There are plenty of studies showing various ways that coffee supports our health—keeping our mind sharp, supporting heart health, and reducing the odds for other possible diseases. Most studies find the magic amount to be four cups of coffee (serving size cups, not giant coffee shop “cups”). Is it really beneficial? What’s the secret?
New research has found a more measurable way that coffee supports our health: supporting our good gut bacteria. According to a new study, coffee drinkers have more good bacteria, and suppressed levels of certain potentially bad bacteria in their guts. Since research has also linked bacteria to all sorts of health outcomes, it makes sense that coffee fits into the good bacteria/bad bacteria picture.
Good habits like exercise, eating veggies, getting sleep and reducing stress help our good bacteria to thrive. Bad habits, like eating loads of sugar, laying around, and battling lots of stress with minimal sleep help bad bacteria to grow. In turn, the good or bad bacteria help us crave more of those habits in a sort of feedback loop (which is likely why it can take a year to fully change over our gut bacteria to good, it takes some willpower to support them with good habits).
Studies say coffee may support our health in all sorts of ways, and if it’s supporting our good bacteria, that makes sense. Coffee must fall under the “good habit” category, and it might be a good tool for supporting our good bacteria (or at least a habit you don’t have to change and can feel good about).
A lot of the things that are good about coffee–tanins and other plant derived nutrients, are also in tea, chocolate, and other plant-based foods.
If you need to give your gut a boost, make sure you’re supporting it with probiotics. Probiotics help replenish and boost the good bacteria in our gut, supporting our other good habits. Always choose a high-quality probiotic like Flora MGR.
