Coffee is a global favorite beverage and offers more than a quick energy boost – it also contains health-promoting compounds, like polyphenols and antioxidants that have many health benefits for us all. Drinking three or more cups daily could decrease the risk of various diseases including Parkinson’s disease and liver cancer.

At its best, brewing coffee from beans that have been sustainably farmed and harvested is ideal. Look for organic certifications on their packaging of your beans as well as opting for light roasts; darker roasts can reduce the number of healthful compounds present in coffee while heat involved with roasting can harm both flavor as well as health-promoting molecules present within it.

As much as it would be ideal to grind your own beans just before brewing coffee, as this process maximizes health-promoting compounds found in your coffee, it is no less nutritious to select preground beans that have been carefully tested for quality. As the amount and method of grinding can affect its health benefits, make sure that you purchase from a reliable supplier who tests their products regularly to ensure their quality and safety.

Limit how much sweetener you add to your coffee as this can quickly raise its sugar and caloric intake. If using sweeteners, opt for natural ones such as Stevia which haven’t shown to have detrimental health impacts as regular sugar.

Add cinnamon to your coffee for a natural, no-cal sweetener that adds texture without unnecessary calories. Plus, cinnamon’s anti-inflammatory properties may even help lower blood pressure!

Other ways of making coffee more healthful include replacing milk with grass-fed butter, which contains heart-healthy monounsaturated fats; or selecting nondairy alternatives free from artificial ingredients and stabilizers. But, most importantly, limit how many cups you drink per day: too much caffeine can cause insomnia and headaches as well as dehydrate you.

However, while moderate caffeine consumption of four to five cups a day may help boost mood and cognitive function, excessive consumption may increase your risk for heart disease, stroke, diabetes, depression and liver cancer. Recent research also suggests that coffee may increase risk for urinary tract cancer in some individuals who are genetically predisposed, yet only when drinking caffeinated coffee brewed using traditional methods (not instant or decaf varieties). As always, organically grown and roasted coffee beans should be your top choice, as conventionally sprayed crops contain harmful pesticides that could endanger human health. If certified organic beans can’t be found easily, look for “spray-free” labels on products or menu selections in coffee shops if possible.