It’s not uncommon to hear about the drawbacks of drinking coffee one day only to hear praise heaped on its health benefits the next. Many health-conscious individuals with a daily coffee habit are thus understandably confused.
Reflecting that fact, Vasanti Malik, research scientist in the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, was asked the following question in a recent Reddit AMA:
“What’s your take on coffee? I live in Utah and people around me keep saying it affects the lining of your stomach and its ability to consume nutrients. I’ve tried doing research on this and haven’t found much consistency in the answer, so I’d love to hear from a reliable source.”
Milk went on to set the record straight about the dark, brewed beverage, whose devotees drink an average of 2.1 cups per day:
“Coffee, provided that it is minimally sweetened with sugar and not loaded with whipped cream can definitely be part of a healthy diet. Coffee whether it’s caffeinated or decaf contains a number of healthful vitamins and nutrients and findings from our studies have shown associations with reduced risk for diabetes, cardiovascular disease and mortality. Benefits are seem up to about 5 cups per day, after that there does not appear to be any additional benefit.”
And there you have it: there should be no shame in your coffee game.
h/t: Science of Us
