Coffee a healthy choice for most people

Studies have linked coffee to a range of health benefits, including lowered risk of type 2 diabetes and some cancers. This association is likely due to anti-inflammatories and antioxidants found in both caffeinated and decaffeinated brews.

“The most important thing we’ve learned about coffee over the past 20 years is that there’s very little indication that it’s bad for you,” said Edward Giovannucci, professor of epidemiology and nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, in a September 26, 2019 Consumer Reports article. “If anything, there’s more evidence that it may be healthy to drink.”

In the article, Giovannucci weighed in on which claims about coffee rest on solid evidence, and which need more investigation. For example, there is strong evidence that coffee lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes and oral cancers, but limited evidence that it helps keep off weight gain.

Read the Consumer Reports article: The Whole-Body Benefits of Coffee