Coffee Nutrition
Is coffee good for you? Is it bad for you? As they say, everything in moderation, but if the most recent reports are to be believed, coffee is a healthy drink.
Antioxidants
Antioxidants are substances that either remove oxidizing agents or slow damage to the cells of the body by oxygen or free radicals. Free radicals can come from the normal breakdown of foods in the body (like sugars for energy), medications, or heavy metals or smoke from pollutants.
Coffee is said to be rich in antioxidants making it a beneficial addition to your diet.
Disease
There are other studies which have shown moderate consumption coffee can reduce the risk of certain diseases. It appears coffee can lessen the chances of developing cancer of the colon (by 25%) and liver as well as the risk of cirrhosis (by 80%), type 2 diabetes, gallstones (by 50%), and Parkinson’s disease (by 80%). There is no agreed to amount of coffee one must drink for these benefits, but 3 to 5 cups per day is widely considered a moderate amount. Don’t forget decaffeinated coffee. Two cups of decaf per day can lessen the risk of colorectal cancer by 50% compared to caffeinated tea or coffee.
Additional Benefits
In addition to disease, coffee can help fight fatigue, increase athletic performance, stop headaches, improve your mood, and even reduce cavities. In fact, the more than 19,000 studies on coffee have shown that it is much healthier than it is unhealthy. Because coffee is made up of 95% water, it is now even considered to be part of the amount of fluids you should drink in a day. The diuretic effects are more minimal than once was thought. Lastly, not too long ago, the World Health Organization (WHO) removed coffee from the list of possible carcinogens.
Nutritional Information
So exactly what nutritional value does coffee have? Let’s take a look. A 12-ounce (340 gram) cup of coffee has:
USDA National Nutrient Database
Granted, those numbers are for black coffee with no sweetener. Once you start adding in your syrups, creamers, and any other modifiers (here’s looking at those high-priced coffee shops), you can actually get up to as many calories as a full meal! Remember, everything in moderation.
Other resources
The buzz on coffee
It’s official: Coffee is good for you, according to new research
Antioxidants
Antioxidants are substances that either remove oxidizing agents or slow damage to the cells of the body by oxygen or free radicals. Free radicals can come from the normal breakdown of foods in the body (like sugars for energy), medications, or heavy metals or smoke from pollutants.
Coffee is said to be rich in antioxidants making it a beneficial addition to your diet.
Disease
There are other studies which have shown moderate consumption coffee can reduce the risk of certain diseases. It appears coffee can lessen the chances of developing cancer of the colon (by 25%) and liver as well as the risk of cirrhosis (by 80%), type 2 diabetes, gallstones (by 50%), and Parkinson’s disease (by 80%). There is no agreed to amount of coffee one must drink for these benefits, but 3 to 5 cups per day is widely considered a moderate amount. Don’t forget decaffeinated coffee. Two cups of decaf per day can lessen the risk of colorectal cancer by 50% compared to caffeinated tea or coffee.
Additional Benefits
In addition to disease, coffee can help fight fatigue, increase athletic performance, stop headaches, improve your mood, and even reduce cavities. In fact, the more than 19,000 studies on coffee have shown that it is much healthier than it is unhealthy. Because coffee is made up of 95% water, it is now even considered to be part of the amount of fluids you should drink in a day. The diuretic effects are more minimal than once was thought. Lastly, not too long ago, the World Health Organization (WHO) removed coffee from the list of possible carcinogens.
Nutritional Information
So exactly what nutritional value does coffee have? Let’s take a look. A 12-ounce (340 gram) cup of coffee has:
| Nutrient | Unit | 12-oz Cup |
|---|---|---|
| Water | g | 338 |
| Energy | kcal | 7 |
| Protein | g | 1 |
| Fat | g | 0 |
| Carbohydrate | g | .78 |
| Fiber | g | 0 |
| Sugar | g | 0 |
| Calcium | mg | 7 |
| Iron | mg | .07 |
| Magnesium | mg | 14 |
| Phosphorus | mg | 10 |
| Potassium | mg | 170 |
| Sodium | mg | 3 |
| Zinc | mg | .07 |
| Vitamin C | mg | 0 |
| Thiamin | mg | .068 |
| Riboflavin | mg | 0 |
| Niacin | mg | 2.72 |
| Vitamin B6 | mg | 0 |
| Folate | µg | 0 |
| Vitamin B12 | µg | 0 |
| Vitamin A | µg | 0 |
| Vitamin E | µg | 0 |
| Vitamin D | IU | 0 |
| Vitamin K | µg | 0 |
| Saturated Fats | g | 0 |
| Monounsaturated Fats | g | 0 |
| Polyunsaturated Fats | g | 0 |
| Cholesterol | mg | 0 |
| Caffeine | g | VARIES |
USDA National Nutrient Database
Granted, those numbers are for black coffee with no sweetener. Once you start adding in your syrups, creamers, and any other modifiers (here’s looking at those high-priced coffee shops), you can actually get up to as many calories as a full meal! Remember, everything in moderation.
Other resources
The buzz on coffee
It’s official: Coffee is good for you, according to new research
