Caffeine doesn't necessarily help with thinking or memory; rather, it helps you focus by making you stay awake longer. In this video, neuropsychologist Sanam Hafeez, PsyD, explains how prolonged wakefulness is not the same as increased performance.
Coffee & Health
Coffee can be beneficial to your health if used in moderate amounts. Learn more about coffee from our experts.
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Janis Jibrin, MS, RD , Nutrition & Dietetics, answeredIn moderation -- different for everyone, but generally considered to be 1-3 cups daily -- coffee can be good for you. It's linked to a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s, and may even reduce the risk of certain types of cancer. (These are still associations -- the research isn’t yet definite on coffee’s effects.)
But too much regular coffee (containing caffeine) can be harmful. Keep in mind, caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant. You could experience psychological effects such as anxiety, nervousness and restlessness, as well as health consequences such as an increase in LDL (“bad” cholesterol), high blood pressure, heart palpitations, loss of bladder control, reflux (heartburn), and insomnia. The most serious effects: heart attack, spontaneous abortion and reduced fetal growth.
A cup of coffee contains about 100 to 150 mg of caffeine (a cup of black tea has about half that amount). For most people, 200 mg of caffeine per day -- the amount in 1 ½ to 2 cups of coffee -- poses no risk. (That's also the suggested upper limit for pregnant women on the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists website.) However, if you don’t habitually take in caffeine, even 100 mg of caffeine, could trigger some effects, although it’s doubtful they would be serious.
Although health authorities don’t have an agreed-upon “safe” level, a webpage on the Food and Drug Administration recommends an upper limit of 400 mg to 600 mg. And while deaths from caffeine are rare, they do occur at levels starting about 5,000 mg (25 to 50 cups of coffee). Powdered caffeine can deliver that dose in just a teaspoon or two -- and it’s caused a number of deaths, so avoid this substance. -
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Maryanne R. Samuel, DO , answered on behalf of Baptist Health South FloridaWhile coffee does contain antioxidants, research does not yet show whether they stay in the body long enough to produce healthful effects. It's still okay to enjoy your daily dose of coffee, but remember to keep it light on nutritionally unsound additions such as sugar. -
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Dr. Andrea Pennington, MD , Integrative Medicine, answeredIf you insist on drinking caffeinated beverages like colas or coffee, then increase your water consumption by at least 1 and a half times the amount of the caffeine you drink. Caffeine is a diuretic -- meaning it makes you excrete water in your urine. The water you lose from caffeinated beverages needs to be replaced. So for every twelve ounce caffeinated soda you drink, add another 12 to 18 ounces of water to your intake regimen. The same holds true for alcoholic beverages, since alcohol is an even more potent diuretic than caffeine. -
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Dr. Michael Roizen, MD , Internal Medicine, answeredDo you love coffee and caffeinated beverages the way I do? If so, you're in luck. A cup of joe can make you younger. (Granted, of course, that you don't have any of the negative side effects such as migraine headaches, abnormal heartbeats, or gastrointestinal upset.) Studies consistently show that coffee reduces the risk of Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's. So, go ahead and have that espresso or latte. It will make you a third of a year younger. Just be sure to use skim milk, don't add sugar, and take a little extra calcium and B vitamins. -
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Robert Davis, PhD , Health Education, answeredSee All 3 AnswersCoffee's unhealthy reputation stems in part from older studies linking java to an increased risk of heart disease and pancreatic cancer, among other things. But that research failed to account for smoking, which was once coffee's constant companion.
More recent cohort studies, which followed tens of thousands of people for many years, have found that coffee drinkers have no greater risk of heart attacks or strokes; indeed, they appear to have a slightly lower risk. Ditto for type 2 diabetes. Though coffee can temporarily increase blood pressure, there's little evidence that it causes hypertension.
As for cancer, the research overall shows that coffee does not increase the risk, and it's even been associated with lower odds of certain cancers. What's more, coffee drinkers appear have a lower risk of premature death.
One possible reason for these apparent benefits is that coffee is rich in antioxidants. But what about caffeine? That can't be good for you, can it? Indeed, some research suggests that the caffeine in coffee and other beverages may increase the risk of miscarriages, but the evidence overall is mixed. Generally, a cup or two a day (up to 200 milligrams of caffeine) appears to be safe during pregnancy.
Research has also linked more than three cups a day of caffeinated coffee to bone fractures among women who get too little calcium. And caffeine can cause jitters, insomnia, and stomach upset in some people. On the other hand, caffeinated coffee has been associated with a lower risk of Parkinson's disease.
For many people, the biggest health risk from coffee is weight gain. Though a cup of black coffee has only two calories, those Double Chocolaty Chip Frappuccinos and other blended beverages from coffee shops can quickly pack on extra pounds if you're not careful. After all, you want that cup of joe to perk you up, not weigh you down. -
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Dr. Julia Schlam Edelman , OBGYN (Obstetrics & Gynecology), answeredCoffee is an especially common trigger of night sweats, and it's a beverage that is more popular than ever. The number of specialty coffee shops is multiplying, and the coffee cups are getting larger -- an extra-large Dunkin' Donuts cup of hot coffee is 24 ounces; a "Venti" at Starbucks is 20 ounces. The more coffee you drink, the longer it takes to eliminate the caffeine from your body. Half the caffeine in a cup of coffee consumed by a healthy, non-pregnant adult is eliminated in six hours. If you drink a large cup of coffee (which may have 200 milligrams of caffeine) at 4:00 p.m., 100 milligrams of caffeine will be eliminated from your body by 10:00 p.m., leaving another 100 milligrams in your body that evening. This will disrupt your normal sleep pattern and promote night sweats. -
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Dr. Michael Roizen, MD , Internal Medicine, answeredSee All 4 Answers
According to studies, drinking 24 ounces of coffee decreases your risk of Parkinson's disease by 40 percent and your risk of Alzheimer's disease by about 20 percent. Why? Researchers are not quite sure, except that it appears caffeine has a beneficial impact on neurotransmitters.
Caffeine's effect is substantial, whether it's coffee or in low-calorie soft drinks. It can help you live three to six months younger.
Warning: For some people, too much caffeine causes irregular heartbeats, difficulty with diabetes, upset stomach, anxiety, or migraines. And in men, if you suffer from an enlarged prostate condition called benign prostatic hypertrophy, caffeine can make it worse by causing spasms in the urethra.
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RealAge answeredSee All 5 AnswersWhile some studies have uncovered a few of the negative effects of coffee, other studies have suggested that this beverage may have some pretty great health benefits. Some research suggests it may even reduce diabetes risk. So don't feel you have to kick coffee to the curb. You might just want to pass if you're taking the day off from your eat-healthy diet.
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Dr. Michael Roizen, MD , Internal Medicine, answeredThere seems to be a relationship between having two or more 8-ounce (300 mg or so of caffeine) cups of coffee a day and good liver health. This amount is less than the 6 cups needed to decrease the risk of Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease and the three cups to reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes.
At the same time, you should also avoid having more than 3 drinks of alcohol a day-for its toxic effects on both your pancreas and liver.