Coffee has long been part of an American’s morning ritual. From helping them wake up to its energy boost thanks to caffeine, to its impressive health benefits (researchers have discovered links between coffee consumption and various positive outcomes such as reduced risk for Alzheimer’s or decreased chance of getting cirrhosis), many take pleasure in its regular consumption as part of their morning ritual. But do you know coffee could also offer other health advantages? Researchers continue to discover associations between regular coffee consumption and improved health outcomes (such as reduced Alzheimer risk or decreased chances of getting cirrhosis), showing just how beneficial coffee may be for your body!

Coffee’s caffeine may be what gives it its notoriety, but that isn’t its sole contributor to our health benefits. Coffee also contains beneficial polyphenols and flavonoids which may lower risk for cardiovascular disease, lower blood sugar, reduce high blood pressure, support healthy bacteria in our gut and support optimal gut function.

One cup of coffee typically contains between 200-550 milligrams of antioxidants produced by plants as their natural defense mechanism, or antioxidents, while this amount depends on what kind of beans were used and their preparation – for instance light roast coffee contains more antioxidents than dark roast.

Studies have linked coffee with numerous health benefits, such as decreased risk of depression, enhanced cognitive performance and a healthier liver and digestive tract. Coffee also stands out when it comes to calories; soda’s high sugar content leads to unwanted weight gain as well as elevated cholesterol levels; by contrast, coffee may taste a bit sweet when added cream or flavor syrups but when kept simple (i.e. black coffee or small milk lattes) is actually much healthier beverage choice than soda.

Coffee contains many phytochemicals and antioxidants, as well as essential nutrients. Magnesium, potassium and calcium all play important roles in maintaining bone health while decreasing your risk of kidney stones; plus fiber which is often lacking from western diets (one cup of coffee has around 1.5 grams of dietary fiber compared with an orange juice bottle’s worth).

Coffee can be an ideal healthy beverage if consumed black, with minimal amounts of milk, and without added sugars or cream. But beware, as adding too much of either can quickly turn your beverage into an unhealthy choice; for instance a single cup with two tablespoons of sugar and whipped cream contains 300 calories! Even low-cal sweeteners such as stevia or honey still contain sugar and may not provide the same health benefits; to be safe it’s best to limit yourself to just one cup a day of black coffee!