Maximize the Health Benefits of Coffee — Continued

Also avoid flavored coffees, which usually use less CGA-rich beans.

Pre-ground coffee tends to have less CGA. If you’re making it at home, taking the time to grind it will help. Fine grounds also contain more CGA.

Should you really drink more than three cups a day? That depends on you. Some people metabolize caffeine more slowly and become irritable after two cups. You might try high-CGA de-caf, so you too can enjoy the health benefits of coffee without the caffeine.

But you might still enjoy some caffeinated coffee, as caffeine offers benefits of its own. For example, it can help you enjoy exercise and make you less likely to overeat after an exercise session. Drink your caffeinated coffee before 2 p.m. if it tends to affect your sleep.

Caffeinated coffee can dramatically lower your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. In a review of data from 18 studies, covering nearly 460,000 participants, researchers concluded that each additional cup lowered diabetes risk by 7 percent. The study also found that decaf coffee and varieties of tea lowered diabetes risk, although not as much.

There is also early evidence that drinking coffee is linked to lower risk of dementia, liver disease, and heart disease.

Piling on sugar or artificial sweeteners isn’t a good move. Artificial sweeteners may actually increase your diabetes risk and aggravate weight gain.

When it comes to milk, dairy is rich in protein and vitamins as well as fat — and you can find lactose-free and lower-fat versions. Soy milk closely matches ordinary milk for protein but is comparable to skim milk and doesn’t contain lactose or cholesterol. Almond milk isn’t as good a source of protein.  

If you dislike the taste or can’t tolerate any caffeine but want to enjoy the health benefits of coffee, you might try extracts from green coffee beans, which will give you the most powerful dose of CGA.

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