Many of us eat and drink what we eat and drink based on taste, how hungry we are, and our budget. The coffee that we drink commonly is typically chosen based on simply the need to get going in the morning and to keep going later in the day. Like with food our specific choice of coffee drink generally depends on taste, convenience and price. However, from a biological point of view we eat and drink in order to take in nutrients to keep or bodies healthy.

What Are Nutrients?

The things that we eat and drink that help our bodies grow, work correctly, and survive, as a group, are called nutrients. They fall into six groupings which are water, minerals, vitamins, proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. The body functions made possible by nutrients include growth, production of energy, repair of tissue, and maintenance of health in general. Nutritionists call carbohydrates, fats and proteins macronutrients. This because we need substantially larger amounts of them to keep up our energy levels, grow and simply live day to day. For some unknown reason water is not called a macronutrient despite the fact that we need to consume large amounts on a daily basis to stay alive! Micronutrients are what we call vitamins and minerals as these substances, while being essential to health and life are needed in much smaller quantities than fats, proteins, and carbohydrates or water.

What Are the Micro Nutrients in Coffee?

Coffee contains vitamins and minerals in small but significant amounts. As with the antioxidants in coffee, coffee does not need to be the leader in concentration of vitamins and minerals but can still be a significant source worldwide because of how much coffee we drink. Coffee contains Riboflavin also known as vitamin B2. This vitamin is extremely important as it is essential in transforming proteins, fats, and carbohydrate into the energy we need for daily life. It does so by producing ATP or adenosine triphosphate. This molecule both supplies energy to cells and stores energy essential to organ and muscle function. B2 also helps in the metabolism of other B vitamins. Coffee also contains niacin or vitamin B3. This vitamin also is essential in converting food into energy and extremely important for health skin, the nervous system, the digestive tract and even maintaining health levels of cholesterol. Vitamin B5 or Pantothenic Acid helps wounds heal and function of the adrenal glands. It is essential to the production of red blood cells and well as health of the digestive system.

Minerals in Coffee

Minerals in coffee include potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, and sodium. Potassium allows muscles to contract, allows nerve signals to move across the body, maintains fluid balance, keeps the heart beat regular and balances the effects of sodium thus maintaining a healthy blood pressure. Magnesium works with calcium and Vitamin D to keep bones strong lessening the risk of osteoporosis, when levels of magnesium are normal they support heart health and blood pressure. It also makes muscle contraction and relaxation work more smoothly making athletic performance better. And magnesium helps with a healthy mood, less anxiety and a good night’s sleep due to regulation of neurotransmitter. Calcium is essential for healthy bones and is important for healthy muscle function and nerve function. While there is sodium in coffee it is the least plentiful mineral which is probably good because too much sodium in your diet can raise blood pressure!

Macronutrients in Coffee

With the exception of water there are minimal macronutrients in a cup of brewed coffee unless you add them. There are no carbohydrates in a cup of black coffee. There can be as much as half a gram of protein and a gram of fat in a standard cup of coffee. Because we drink so much coffee with milk, cream or other ingredients at the local coffee house, there can be health issues related to carbohydrates and fats for some folks. However, the most important nutrients in black coffee are the vitamins and minerals both because of their health benefits and because of how much coffee we drink every day across the world.