'Caffeine can be helpful to some people in moderation': Waking up to the health benefits of coffee 

Long seen as a treat to be consumed sparingly due to its high caffeine content, nutrient-rich coffee is increasingly recognised as a valuable support for health — from cardiac care to gut wellbeing and physical performance. We look at the latest research

William O'Connor: "It’s now known that the antioxidants in coffee can have benefits to health and even the caffeine it contains can be helpful to some people in moderation.”

For decades, coffee was considered an unhealthy crutch, a beverage we were urged to remove from our daily diets for the sake of our health. But as more evidence has emerged to show that coffee is beneficial to our mental and physical wellbeing — this month it was shown to protect against atrial fibrillation, a common heart rhythm disorder that causes rapid, irregular heartbeat — coffee finds itself rebranded as a wellness drink.

“Hundreds of tonnes of coffee are consumed every day by humans in Ireland and worldwide,” says William O’Connor, foundation professor of physiology in the University of Limerick School of Medicine, who hosts the Inside the Brain website. “It’s now known that the antioxidants in coffee can have benefits to health and even the caffeine it contains can be helpful to some people in moderation.”