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Is It OK to Drink Coffee Every Day?

Reviewed on 11/16/2021
It is OK to drink coffee every day and three to four cups a day can also benefit your health. Some people may be more sensitive to caffeine than others, however, so safe daily consumption may vary from person to person.
It is OK to drink coffee every day and three to four cups a day can also benefit your health. Some people may be more sensitive to caffeine than others, however, so safe daily consumption may vary from person to person.

Many people can’t live without their daily coffee fix, and it’s ok to drink coffee every day. In fact, it may be good for you.

A 2015 study in the journal Circulation found that moderate coffee consumption (three to four cups daily) was associated with an 8 to 15 percent reduction in the overall risk of death. 

  • That said, it is possible to have too much of a good thing. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says healthy adults can consume up to 400 milligrams a day of caffeine (about four or five cups of coffee) without dangerous, negative effects. 
  • However, not everyone can drink even that much. Some people are naturally more sensitive to the effects of caffeine, certain medications may make people more sensitive to caffeine, and people who are pregnant, trying to become pregnant, or breastfeeding should not consume that amount. Talk to your doctor if you have any concerns about whether to limit your caffeine intake. 
  • The FDA has not set a level of caffeine consumption that is considered safe for children, but the American Academy of Pediatrics discourages the consumption of caffeine and other stimulants by children and adolescents.

What Are Side Effects of Caffeine?

Side effects of excess caffeine consumption may include:  

Are There Health Benefits of Coffee?

For healthy adults, the benefits of coffee may include: 

  • Improved alertness and performance
  • Improved physical endurance
    • It may also lower the perceived rate of exertion
  • Cardiovascular disease 
  • Type 2 diabetes
    • Drinking 3 to 4 cups of coffee daily is associated with about a 25% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes, compared to drinking less than 2 cups per day or no coffee at all
  • Alzheimer’s disease 
    • Regular coffee consumption over a lifetime may reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease
  • Parkinson’s disease
    • Moderate coffee consumption may lower the risk for common neurodegenerative conditions, such as Parkinson’s disease
  • Certain cancers
    • Drinking coffee may lower the risk head and neck, colorectal, breast, uterine endometrium, and liver cancers
  • Cirrhosis
    • Coffee may inhibit the onset of alcoholic and nonalcoholic liver cirrhosis
  • Depression
    • One study found that increased caffeinated coffee consumption corresponded with a decreased risk for depression; more study is needed

In addition, black coffee contains a number of micronutrients, including potassium, magnesium and niacin. 

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Reviewed on 11/16/2021
References
Image Source: iStock Images

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/the-latest-scoop-on-the-health-benefits-of-coffee-2017092512429

https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.115.017341

https://www.coffeeandhealth.org/

https://www.cancer.org/latest-news/coffee-and-cancer-what-the-research-really-shows.html

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11557177/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8232842/

https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.2903/j.efsa.2011.2054

https://nationalcoffee.blog/2019/03/09/national-coffee-drinking-trends-2019/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21949167/

https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/spilling-beans-how-much-caffeine-too-much