Blog

By Erika Guzman, Current ASU Nutrition Student

Do you depend on coffee as a part of your daily routine? From getting ready to keeping awake, coffee seems to be an essential part of people’s lives. Whether it’s the taste or the effect, coffee is what helps us function throughout the day. Turns out having coffee often can also help you live longer and lower your death risks significantly.

According to the sun project published in the European Heart Journal and reported by Study Finds, people who have consumed on an average of four or more cups per day had a 64% lower death risk from any cause compared to those who rarely consume any coffee, and those who drank at least two cups had a 30% lowered risk . This was determined by cardiovascular health.

Not only can coffee help with cardiovascular health and mortality, but can also lower the risk of liver failure. Those who drink at least two or more cups a day can help reduce or protect against fibrosis development. Coffee is high in antioxidants and the chlorogenic acids produced in these beans are what contributes to the antioxidant production during its growing stages. It also is associated with the caffeine effects in coffee, especially with lighter beans and green coffee bean extract.

Usually, liver problems and failure seem to be associated with coffee because of the caffeine and the harsh effects on the liver. However, the liver does its job by cleaning out the toxins and working to keep the body healthy.  To keep your coffee healthy, keeping it black is ideal. However, if you don’t like black coffee, there are some alternatives such as:

• Adding spices, such as cinnamon powder or ginger
• Opting for an Americano or espresso
• Gradually decreasing the amount of sugar added to the coffee
• Being mindful of how much dairy is added, or switching to a low-calorie option such as non-fat milk or alternative dairy
• Using other antioxidant-packed ingredients, such as dark chocolate or crushed blueberries (for iced coffee); the possibilities are endless!

Coffee is a complex plant, from the climate to the soil, it takes what it has and makes something quite tasty and loved. So next time you take a sip of your drip coffee or Americano, just think that you’re helping yourself live longer!

For more fun and informative articles be sure to check out the Fill Your Plate blog!

References

Lee, Craig. (2018). Drink at least 4 cups of coffee daily for a longer life, study finds. Study Finds.

Website. Retrieved at https://www.studyfinds.org/coffee-four-cups-daily-death/.

Meng, S., Cao, J., Feng, Q., Peng, J., & Hu, Y. (2013). Roles of chlorogenic acid on regulating

glucose and lipids metabolism: a review. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative

Medicine. Retrieved at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3766985/.

Navarro, A., Martinez-Gonzalez, M.A., Gea, A., Bazal-Chacon, P., De La Fuenta-Arrillaga, C., &

Toledo, E. (2017). Coffee consumption and all-cause mortality in a Mediterranean cohort:

the SUN project. European Heart Journal. 38(1).  Retrieved at

https://academic.oup.com/eurheartj/article/38/suppl_1/ehx502.1199/4088242.

O’Keefe, J. H., DiNicolantonio, J. J., & Lavie, C. J. (2018). Coffee for cardioprotection and

longevity. Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases. Retrieved at  https://www-sciencedirect-com.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/science/article/pii/S003306201830039 2.

Petta, S. and Marchesini, G. (2017). Coffee and tea breaks for liver health. Journal of Hepatology.

67(2): 221-223. Retrieved at

http://www.journal-of-hepatology.eu/article/S0168-8278(17)31994-3/fulltext.

Erika Guzman

I am a Nutrition Communications major from Arizona State University Online through Starbucks College Achievement Plan. I recently moved to Seattle, Washington with my boyfriend and cat, and I still constantly learning about nutrition and health. I enjoy reading, food trucks, tea, and kickboxing. My favorite foods are Punjabi style coconut chicken curry and pork tamales.