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New York Post
7 days ago
- Health
- New York Post
5 ways to make your coffee healthier this morning — without swapping milks or sugars
Call it a love affair, a morning ritual or a full-blown addiction — Americans are hooked on coffee. Across the country, two-thirds of US adults knock back an average of three cups daily. That's enough to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool more than 49 times, according to the National Coffee Association. While drinking coffee in moderation can benefit everything from your heart to your brain, there are simple ways to make your daily brew work even harder for you — even if you don't want to part with your cream and sugar habit. Advertisement 4 The number of Americans who drink coffee daily is up 7% from 2020, according to a 2025 study. WesLens/ – But first: the health benefits of coffee When you think of coffee, a caffeine boost is probably the first thing that comes to mind. But the beverage is also packed with antioxidants and other compounds that may reduce internal inflammation and protect against chronic diseases, according to Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Research shows that regular coffee drinkers may be less likely to develop type 2 diabetes, heart disease, dementia, Parkinson's and even colorectal cancer. Advertisement Studies also suggest that coffee intake could benefit mental health, support weight management, improve lung function and promote a healthy gut microbiome. Taken together, scientists say that coffee could help with longevity. For example, a review of 40 studies found that drinking two to four cups daily was associated with a lower risk of death, regardless of age, weight or alcohol consumption. Here's how to take your cup to the next level. #1. Choose your beans wisely The quality of coffee varies widely depending on how the beans were grown and processed. Advertisement When buying beans, look for the USDA organic label. These beans are grown without synthetic pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers that could harm your health. 4 Grinding beans just before brewing preserves their flavor and antioxidant content. aitormmfoto – Also, choose coffee grown at higher altitudes, such as beans from Ethiopia, Colombia and Kenya. These tend to contain more polyphenols — plant compounds known for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, according to the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont. And keep in mind: Polyphenols break down as beans roast, so light or medium roasts preserve more of these beneficial compounds. Check the roast date on the bag and try to buy beans roasted within the last two weeks. Advertisement #2. Don't forget the filter Once you have your beans, how you brew matters. Studies show that brewing coffee with a paper filter is better for your health, especially for older adults. That's because unfiltered coffee contains diterpenes, compounds that can raise cholesterol. Research indicates that unfiltered coffee has 30 times more diterpenes than filtered coffee, Harvard Health reports. If you're a Keurig fan, you might want to reconsider. There is growing concern that K-cups may leach microplastics into your brew, and early research suggests those particles aren't good for your health. 4 Filtered coffee methods, like drip or pour-over, remove some of the potentially harmful substances in coffee. amenic181 – #3. Add a dash of turmeric After brewing, try adding turmeric to your cup. Advertisement This bright golden-orange spice contains curcumin, a powerful anti-inflammatory compound, according to Healthline. Turmeric may reduce inflammation, ease pain, support heart health, aid weight management, boost mood and improve digestion. For better absorption of curcumin, consider adding a source of fat like oil or milk to your coffee. #4. Sprinkle on some cinnamon If turmeric isn't your thing, cinnamon is a great alternative. Advertisement This spice has been prized for its medicinal properties for thousands of years, as it's packed with antioxidants and other beneficial compounds, per BBC Good Food. 4 Skip the sugary creamers and try adding natural spices to your coffee for a healthy flavor boost. kuvona – Research suggests cinnamon fights inflammation, protects the heart, lowers blood sugar and improves insulin sensitivity. Advertisement Scientists also believe cinnamon may help prevent cancer, as well as combat bacterial and fungal infections. #5. Make it 'bulletproof' Bulletproof coffee is a high-calorie, caffeinated drink created by Dave Asprey, known as the 'father of biohacking.' It's designed to fuel your morning without carb-heavy breakfasts common in America. Fans also say it promotes fullness, supports weight management and enhances brain function. To make bulletproof coffee, combine one cup of brewed coffee with a tablespoon each of grass-fed butter (or ghee) and medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil, such as those derived from coconut or palm kernel oil. Advertisement Blend for 20–30 seconds until creamy, or use a milk frother in a large mug. Unlike typical morning pick-me-ups, Asprey claims bulletproof coffee provides sustained energy throughout the day without crashes.
New York Post
26-06-2025
- Health
- New York Post
Your morning coffee could help you stay young — but there's a catch
Could coffee be the liquid key to longevity? A new study reports that the world's most widely used stimulant can extend lifespan and affect how cells respond to genetic damage — though there's a potential complication. A team of researchers at Queen Mary University of London confirms that caffeine interacts with the systems that influence aging, DNA response and cellular stress. 4 Researchers confirmed that caffeine interacts with the systems that influence aging, DNA response and cellular stress. WesLens/ – The team studied fission yeast, a single-celled organism that is analogous to human cells and uses similar pathways to manage energy, DNA repair and stress. Researchers measured the response of fission yeast to different forms of cellular stress, including DNA damage, toxic exposure and nutrient deprivation. Then they added caffeine to gauge how cells would respond. They found that while caffeine extended the lifespan of yeast, it also affected how cells responded to stress, particularly when the molecular systems that regulate stress were already activated. The findings were published this week in the journal Microbial Cell. 4 This is an illustration of a damaged DNA strand. Caffeine has been shown to affect DNA repair. Mirsad – The research team previously established that caffeine supports the longevity of cells by activating TOR (target of rapamycin), a biological switch that determines when cells should grow based on the availability of food and energy. According to the team, the TOR switch has been actively controlling energy and stress responses in living things for over 500 million years. In this latest study, the team learned that caffeine doesn't directly activate TOR, but rather influences it by activating AMPK, a cellular fuel reserve in yeast and humans. 'When your cells are low on energy, AMPK kicks in to help them cope,' said study senior author Charalampos (Babis) Rallis. 'And our results show that caffeine helps flip that switch.' The yeast model demonstrated that caffeine's influence on flipping that switch directly impacts how cells grow, repair their DNA and respond to stress — all of which relate to aging. Quite surprisingly, the team found that rather than protecting damaged DNA, caffeine amplified the damage. 4 Caffeine activates AMPK, a cellular fuel reserve in yeast and humans. David Crockett – Typically, when a cell detects DNA damage, it stops dividing to repair it. However, researchers found that caffeine overrides this stop, allowing unhealed cells to continue dividing and making them more vulnerable to future damage. The team assured that this doesn't make your morning cup inherently dangerous. Caffeine's ability to alter how cells respond to problems can be positive or negative, depending on the situation. The team noted that the benefits of caffeine depend on the presence of specific proteins and pathways. The fact that caffeine's effects are neither universal nor automatic may help explain why previous studies exploring the link between caffeine and improved health have been inconsistent. 'These findings help explain why caffeine might be beneficial for health and longevity,' said John-Patrick Alao, the postdoctoral research scientist leading this study. 'And they open up exciting possibilities for future research into how we might trigger these effects more directly — with diet, lifestyle or new medicines.' The team acknowledged that because the study relied only on fission yeast, the findings may not directly translate to human cells. 4 Several studies have reported various benefits of a daily java habit. Antonioguillem – Coffee has long been lauded for its health benefits. Rich in antioxidants, it may enhance brain function. It's also been shown to increase alertness, aid in weight management, boost mood and potentially lower the risk of Type 2 diabetes and heart disease. A 2018 study of nearly half a million British adults found that coffee drinkers had a slightly lower risk of death over 10 years than abstainers. Other research, encompassing more than 170,000 adults in the UK, proposed that those who drink between two and four daily cups of coffee, regardless of whether they have added sugar, live longer than those who don't drink coffee. A 2025 study led by researchers at Tulane University tied a morning brew to lower mortality rates than espresso later in the day. And three to five cups a day at midlife was associated with a decreased risk of Alzheimer's disease later in life, research determined. In addition to Alzheimer's, some studies found that java junkies have up to a 60% lower risk of Parkinson's disease. The more coffee they drank, the lower the risk.
