Coffee is more than just an everyday morning ritual: it provides essential boosts of brainpower, energy and mood enhancement. But as with any beverage or food product, coffee should only be consumed moderately.

Coffee contains numerous nutrients that can provide numerous health benefits, from antioxidants renowned for protecting against heart disease and some cancers to caffeine’s mild antidepressant effects, increasing mood-regulating dopamine production, and polyphenols found in beans that promote heart health by reducing inflammation.

When someone consumes coffee, their body quickly absorbs polyphenols and antioxidants through their bloodstream to reap their many benefits. How a person prepares their cup can have a dramatic impact on how many polyphenols and phytochemicals they take in – or how little!

For optimal health benefits, coffee should be prepared using fresh filtered water and high-grade beans from trusted sources. Roasting can have a dramatic impact on its benefits – dark roast has less polyphenols than light roast. Furthermore, adding milk or sugar “can totally change the equation”, according to Young, by increasing calories and saturated fat intake that increase heart disease risk and contribute to weight gain.

Good news – the majority of health benefits associated with coffee consumption can be traced back to black or iced coffee without milk and sugar added, according to a 2022 New England Journal of Medicine study. Two to three cups daily in this manner is actually linked with lower risks of heart disease, arrhythmias and other complications when taken as recommended by this research paper.

Aim to appreciate every cup of coffee while cutting calories and fat consumption to its absolute minimum. For an additional dose of flavor, unsweetened almond milk has only 2 calories per tablespoon – vanilla extract, cinnamon or nutmeg can also add depth without increasing caloric intake.