Coffee
Why coffee is anti-inflammatory
Coffee is not inflammatory for most people. A cup carries chlorogenic acid, a plant antioxidant that survives the roast, and coffee is the biggest source of these compounds in most Western diets.
The evidence for coffee comes from population studies rather than trials. Among tens of thousands of adults, the people who drank more coffee had lower levels of an inflammation marker in their blood. The difference grew with the number of cups. That is an association, so it does not prove the coffee is what lowered the marker.
Caffeine is the part that can work against you. Short sleep is linked to higher inflammation markers, so cups drunk after the middle of the afternoon can cancel out what the earlier ones do. In pregnancy, high intakes are best avoided.
Most of the harm comes from what is added to the cup. Syrups, flavoured creamers and two spoonfuls of sugar turn a coffee into a sweetened drink, and the sugar cancels out most of the benefit. Decaf keeps a good part of it, because the chlorogenic acid comes from the bean and not from the caffeine.
Two to four cups of black coffee a day is where the research sits. If coffee upsets your stomach or leaves you jittery, the antioxidants are not a reason to keep drinking it.
Coffee on the AIP diet
Coffee is cut during the elimination phase of the Autoimmune Protocol. The coffee bean is a seed, and AIP removes seeds; it is also a common trigger for gut and sleep symptoms in people with autoimmune conditions. It is one of the first things most people try to bring back afterwards, and plenty tolerate it fine.
Benefits
- One of the largest sources of plant antioxidants in a typical Western diet
- Pooled data from more than 66,000 people links more coffee with lower inflammation markers in the blood
- Linked to lower rates of type 2 diabetes, liver disease and heart disease
- The benefit peaks around three to four cups a day, so you do not need much
Watch out for
- Sugar, syrups and flavoured creamers cancel out most of the benefit
- Late-day cups cost you sleep, and short sleep raises the same markers coffee lowers
- Can irritate the stomach or trigger reflux in some people
- Pregnancy is the one clear exception: high intakes are best avoided
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Frequently asked
Is coffee inflammatory?
No. Coffee is one of the biggest sources of plant antioxidants most people get, and pooled data from more than 66,000 people links drinking more of it with lower inflammation markers in a blood test. What makes a coffee inflammatory is the sugar and syrup that goes into it.
How many cups a day?
Two to four is where the research shows the clearest benefit. Past that you are mostly trading it for worse sleep, which works against you.
Does decaf still count?
Most of the antioxidants come from the bean rather than the caffeine, so decaf keeps a good part of the benefit. It is the sensible choice if caffeine keeps you awake or leaves you jittery.
Is coffee allowed on the AIP diet?
No, it comes out during the elimination phase, because the coffee bean is a seed and AIP removes seeds. It is a common early reintroduction and many people tolerate it once that phase is over.
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