Pouring a cup of joe is more than a morning ritual for most coffee drinkers: they do it to wake up and feel refreshed during their day, or to feel more energetic throughout it all. While some add milk and sugar for flavor enhancement purposes, for many others the first step in creating their morning java should be skimming off extraneous components to gain all of its healthful benefits – black coffee offers many.

Black coffee contains caffeine, which acts as a stimulant that increases alertness and energy levels. It also boasts many essential vitamins, such as B2, B5, magnesium potassium manganese. Furthermore, its antioxidants may promote regular bowel movements – important components for good digestion. Consuming black coffee in the morning or throughout the day can be beneficial; however, taking an empty stomach approach could cause your body to produce excess acidity that damages stomach lining leading to heartburn, indigestion and nausea.

Milk or sugar added to coffee can add extra calories. One cup of unsweetened coffee contains two calories; when adding milk and sugar this calorie count quickly skyrockets to over 50 per serving – cutting into your daily recommended allowance of 2000 for healthy adults.

Some individuals choose not to add milk and sugar because they want to experience the full flavor and texture of their coffee without diluting its positive effects. Others simply dislike its taste; those individuals may opt to have their brew without milk and sugar added instead.

Black coffee provides much more than just caffeine stimulation; it can also improve mental health in numerous ways. It can aid concentration and focus, reduce feelings of depression and irritability by increasing serotonin and dopamine in your brain, boost memory retention and even reduce risks such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease.

Black coffee can also help protect the liver by stimulating the production of enzymes that aid detoxification. Furthermore, its diuretic properties encourage more frequent urination to flush bacteria and toxins out of your system – protecting against liver cancer hepatocellular carcinoma; one study published by Nutrients 2022 demonstrated this benefit of drinking four or more cups of coffee daily significantly reduced this risk; chlorogenic acids present in coffee may play a key role in this regard.