Is Black Coffee Healthy for You?

It seems like every few years, a lot of the things that were definitely unhealthy and bad for you are healthy and good for you again, and we can’t be more excited to see black coffee getting another turn in this spotlight!

Black coffee—no cream, no sugar, no syrups or sprinkles or double extra whip and caramel fudge sauce (sorry what were we talking about?)—has a well-documented history of supposed health benefits dating back to before the Middle Ages.

This exotic import was prized for its rarity, flavor, and effects by those who had the considerable resources needed to obtain it. Luckily, it’s much less rare now, making these health benefits available to anyone without the need for access to considerable resources!

Sneaky Hydration Lifehack

Especially during the heat of summer (but also all the time), one of the best health choices you can make is staying hydrated. You may have heard coffee doesn’t count towards your daily glasses of water because caffeine is a diuretic and causes dehydration. This is half true: caffeine is a mild diuretic, but coffee is made using water and the amount of hydration you’ll get from that water will vastly outweigh the slight dehydration you’ll experience from the caffeine.

Tip: Don’t like hot black coffee in the summer? Drink it iced! (Bonus tip: Keep a pitcher of black coffee in the fridge for even quicker iced coffee.)

Low In Calories

Black coffee is an excellent calorie-free drink choice—without any added artificial sweeteners! There are only about 2 calories in a cup of coffee, which means nutrition labels consider it to be the same as zero. With no calories, it won’t be a surprise that coffee also contains no carbohydrates, protein, or fat. Whichever macros you’re avoiding, black coffee is the move. It’s like water but with more flavor and some micronutrients!

Just Enough Caffeine

Do you wake up every morning like a Disney princess? Refreshed and recharged from restful, restorative sleep? Bright-eyed and full of purpose, ready to face the day and overcome any challenge life throws your way with the help of your loyal woodland creature friends? We sure don’t wake up like this—but we wish we did, and black coffee helps a lot!

Eight ounces of black coffee contains 70-140 mg of caffeine. That’s enough caffeine to give you some Disney-princess moxie without being so much caffeine that you’ll go full evil queen.

Beneficial Vitamins and Minerals

Riboflavin

Also known as vitamin B2, riboflavin is necessary for the growth of new cells in your body, as well as development and function of existing cells. It is also used in the body to process food into energy.

Niacin

Also known as vitamin B-3, niacin is used by the body to process food into energy. It also helps maintain the nervous system, digestive system and healthy skin.

Thiamine

Also known as vitamin B1, thiamine is used to keep the nervous system healthy and process food into energy. Thiamine is not produced by the body; it must be found in food or supplements.

Potassium

A mineral that helps to maintain normal levels of fluid inside the body’s cells, potassium is an electrolyte that supports normal blood pressure and helps muscles to contract.

Psychological Effects

While many people drink black coffee for its physical effects—i.e., the caffeine will “wake you up”—even more people seemingly drink it for its psychological effects. The caffeine in black coffee will put some pep in your step and make your ‘tude a better mood! 

Beyond the obvious and self-explanatory benefit of just being in a better mood, being in a better mood is scientifically shown to correlate with lower stress, increased creativity, and a willingness to engage in more collaborative pro-social behavior like brainstorming solutions instead of rushing to assign blame. 

And if that doesn’t convince you, keep in mind that people who are in a better mood are demonstrably more productive than their peers.

Is Black Coffee Healthy for Everyone?

Just like every other statement about health and nutrition, there’s no one right thing that is always right for everyone. If you think drinking black coffee might negatively affect your health, or if you notice any negative effects after drinking black coffee, check in with your doctor. No health benefits on this list are worth your health.

Black coffee is known to potentially cause jitters, anxiety, and an inability to sleep. These are common signs of too much caffeine in your system, which can be a result of drinking caffeine too late in the day compared to when you plan to sleep. To avoid this, don’t drink coffee within 8-10 hours of bedtime.

What’s the Best Way to Brew Black Coffee?

Also like every other statement about health and nutrition, the best way to brew black coffee is however you most like to drink it. Making sure your new health habit is something you enjoy increases the odds that you’ll keep the habit going and see the health benefits!

Choose a brewing method that works with your taste preferences and the amount of time and effort you have available:

• Pour-over coffee offers a daily morning ritual where you take the time to do something nice for yourself.
• Drip coffee will fit in well with a busy morning and no time to spare.
• Cold brew coffee is a good solution for less acidic, more flavorful black coffee.

Come Visit Kate’s Kitchen for More Than Just Black Coffee!

(But the black coffee’s pretty good too if we do say so ourselves!) The only real secret to making black coffee so good you’ll want to drink it sans cream and sugar is a secret in three steps: quality beans, good water, and serving it as fresh as you can make it.

Come visit the family at Kate’s Kitchen for your breakfast or lunch favorites and add a cup of black coffee to your order—for your health!

Take a look at our breakfast menu!

Give us a call if you would like to place a to-go order!

Kate’s Kitchen… (816) 436-7200

Ronnie’s Restaurant… (913) 831-8600