Nutrition Facts for Coffee

Coffee has been the subject of debate when it comes to whether or not it's healthy for us.

So what is the truth about coffee? Is it good for us, or not?

Coffee and Your Health

The answer is probably yes.  Despite approximately 40-50 years of study, the medical field has yet to draw a direct correlation between moderate consumption of coffee and any medical disease or chronic health condition. 

More recent studies by the medical science community are now finding numerous positive benefits of moderate coffee consumption.

These studies suggest that drinking coffee may reduce the risk of colon and liver cancer; cirrhosis of the liver;  Parkinson’s Disease as well as the onset of diabetes. In addition, brewed coffee has been found to have 3 to 4 times the amount of cancer-fighting anti-oxidants as green tea.  If that's not enough to convince you, coffee has been credited with reducing the likelihood of developing gallstones and even cavities.

Coffee and Caffeine

Coffee naturally contains caffeine which is a mild stimulant to the central nervous system.  Drinking even one cup of coffee can promote improved mood, wakefulness and increase alertness.  No wonder it's the preferred beverage at the office.

While we do not want to over due anything, including good things, in moderate doses, caffeine can also decrease muscle pain and boost endurance.

Most doctors agree that 3 to 4 cups of coffee a day can be considered moderate consumption.  What’s moderate for any individual, of course, is determined by how your particular body responds to caffeine. 

Coffee and Nutrition

Nutritionally speaking, brewed coffee has virtually no calories or fats, no carbohydrates, no sodium, no cholesterol.

Here's a typical label:

However, coffee offer a number of trace minerals including Thiamin, Niacin, Folate, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Manganese, and is a good source of Potassium, Pantothenic Acid and Riboflavin. A 6-ounce cup of brewed coffee may contain 2 to 4 mg of Sodium, mostly from the water used to brew the coffee and not the coffee, itself.

Don't forget the stuff we add to coffee

If you are using coffee to diet, which works to suppress appetite for a lot of people, forget about adding the creamer, steamed milk (unless its non-fat) or syrups.  Stay away from Starbucks!  You could have a good meal in place of the calories that go into one of their concoctions!

So is coffee the new health food? Perhaps.  We can safely say that in moderation, there are more benefits than not.

P.S. If you are looking for nutritional facts including calorie counts for individual drinks, click here
 

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