Coffee Can Be Part of a Healthy Diet

Coffee contains more than 1000 bioactive compounds — some with potential health benefits (e.g., antioxidants). In this review of meta-analyses of observational and interventional studies, researchers evaluated the evidence for associations between coffee consumption and multiple health outcomes. About 200 meta-analyses of observational research and 17 meta-analyses of randomized trials were included in the review.

Overall, coffee consumption across a range of exposures (i.e., high vs. low or any vs. none) was associated more often with benefit than with harm. The largest relative risk reductions occurred at 3 to 4 cups of caffeinated coffee daily (vs. none) for all-cause death (17% lower), cardiovascular-related death (19% lower), and cardio…