Cappuccino is one of the most popular and beloved coffee drinks all around the world. Besides being delicious, accessible, and easy to make, cappuccino also offers many health benefits like other types of coffee drinks based on its different ingredients.
In this blog, we will cover all cappuccino benefits, from boosting alertness and focus to protecting brain and heart health.
What is Cappuccino?
Before getting into cappuccino benefits, let’s see what it is exactly. Cappuccino is a type of espresso-based coffee drink made by layering espresso, steamed milk, and foamed milk. The difference between a cappuccino and other types of coffee drinks with milk is its milk content. Cappuccino contains less milk than others, like latte.
Read More: Cappuccino Recipe
What Are 8 Cappuccino Benefits?
While cappuccino contains some calories because of the milk, it is still healthy and has many benefits. Here is the list of several benefits of cappuccino:
Read More: Benefits of Coffee with Milk
1. Contains Antioxidants
The antioxidants in coffee contain polyphenols and hydrocinnamic acids, which help neutralize damaging free radicals in your body. Antioxidants can reduce inflammation and lower the risk of chronic diseases like cancer, diabetes, and heart disease by protecting cells from oxidative stress. [1]
The espresso in a cappuccino is an essential ingredient for this protective process due to its high caffeine content. And the steamed milk in cappuccinos also provides antioxidants.
2. Boosts Alertness and Focus
Like most coffee drinks, cappuccinos contain caffeine, which can increase alertness, focus, and physical endurance. A typical 8oz cappuccino has about 75mg of caffeine.
Long story short, cappuccino has espresso, espresso has high caffeine content, so the consumed caffeine content results in high alertness, concentration, and focus. Neurotransmitters are the components that make you feel tired. Caffeine blocks adenosine, the neurotransmitter that makes you feel tired. [2]
Caffeine can also release other neurotransmitters like dopamine and norepinephrine, which enhance mood and cognition. This is why when you drink coffee, you are getting energy. Multiple studies have found that caffeine can boost memory, reaction time, vigilance, and logical reasoning skills.
3. Protects Heart Health
Contrary to what you think, moderation in coffee consumption can protect heart health. Having a healthy heart is another benefit of cappuccino. Caffeine improves blood flow by relaxing the arteries, and the antioxidants help lower blood pressure and inflammation, reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke. [3]
4. Protects Liver Health
Studies show that coffee drinkers have up to an 84% lower risk of developing cirrhosis, with the strongest effect coming from 2-3 cups per day. The caffeine, antioxidants, and other compounds of cappuccino may help lower liver enzyme levels and reduce fat accumulation in liver cells.
So if you already have liver disease, you can add it as part of an overall healthy lifestyle after asking your doctor.
5. Enhances Metabolism
The caffeine in espresso, the main ingredient of cappuccino, can raise your resting metabolic rate. This means your body burns slightly more calories when at rest and burns fat more efficiently. In a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, participants who consumed 100mg of caffeine (equivalent to one cappuccino) increased their resting metabolic rate by 3-4%. Their bodies burned more calories per hour in the hours following caffeine consumption.
6. Supports Exercise Performance
You may have heard it from athletes or coaches several times to drink coffee to take your workout to the next level. Cappuccino is a pick-me-up drink that can help increase mental focus and physical energy when you need it most during intense training.
Drinking a cappuccino 30-60 minutes before exercise can prolong endurance during cardio sessions and improve weightlifting performance. [4] Caffeine is known to boost metabolism and the rate at which your body burns calories and fat. Having a cappuccino can support your weight loss goals.
7. Protects Brain Health
The risk for neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s can be reduced by drinking cappuccino. The caffeine and antioxidants in this coffee can support brain health and protect against diseases related to the brain. One of the most important benefits of cappuccino is long-term brain function.
A study published in JAMA Internal Medicine found that those who drank 3-5 cups of coffee per day were less likely to develop Alzheimer’s and dementia later in life compared to minimal coffee drinkers. [5]
Studies show the caffeine in coffee may improve mood, memory, reaction time and cognitive function in the short-term.
8. Supports Gut Health
The diverse community of probiotics and healthy gut bacteria in your digestive system is crucial for overall wellness. The polyphenols and soluble fiber in coffee help promote the growth of beneficial bacteria species like bifidobacteria. A balanced microbiome supports digestion, immunity, and more. Drinking cappuccino as part of a high-fiber diet can contribute to better gut health. [6]
Side Effects of Cappuccino
Some research shows that high doses of caffeine can cause harmful effects, such as anxiety, and zebrafish behavior analysis is a sensitive method for studying acute caffeine exposure-induced brain changes. Cappuccino is not always good for you. There are also some side effects of cappuccino without moderate consumption.
Difficulty sleeping: Cappuccino has espresso, espresso has high caffeine content, so this high amount of caffeine will disrupt sleep if consumed late in the day.
Heartburn: Caffeine relaxes the esophageal sphincter, allowing stomach acid to splash up into the esophagus. This can trigger heartburn in some people.
Anxiety: The caffeine in cappuccino can worsen anxiety by increasing alertness.
Bone loss: Cappuccino contains caffeine that can promote bone mineral density loss and osteoporosis.
Addiction: Caffeine is an addiction, and high consumption of it may lead to dependency and withdrawal headaches.
Tips for Drinking Cappuccino Regularly
- Drink cappuccino 30-60 mins before workouts for an energizing boost
- Opt for a morning cappuccino to help feel alert and focused all day
- Savor an afternoon cappuccino to fight fatigue and lift your mood
- Look for cappuccinos made with 100% Arabica coffee beans for fuller flavor
- Ask your barista for non-fat or low-fat milk to cut calories
- Add a dash of cinnamon on top for an extra burst of antioxidants
- Purchase a milk frother to make restaurant-quality foam at home easily
Conclusion
Cappuccino offers a wide range of benefits due to its ingredients. The antioxidant in cappuccino can protect your heart, liver, and brain. Caffeine can boost your energy, alertness, mood, metabolism, and exercise performance. While excessive consumption of it may cause many side effects, including insomnia, anxiety, heartburn, bone loss, and addiction, moderate cappuccino consumption provides far more benefits than drawbacks.