey