Coffee is undeniably a fan-favorite energy booster across the world, but that isn’t the only benefit this bitter beverage lends to your health. “Coffee is high in polyphenols, antioxidants, and energy-stimulating caffeine,” explains Davar. Why is this a good thing? A sizable study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition observed 676 healthy elderly men in Europe over the course of 10 years. The results revealed that participants who drank coffee struggled less with cognitive decline than those that did not drink it. While there wasn’t a controlled intake of coffee, researchers found the least cognitive decline for men who consumed three cups per day.
Your cup of joe might also support longevity, new research reveals, with one large study explaining that “higher consumption of coffee was associated with lower risks of death, and in particular, mortality due to digestive and circulatory diseases,” as reported by the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Coffee has also been known to get digestion moving: Functional medicine doctor Wendie Trubow, M.D., MBA, previously told mbg that “it is clear that coffee increases the activity in your gut, called peristalsis.”
That said, it’s still unclear to experts why this occurs. “The warm temperature of the liquid may stimulate motility,” integrative gastroenterologist Marvin Singh, M.D., adds—which means this benefit may not be exclusive to coffee.
In terms of caffeine, a cup of black coffee provides 96 milligrams per 8 fluid ounces, packing quite a punch in comparison to its matcha counterpart.
