Weekly Blog

Mar 20

Every few months, a cool new study on how coffee impacts health surfaces. Since September 2024, when we authored our first blog dedicated to the global morning favorite, the storyline has been mostly positive: drinking 2-3 cups of coffee daily appears to offer health benefits. This week, we found two additional large studies that reinforce the claim, but first, a bit about the ripple effects of parent stress on children's health. 

As we've discussed many times before, in small doses, stress can stimulate growth when managed well or resolved quickly. In the longer term, however, it can fester, wear us down, and lead to poorer health choices. For example, in 2022, a research team showed that diets tend to suffer during times of stress, priming a downward health spiral as psychological (mind) effects broaden to physiological (body) effects as well. One of the trickiest parts, however, is that stress is also "contagious". Research confirms that witnessing someone experience a stressful moment can cause us to feel agitated as well. 

While this is especially true for those high in empathy (measure your EQ here), it stands to reason that the spillover potential is also high in close relationships, such as those between parent and child. Two studies published earlier this week support this idea. The first showed that adults who experienced harsh economic stress during childhood—enough that it impacted their family's ability to provide healthy food—had definitive signs of malnutrition later in life: stunted growth and poorer body composition. The second brought slightly better news: that while a parent's stress doesn't need to reach such an extreme level to affect their child, healthy management can keep the negative effects in check. While stressed-out parents correlated with poorer nutritional outcomes in children, adding mindfulness training was enough to neutralize the risk. This, indirectly, brings us to coffee and how it might be a longer lever than we realize. 

We've discussed the physiological benefits of coffee consumption before. Coffee drinkers who consume two to three cups per day benefit from its high antioxidant content and known anti-inflammatory properties. The effect appears to apply to a variety of diseases, including Parkinson's disease, lung cancer, and, according to another new study, if we skip the sugar, cardiovascular health. However, where things really get interesting is in the brain. A massive new study tracking dementia and cognitive decline in over 130,000 people for more than 40 years showed an 18% risk reduction for those who regularly drank coffee (or tea). Caffeine appeared to play a key role, as decaf coffee drinkers did not experience the same benefit.

Although the jury is out on whether coffee also positively impacts psychological stress, some studies suggest it can. Using the time it takes to savor a morning cup wisely—such as to organize the day or process feelings—can significantly benefit not only personal health risk but also the risks of those close enough to “catch” our stress when things bubble over. It's a great one to ponder over a cup.

Have a great weekend,
Mike E.