A scientific review published in the journal Appetite, which focused on consumer coffee consumption, attitudes, and purchasing behavior, found consumers are split on whether coffee is healthy or unhealthy.
In reviewing over 54 studies, the researchers found that belief in health benefits of coffee drove consumption for consumers in some studies, while other studies showed that consumers avoided coffee due to fearing potential health risks.
This is not totally surprising, given that the messages on health effects of coffee are mixed. On one hand, you have scientific reviews showing moderate coffee consumption has a benefit on human health. Coffee is one of the richest antioxidant sources among beverages, and research shows moderate caffeine consumption may be protective against heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
At the same time, you have California enforcing cancer warnings on coffee products, which was a hotly debated issue. There is also concern that people may unknowingly be exceeding the recommended daily limit of caffeine as coffee and caffeine are added to more and more consumer products.
The study also explored how factors like sensory attributes, country of origin, time of consumption, and attributes like organic or fair trade impact purchasing behavior and consumption. For the full study, click here.
