A Heady Brew: The Ever-Expanding Health Benefits Of Coffee

So how much are you paying for coffee these days? According to CNBC, the cost of coffee has gone up dramatically in recent years, and Consumer Reports notes that the price jumped 19% in 2025. Almost makes you wonder whether it’s worth drinking at this point- though for many, giving up coffee would definitely be a last resort despite the higher prices. For health reasons, it’s hard to ignore the positive benefits to be gained from a daily dose (or more) of coffee. We’ve highlighted numerous studies over the years touting a variety of health benefits to be gained from daily coffee consumption, and the positive health benefits continue to be discovered. Why so much research about coffee? Given its prevalence (almost 2 billion cups of coffee are consumed each day around the world) and that ⅔ of Americans report drinking it every day, with an average rate of 3 cups a day, it behooves us all to understand what we are consuming as well as its risks and benefits. For a good overview of some of the research addressing the health benefits of coffee, take a sip and click here.

So what news is there regarding the health benefits of coffee? First comes a recent research study published in Beverage Plant Research that describes newly discovered compounds in coffee that rival medications when it comes to treating diabetes. According to this study, certain compounds in coffee inhibit a key enzyme linked to Type 2 diabetes, suggesting that coffee could become a functional food that could support glucose control and help manage diabetes. Earlier research has already highlighted the potential of the polyphenols in black coffee to lower your risk of Type 2 diabetes. This earlier Korean study found that black coffee could decrease the risk of Type 2 diabetes by as much as 20-25%, though this was just an observational study that needs more support. Additional recent studies have examined the value of consuming black coffee to lower mortality risks or even reduce the frequency of atrial fibrillation. While these studies report an association, not causation, they add to the mounting evidence of the health benefits of coffee, especially when you don’t load up your coffee with saturated fats or sugar.

For many of us, chocolate is almost as non-negotiable as coffee, and there is new research suggesting a compound found in both dark chocolate and, to a lesser extent, coffee can slow down cellular aging. Published in the journal Aging, this new study examines the role of theobromine, an alkaloid found in dark chocolate and coffee that appears to slow down cellular aging when found in higher concentrations in blood levels, as measured by epigenetic clocks. While chocolate contains more theobromine than coffee, this may yet be another reason why you need to add coffee (and chocolate) to your grocery list of health-promoting foods. For more on this study, grab a grocery cart and look here.

Finally, another study was recently published comparing the benefits of tea versus coffee for supporting your bone health. This was a study involving 10,000 women aged 65 and older, looking at osteoporotic fractures and coffee and tea consumption. After 10 years of study, women who consumed tea rather than coffee had slightly higher bone mineral density in their hips. While it’s not clear why this occurred (it could be the catechins in tea that may stimulate bone-building cells), drinking 2-3 cups of coffee daily did not seem to have any negative effects on bone density. It was only coffee drinkers who also consume higher levels of alcohol or drink 5 or more cups per day who seemed to be burdened with negative consequences for bone density. While this research is not suggesting you drop your coffee habit, it does appear that slipping in a cup of tea during your daily beverage consumption might have positive health benefits. For more on this study, take out your tea caddy and click here.