20 Benefits of (Moderate) Coffee Consumption According to Current Research

Every day, the world’s population consumes about 1.6 billion cups of coffee.¹ In the United States, specifically, 64% of adults drink coffee daily.² Among daily coffee-drinkers in the U.S., adults drink an average of 3 cups of coffee per day.² I would consider this amount of coffee consumption as “moderate”; federal agencies claim it is safe to drink 3-5 cups of coffee each day.³

Most research on the benefits of coffee consumption are based on ~4 cups of coffee per day. Thus, the following list of benefits are only evidence-based for moderate coffee consumption. Drinking higher amounts of coffee may reduce benefits and increase risks. Continue reading for 20 potential benefits of (moderate) coffee consumption according to current research.

Reduced Risk of Disease

1. Reduced risk of liver cancer⁴
2. Lower risk of type 2 diabetes⁴
3. Reduced risk of colorectal cancer⁴
4. Decreased risk of coronary heart disease⁴
5. Reduced risk of breast cancer⁴
6. Decreased risk of Alzheimer’s disease⁴
7. Reduced risk of kidney cancer⁴

Mental Health & Cognitive Performance

1. Decreased risk of depression⁵
2. Improved mood⁶
3. Improved cognitive performance⁴
4. Increased memory⁶
5. Improved alertness and attention⁸
6. Lower risk of suicide⁹

Physical Performance & Overall Body Function

1. Quicker reaction time⁶
2. Increased coordination⁶
3. Improved digestion⁴
4. Slowed progression of age-related muscle/strength loss⁷
5. Increased fat burning⁹
6. Increased vitamin and nutrient intake⁹
7. Lower risk of premature death⁹

---

References

1. Cappelletti S, Piacentino D, Sani G, Aromatario M. Caffeine: cognitive and physical performance enhancer or psychoactive drug? [published correction appears in Curr Neuropharmacol. 2015;13(4):554. Daria, Piacentino [corrected to Piacentino, Daria]]. Curr Neuropharmacol. 2015;13(1):71-88. doi:10.2174/1570159X13666141210215655
2. Forslind D, Beans J, Guarino R, et al. Coffee Consumption Statistics For 2019/2020. MyFriendsCoffee. https://myfriendscoffee.com/usa-coffee-statistics/. Published August 4, 2020. Accessed August 26, 2020.
3. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture. 2015–2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. 8th Edition. December 2015. Available at http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/. 
4. Butt MS & Tauseef Sultan M. Coffee and its Consumption: Benefits and Risks, Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition. 2011; 51:4, 363-373. doi: 10.1080/10408390903586412 
5. Harvard School of Public Health. Coffee. The Nutrition Source. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/food-features/coffee/. Published July 30, 2020. Accessed August 26, 2020.
6. dePaula J, Farah A. Caffeine consumption through coffee: content in the beverage, metabolism, health benefits and risks. Beverages. 2019 Jun;5(2):37.
7. Dirks-Naylor AJ. The benefits of coffee on skeletal muscle. Life sciences. 2015 Dec 15;143:182-6.
8. Institute for Scientific Information on Coffee. Coffee and the mind. Coffee and Health. https://www.coffeeandhealth.org/topic-overview/coffee-and-the-mind/. Published December 22, 2014. Accessed August 26, 2020.
9. Gunnars K. 13 Health Benefits of Coffee, Based on Science. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/top-13-evidence-based-health-benefits-of-coffee#section2. Published 2018. Accessed August 26, 2020.