Nutritional Information of Popular Coffee Types in Australia

Many of us kickstart our day with a cup of coffee and find ourselves reaching for another later on as ‘pick me up’, sound familiar? In health and fitness, coffee is often a hot topic of conversation.

Is it possible to achieve your weight loss goals whilst still indulging in your daily cup of coffee? To answer this, let’s take a look at the nutritional information of coffee. 

Understanding the nutrition facts on coffee and more importantly your favourite cup of coffee can be a game-changer for looking to maintain a balanced diet. From lattes to espressos, each type of coffee brings its own unique blend of calories and macronutrients to the table. 

In this article, we’ll delve into the world of coffee, breaking down the calorie and macro profiles of some of the most common coffees. Whether you’re a fan of frothy cappuccino or prefer the simplicity of a black coffee, we’ll provide you with the insights you need to make informed choices about your daily caffeine fix. 

Let’s jump into some coffee nutrition facts and discover how to align them with your health and fitness goals. 

Calories and macros in popular coffee types

When it comes to our daily dose of caffeine, not all cups are created equal. The nutritional content of your coffee can vary significantly depending on the type of coffee you choose to indulge in. 

As you can observe from the breakdown below, black coffee boasts an exceptionally lean macronutrient profile, nearly devoid of calories. It contains only a trace amount of protein, with zero carbs or fats. It’s worth noting that the additions of milk, syrups and sugars are the elements that begin to alter the nutritional makeup of your coffee and could start to impact your weight loss goals. 

With the introduction of milk in a cappuccino, you’ll begin to notice an uptick in all macronutrients. It’s important to track your daily intake to ensure you’re aligning these macronutrients to your overall daily macro goals, especially if you’re having more than one a day.

Most notably, the introduction of cocoa powder in a mocha and vanilla syrup in the iced latte start to significantly increase the calorie profile of your daily coffee - one to watch out for! 

*Sourced from the MyVision app. All without sugar. 

Coffee drinks can add up 

As you can start to see by the macronutrient and calorie profile breakdown, the additions of milk, syrups, powders and other flavourings can start to dramatically impact the makeup of your daily coffee. 

Sweeteners like sugar and syrups contribute additional calories, predominantly in the form of carbohydrates. 

Consider this scenario: enjoying two cappuccinos a day, a habit not uncommon for many. Surprisingly, these beverages alone contribute a significant 24.4g of carbohydrates to your daily intake. Now, if you’re tracking your macronutrients to achieve a weight loss goal and have forgotten to include your daily coffees, this revelation may hold the key.

That’s why when pursuing weight loss goals, it’s important to be mindful of your coffee. Understanding the nutritional information of coffee allows you to strike a balance between enjoying your coffee and adhering to your weight loss goals. 

Health benefits of coffee

Now, before you consider giving up coffee, there are several potential health benefits to your coffee drinking. 

1. Lowers risk of certain diseases. Some studies suggest that moderate coffee consumption may be associated with a reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes (Huxley et al., 2009) as well as a lower risk of certain neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s (Ascherio et al., 2001). 
2. May support weight loss. Provided you’re not going overboard with the sugars and syrups, coffee alone is known to be a natural appetite suppressant and can temporarily boost metabolism. It therefore may assist in weight management efforts by helping to control cravings/
3. Mood enhancement. Coffee can have a positive impact on mood by increasing the production of neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin. It may reduce the risk of depression and elevate overall feelings of well-being (Lara, 2010). There’s a reason we all start our day with a cup of coffee right?

While coffee offers these potential advantages, excessive consumption or high intake of added sugars and unhealthy fats can counteract these benefits. As with anything, moderation is key!

Risks of high coffee consumption 

Whilst we're always looking for reasons to reinforce the benefits of our daily cup of coffee, it’s important to recognise the risks associated with high coffee consumption. 

1. Insomnia and disrupted sleep patterns. Excessive consumption of coffee, especially in the latter half of the day, can interfere with normal sleep patterns. This is due to caffeine’s stimulatory effects on the central nervous system and can lead to insomnia. Overall quality of sleep is crucial as part of general health and wellness and should always be prioritised. 
2. Increased heart rate and blood pressure. Coffee can temporarily raise the heart rate and blood pressure. Excessive consumption can lead to sustained higher heart rates and blood pressure (Grassi et al., 2015). 
3. Digestive issues. Coffee is acidic and can exacerbate symptoms such as heartburn, indigestion or acid reflux.

These are some of the select risks of high coffee consumption. As always, it’s important to pay attention to your own body’s responses and adjust your consumption to suit your personal tolerance and overall health. 

References

Huxley, R., Lee, C. M., Barzi, F., Timmermeister, L., Czernichow, S., Perkovic, V., ... & Woodward, M. (2009). Coffee, decaffeinated coffee, and tea consumption in relation to incident type 2 diabetes mellitus: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Archives of Internal Medicine, 169(22), 2053-2063.

Ascherio, A., Zhang, S. M., Hernán, M. A., Kawachi, I., Colditz, G. A., Speizer, F. E., & Willett, W. C. (2001). Prospective study of caffeine consumption and risk of Parkinson's disease in men and women. Annals of Neurology, 50(1), 56-63.

Lara, D. R. (2010). Caffeine, mental health, and psychiatric disorders. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, 20(S1), S239-S248.

Grassi, D., Mulder, T. P., Draijer, R., Desideri, G., Molhuizen, H. O., & Ferri, C. (2015). Black tea, green tea and red wine polyphenols moderately modulate blood pressure, heart rate and catecholamines in hypertensive subjects. European Journal of Nutrition, 54(2), 215-223.