Definition and research guide
This page combines a MeSH definition, publication statistics and selected research abstracts. It is a starting point for reading the literature, not a medical textbook or a systematic evidence review.
Content available: 4 complete abstracts (744 words), 10 references. Full article text is not stored or reproduced here; follow the PMID, DOI or PMC links to read the original sources and their access terms.
Definition
A beverage made from ground coffea beans (seeds) infused in hot water. It generally contains caffeine and theophylline unless it is decaffeinated.
Definition: NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) scope note (Public domain (U.S. National Library of Medicine); attribution requested). View the MeSH record.
Where it fits in the MeSH classification
- Broader topics
- Plant Preparations; Beverages
- See also
- Caffeine; Cichorium intybus; Coffea
Related concepts
Research landscape
PubMed indexes 9,766 records tagged with the MeSH heading “Coffee” (counts retrieved 2026-10-31). 3,021 of them (30.9%) were published from 2020 onward, and the busiest period so far is 2020 onward with 3,021 records.
Reviews account for 1,045 records (10.7%) and meta-analyses for 304. Randomized controlled trials number 411 (4.2%) as a share of all records on the topic.
Show the data
| Period | Records |
|---|---|
| through 1999 | 2,195 |
| 2000-2009 | 1,544 |
| 2010-2019 | 3,006 |
| 2020 onward | 3,021 |
Publication-type chart data
| Type | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews | 1,045 | 10.7% |
| Meta-analyses | 304 | 3.1% |
| Randomized controlled trials | 411 | 4.2% |
Method: PubMed query "Coffee"[MeSH Terms] with publication-type and date filters, retrieved 2026-10-31.
Reading the evidence in anatomy and physiology
Anatomy describes how body structures are built and physiology describes how they normally work, so most findings here are descriptive or mechanistic rather than evidence about treatment. Much of what is known comes from dissection, imaging, tissue studies and experiments in animals, and measurements in healthy volunteers can differ from those in people with disease or at different ages. Normal ranges vary between individuals and populations. Check whether a result was measured in people or in another species, the age and health of the participants, and the method used.
Evidence from open-access studies
These open-access studies come from PubMed’s best-match results for this heading (papers whose main topic it is), ranked here by citation count, with one recent addition. Each abstract is reproduced in full under its recorded open licence so that you can read the authors’ own words. They illustrate the literature; they are not a systematic summary of it. Citation counts measure attention, not reliability or clinical benefit.
| Study / authors | Year | Source label / design | Europe PMC citations | Licence / source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coffee Chlorogenic Acids Incorporation for Bioactivity Enhancement of Foods: A Review | 2022 | Review article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 70 | cc by PMID 35684338 · DOI · PMC9181911 |
| Coffee consumption is associated with intestinal Lawsonibacter asaccharolyticus abundance and prevalence across multiple cohorts | 2024 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 57 | cc by PMID 39558133 · DOI · PMC11602726 |
| Consumption of coffee and tea with all-cause and cause-specific mortality: a prospective cohort study | 2022 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 48 | cc by PMID 36397104 · DOI · PMC9673438 |
| Genetic predisposition to coffee consumption and the association with the early risk of atherosclerosis | 2026 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 0 | cc by PMID 41865070 · DOI · PMC13009213 |
Coffee Chlorogenic Acids Incorporation for Bioactivity Enhancement of Foods: A Review [1]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- The demand of foods with high antioxidant capacity have increased and research on these foods continues to grow.
- Closing excerpt
- The fortification of foods with coffee CGAs has the potential to improve the functionality of foods.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (187 words)
The demand of foods with high antioxidant capacity have increased and research on these foods continues to grow. This review is focused on chlorogenic acids (CGAs) from green coffee, which is the most abundant source. The main CGA in coffee is 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid (5-CQA). Coffee extracts are currently the most widely used source to enhance the antioxidant activity of foods. Due to the solubility of CGAs, their extraction is mainly performed with organic solvents. CGAs have been associated with health benefits, such as antioxidant, antiviral, antibacterial, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory activity, and others that reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, and Alzheimer's disease. However, the biological activities depend on the stability of CGAs, which are sensitive to pH, temperature, and light. The anti-inflammatory activity of 5-CQA is attributed to reducing the proinflammatory activity of cytokines. 5-CQA can negatively affect colon microbiota. An increase in anthocyanins and antioxidant activity was observed when CGAs extracts were added to different food matrices such as dairy products, coffee drinks, chocolate, and bakery products. The fortification of foods with coffee CGAs has the potential to improve the functionality of foods.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 35684338 · DOI · PMC9181911
Coffee consumption is associated with intestinal Lawsonibacter asaccharolyticus abundance and prevalence across multiple cohorts [2]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Although diet is a substantial determinant of the human gut microbiome, the interplay between specific foods and microbial community structure remains poorly understood.
- Closing excerpt
- This study reveals a metabolic link between a specific gut microorganism and a specific food item, providing a framework for the understanding of microbial dietary responses at the biochemical level.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (188 words)
Although diet is a substantial determinant of the human gut microbiome, the interplay between specific foods and microbial community structure remains poorly understood. Coffee is a habitually consumed beverage with established metabolic and health benefits. We previously found that coffee is, among >150 items, the food showing the highest correlation with microbiome components. Here we conducted a multi-cohort, multi-omic analysis of US and UK populations with detailed dietary information from a total of 22,867 participants, which we then integrated with public data from 211 cohorts (N = 54,198). The link between coffee consumption and microbiome was highly reproducible across different populations (area under the curve of 0.89), largely driven by the presence and abundance of the species Lawsonibacter asaccharolyticus. Using in vitro experiments, we show that coffee can stimulate growth of L. asaccharolyticus. Plasma metabolomics on 438 samples identified several metabolites enriched among coffee consumers, with quinic acid and its potential derivatives associated with coffee and L. asaccharolyticus. This study reveals a metabolic link between a specific gut microorganism and a specific food item, providing a framework for the understanding of microbial dietary responses at the biochemical level.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 39558133 · DOI · PMC11602726
Consumption of coffee and tea with all-cause and cause-specific mortality: a prospective cohort study [3]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- BackgroundPrevious studies suggested that moderate coffee and tea consumption are associated with lower risk of mortality.
- Closing excerpt
- The associations of coffee and tea consumption with all-cause and cause-specific mortality attributable to CVD, respiratory disease, and digestive disease were nonlinear (all P nonlinear ConclusionsIn this large prospective study, separate and combined coffee and tea consumption were inversely associated with all-cause and cause-specific mortality.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (173 words)
BackgroundPrevious studies suggested that moderate coffee and tea consumption are associated with lower risk of mortality. However, the association between the combination of coffee and tea consumption with the risk of mortality remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the separate and combined associations of coffee and tea consumption with all-cause and cause-specific mortality.MethodsThis prospective cohort study included 498,158 participants (37-73 years) from the UK Biobank between 2006 and 2010. Coffee and tea consumption were assessed at baseline using a self-reported questionnaire. All-cause and cause-specific mortalities, including cardiovascular disease (CVD), respiratory disease, and digestive disease mortality, were obtained from the national death registries. Cox regression analyses were conducted to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).ResultsAfter a median follow-up of 12.1 years, 34,699 deaths were identified. The associations of coffee and tea consumption with all-cause and cause-specific mortality attributable to CVD, respiratory disease, and digestive disease were nonlinear (all P nonlinear ConclusionsIn this large prospective study, separate and combined coffee and tea consumption were inversely associated with all-cause and cause-specific mortality.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 36397104 · DOI · PMC9673438
Genetic predisposition to coffee consumption and the association with the early risk of atherosclerosis [4]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- The cardiovascular effects of coffee consumption remain debated, particularly regarding early-stage subclinical atherosclerosis.
- Closing excerpt
- These findings suggest that genetically influenced coffee consumption may be associated with coronary atherosclerosis risk in frequent coffee drinkers, although the underlying biological basis remains to be clarified.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (196 words)
The cardiovascular effects of coffee consumption remain debated, particularly regarding early-stage subclinical atherosclerosis. This study investigated the association between coffee intake, genetic predisposition, and the risk of subclinical coronary and carotid atherosclerosis in 24,835 participants from the Swedish CArdioPulmonary bioImage Study (SCAPIS). Coffee intake was assessed via self-reported questionnaires. Atherosclerosis was assessed via segment involvement score (SIS), coronary artery calcium score (CACS) and carotid plaque. Observational analysis showed no significant association between coffee consumption and SIS, CACS, or carotid plaques. However, both one-sample and two-sample (SCAPIS and UK Biobank) Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses showed an association between genetic predisposition to higher coffee consumption and increased SIS. Stratification analyses further explored differences in genetic associations across varying coffee consumption levels. Among individuals consuming coffee more than twice daily, two coffee consumption-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in AHR and CYP1A1/CYP1A2 were correlated with SIS. Integrative metabolomics and proteomics analyses identified lipid-related metabolites (triglycerides, phospholipids, free cholesterol) and inflammation-related proteins (DLK1, IL1RL2, CCL17) associated with the genetic proxy of coffee consumption. These findings suggest that genetically influenced coffee consumption may be associated with coronary atherosclerosis risk in frequent coffee drinkers, although the underlying biological basis remains to be clarified.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 41865070 · DOI · PMC13009213
Key reviews and meta-analyses
The most cited review-type papers among PubMed’s best-match results for this heading, listed with bibliographic details only. Follow the links for the full text and access terms.
- Research article A meta-analysis of coffee drinking, cigarette smoking, and the risk of Parkinson's disease [5]
- Research article Coffee consumption and health: umbrella review of meta-analyses of multiple health outcomes [6]
- Research article Long-term coffee consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease: a systematic review and a dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies [7]
- Research article Coffee, Caffeine, and Health Outcomes: An Umbrella Review [8]
- Research article Coffee, Caffeine, and Health [9]
- Research article Coffee, caffeine, and sleep: A systematic review of epidemiological studies and randomized controlled trials [10]
References
- Rojas-González A, Figueroa-Hernández CY, González-Rios O, Suárez-Quiroz ML, González-Amaro RM, Hernández-Estrada ZJ, et al.. Coffee Chlorogenic Acids Incorporation for Bioactivity Enhancement of Foods: A Review. . 2022. PMID 35684338 · DOI · PMC9181911
- Manghi P, Bhosle A, Wang K, Marconi R, Selma-Royo M, Ricci L, et al.. Coffee consumption is associated with intestinal Lawsonibacter asaccharolyticus abundance and prevalence across multiple cohorts. . 2024. PMID 39558133 · DOI · PMC11602726
- Chen Y, Zhang Y, Zhang M, Yang H, Wang Y. Consumption of coffee and tea with all-cause and cause-specific mortality: a prospective cohort study. . 2022. PMID 36397104 · DOI · PMC9673438
- Qiao X, Toma VW, Wang J, Herraiz-Adillo Á, Söderholm S, Berglind D, et al.. Genetic predisposition to coffee consumption and the association with the early risk of atherosclerosis. . 2026. PMID 41865070 · DOI · PMC13009213
- Hernán MA, Takkouche B, Caamaño-Isorna F, Gestal-Otero JJ. A meta-analysis of coffee drinking, cigarette smoking, and the risk of Parkinson's disease. Ann Neurol. 2002. PMID 12205639 · DOI
- Poole R, Kennedy OJ, Roderick P, Fallowfield JA, Hayes PC, Parkes J. Coffee consumption and health: umbrella review of meta-analyses of multiple health outcomes. BMJ. 2017. PMID 29167102 · DOI · PMC5696634
- Ding M, Bhupathiraju SN, Satija A, van Dam RM, Hu FB. Long-term coffee consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease: a systematic review and a dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. Circulation. 2014. PMID 24201300 · DOI · PMC3945962
- Grosso G, Godos J, Galvano F, Giovannucci EL. Coffee, Caffeine, and Health Outcomes: An Umbrella Review. Annu Rev Nutr. 2017. PMID 28826374 · DOI
- van Dam RM, Hu FB, Willett WC. Coffee, Caffeine, and Health. N Engl J Med. 2020. PMID 32706535 · DOI
- Clark I, Landolt HP. Coffee, caffeine, and sleep: A systematic review of epidemiological studies and randomized controlled trials. Sleep Med Rev. 2017. PMID 26899133 · DOI
About this article
- Sources
- NLM Medical Subject Headings (definition, synonyms); NCBI PubMed (counts, identifiers); Europe PMC (open-access abstracts and citation counts).
- Verification
- Every reference was resolved against PubMed on 2026-10-31; title, year and DOI matched.
- Review state
- automated source verified; no human expert review has been recorded yet.
- Version
- 1, last updated 2026-10-31.
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Evidence strength
EvidenceHelix's computed view of the study designs behind this topic: how common meta-analyses, randomized trials and reviews are, how recent the literature is, and a plain-language reading. It describes the design mix of the literature. It is not a quality appraisal of any study, and it is not medical advice.