At this point, it’s pretty clear that coffee is great for you. Studies have linked regular coffee consumption with:
- Heart health[*]
- Better brain function (short-term and long-term)[*][*]
- Longevity[*]
- Anti-aging[*]
- Weight loss[*]
- And more
Now there’s even more evidence that coffee boosts your long-term performance — especially if you drink espresso.
For the last eight years, a group of (surprise) Italian researchers have followed more than 20,000 people, tracking how espresso intake affects their health and longevity. The results suggest that espresso in particular makes you less likely to die. It may come with a few other benefits, too.
If you’ve been looking for a reason to buy a fancy espresso machine, you’re in luck. Here’s a breakdown of the study and a look at why espresso is a badass performance enhancer.
New Study: Espresso Drinkers Live Longer, Better Lives
In late 2020, Italian researchers concluded an 8-year study looking at the diets, lifestyles, health markers, and espresso-drinking habits of more than 20,000 Italians.
After controlling for the effects of diet and lifestyle, the researchers found a strong link between espresso consumption and longevity[*]. In particular, espresso drinkers had:
- Lower overall risk of dying
- Better heart health
- Lower blood pressure
- Healthier aging
This isn’t entirely surprising. Other studies have found that when you drink coffee on a regular basis, your body performs better long-term[*].
However, espresso seems to be especially good at keeping you fit. Italians who drank 3-4 shots of black espresso per day had 37% lower heart disease risk.
That’s higher than in previous studies, and the researchers think it may have to do with espresso’s unique properties.
Espresso May Be Better Than Regular Coffee
You make espresso by extracting all the good stuff in coffee beans using hot water and high pressure. It’s the pressure that may make the difference — the process pulls more antioxidants and other phytonutrients from the coffee beans, resulting in an especially concentrated drink.
Compared to drip coffee, espresso is higher in cafestol and kahweol[*], two potent antioxidants that boost brain function and reduce inflammation[*].
Espresso also increases NTproBNP, a unique peptide that may drive espresso’s anti-aging benefits, according to a recent Italian study[*].
NTproBNP does a bunch of good things for you[*]:
- Triggers fat-burning (lipolysis)
- Lowers blood pressure
- Protects against heart disease
- Improves kidney function
Basically, espresso is an even more powerful version of normal coffee.
Final Thoughts
Espresso could help you get even more benefits from your coffee. That said, tons of research shows that normal coffee is amazing for anti-aging and long-term performance. Drinking normal coffee every morning still gives your body a major upgrade.
That said, if you love coffee and biohacking, it may be worth investing in an espresso machine. Here are a few options I recommend:
Intro Tier: Gaggia Carezza
Mid Tier: Gaggia Brera Super Automatic
Top Tier: Breville 920
