Black Coffee – Benefits and Side Effects

Many people love coffee abundantly. You may love your black coffee in the morning to help you feel energized and get ready for the day, but how much do you know about it?

Black Coffee – Benefits and Side Effects
Black Coffee – Benefits and Side Effects

Black Coffee 

Many people love coffee abundantly. They want a cup of fresh coffee as soon as they out of their bed. For those people, coffee is more than just a beverage or a hot morning drink. It is like the fuel that keeps their body battery charged up.

Some people do not like black coffee because of its bitterness. However, black coffee can help to heal your body if you consume it in the right way. There are at least a dozen scientific reasons why you should drink coffee every day. However, do you know how drinking black coffee affects your body and your mind? What are the health benefits it possesses?

Black coffee is simply a mixture of boiled water and a tablespoon of coffee without the addition of milk, sugar, or honey. For lactose-intolerant people, black coffee is boon since there is no milk required to prepare it. This drink is high in terms of caffeine. Therefore, it must be consumed wisely to avoid the potentially harmful effects of caffeine on health. 

Nutritional facts of black coffee 

Keep in mind the following nutritional benefits of black coffee are for 100ml of plain, unsweetened black coffee with no milk. Coffee is naturally rich in vitamin B-2, vitamin B-3, magnesium, potassium, and various phenolic compounds. Also, since it is black coffee and free of milk or sugar, it contains 0% fat and carbohydrates or proteins. A cup of black coffee is also a good source of other micronutrients like manganese, sodium, riboflavin, and Niacin. The benefits of black coffee before workout routines stem from the caffeine content in this beverage, it helps to make you more alert and improves performance. This is arguably the reason most people drink coffee. Depending on the type of black coffee (from filter coffee to an espresso) a 100ml cup may contain between 64 mg and 300 mg of caffeine. Lastly, coffee is naturally rich in antioxidants including melanoidins.

Black Coffee

Health Benefits Of Black coffee

If you love black coffee, you will be happy to learn that the beverage offers plenty of benefits, both for your body and your mind. Let’s discuss these black coffee benefits in detail below:

Makes Your Heart Stronger

Black coffee is rich in antioxidants and helps in keeping your blood pressure in check. A few studies also claim that if you regularly consume one or two cups of coffee every day, your risk of developing heart-related ailments reduces.

Boosts Your Memory

Black coffee is believed to have great properties that help in improving your memory over time. It also helps in keeping memory-related diseases and age-induced memory issues at bay.

Keeps Your Stomach Clean

Since coffee is a diuretic drink, the more your drink, the more you'll pee, as it flushes the bacteria and toxins out of your body. This helps in keeping your stomach clean and healthy.

Rich in Antioxidants

Several rich anti-oxidants are found in black coffee that enhances the health benefit it promises. It contains potassium, magnesium, Vitamin B2, B3, and B5, as well as manganese.'

Aids Weight Loss

Black coffee helps in rapid weight loss by making you work out more if you have it 30 minutes before you hit the gym. Black coffee helps to boost metabolism by approximately 50 percent. It also burns the fat in the tummy since it is a fat-burning beverage. It also stimulates the nervous system which signals the body to break down the fat cells and use them as a source of energy as opposed to glycogen

Typically, an 8-ounce cup of black coffee contains:

  • Fat – 0%
  • Cholesterol – 0%
  • Sodium – 0%
  • Carbohydrates – 0%
  • Sugar – 0%
  • Potassium – 4%

As you can see for yourself, black coffee does not provide calories, fats, or cholesterol. However, this does not mean that it is “healthy” or “nutritional”. In fact, black coffee has very low nutritional value besides giving you low amounts of potassium. It’s just that it doesn’t add too many calories.

So, in simple terms, black coffee calories content is very low, which makes it an ideal drink for those who are looking for a regular drink that won’t harm their health. If you want to derive more nutrition from your coffee, then you can do so by choosing to go with different types of coffee drinks such as latte, mocha, cappuccino, and others.

 Everything beyond a limit is toxic, so is coffee!

Here are some effects of a black coffee overdose –

Side Effects of Black Coffee

We have discussed the advantages of black coffee and how it helps in weight loss, but is all that good? Does it not have any side effects? Like everything, excessive intake of black coffee does result in side effects, which are discussed below:

  • Too much black coffee releases high levels of stress hormones in your body, which only leads to anxiety and stress. It’s easy to feel jittery when you consume too much caffeine.
  • Excessive coffee intake can seriously mess up your sleeping routine. It is recommended that you avoid coffee a few hours before bedtime if you want to get a good night’s sleep.
  • Black coffee is rich in caffeine and acid, so excess consumption can lead to acidity in your stomach. You are likely to have cramps and abdominal spasms.
  • Too much coffee in your system makes it difficult for your body to absorb minerals from your daily diets, such as iron, calcium, and zinc.

How to Make Black Coffee?

While there is no one correct way of making black coffee and different people make their black coffee in their own ways, there are steps you can take to ensure that your beverage tastes amazing every time.

There are two ways you can make black coffee – by grinding it on your own, or by using a machine.

If you want a clear black coffee with a truly delicate taste, then grinding it on your own is the best option. Take about three tablespoons of coffee and grind them till they are as fine as sea salt. Boil about 600 grams of water. Add a filter to your dripper, filling it with the ground coffee. Gently tap the surface and pour it over in a cup. Your black coffee will be ready in no time.

Another option is to simply use a coffee machine, which most people do because of how convenient it is.

Black Coffee for Weight Loss

Many people, even those who drink black coffee regularly, are unaware that the beverage is a great catalyst for losing weight.

If you want to lose weight because of aesthetic or health reasons, or you just don’t feel good in your own body, it is no secret that diet is an important part of any weight loss journey. You must consume foods and beverages that will help you achieve your goal, and black coffee is one of them.

Below, we discuss black coffee benefits for weight loss:

  1. Black coffee contains chlorogenic acid, which helps to slow down glucose production in your body. This means that if you drink black coffee after a meal, then your body will produce less glucose and fat cells.
  2. Black coffee also contains antioxidants, which help in the weight loss process.
  3. Since black coffee is rich in caffeine, it helps in the stimulation of metabolic activity and increases your energy level, thereby suppressing hunger.
  4. As mentioned before, black coffee is a low-calorie drink, and also does not contain fats or cholesterol. This means that you do not put on any weight by drinking black coffee daily.
  5. Many people love to take black coffee a few minutes before they hit the gym. This is because it can boost metabolism greatly, allowing you to reap more benefits from your workout session.
  6. Other black coffee benefits for weight loss include the reduction of water content in the body. As a result of frequent urination, you will reduce excess water in your body, which helps in temporary weight loss.
  7. If you are taking black coffee for weight loss, it is important to note that you should drink it without any additives. This means no sugar, cream, milk, or any other added flavor. With such additives, then all these benefits discussed above are nullified because then your drink will contain calories, fats, and cholesterol. That said, it is a must to follow a proper diet routine to lose weight.

Intake Recommendations 

It is recommended that you consume no more than 400mg of caffeine in a day. An ideal amount of coffee would be 1-2 cups in a day. Do not exceed coffee intake for more than 4 cups in a day. To ensure that coffee does not alter or interfere with your sleep, avoid consuming coffee at least 6 hours before your bedtime.

FAQs On Black Coffee

Q: How much black coffee should you drink a day?

A. A cup full of coffee consists of 50-400 mg caffeine. The amount of adverse effects of anything is directly proportional to its consumption levels. If you consume excessive portions of coffee in a day, naturally, the quantity of caffeine in your body would also be high. The High amount of caffeine is not advisable and can make you anxious and stressed.

Q. Is Black Coffee Good for Weight Loss?

A. Black coffee helps in rapid weight loss by making you work out more if you have it 30 minutes before you hit the gym. Black coffee helps to boost metabolism by approximately 50 percent. It also burns the fat in the tummy since it is a fat-burning beverage. It also stimulates the nervous system which signals the body to break down the fat cells and use them as a source of energy as opposed to glycogen.

Q: Can we drink black coffee empty stomach?

A. While millions of people worldwide prefer starting their day with a warm cup of coffee in the morning, even without eating something, it is not a great practice. Drinking coffee on an empty stomach can lead to gastrointestinal discomfort, as coffee has acid and caffeine, which can cause an increase in the acid content. Try decaf variants for your morning brew, if you really can't do without your hot cuppa in the morning.