Jisoo, Yoo Jae-suk trade unique coffee preferences on SBS show

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BLACKPINK member Jisoo appeared surprised by the unusually light coffee favored by entertainer Yoo Jae-suk, joking that it looked more like plum tea than coffee.

On the Nov. 10 episode of the variety show “Whenever Possible,” Jisoo and TWICE’s Nayeon joined actors Yoo Yeon-seok and Yoo Jae-suk for a visit to a cafe.

During the show, Nayeon revealed that she shared Yoo’s preference for lightly brewed coffee.

“I like my coffee exactly the same way you do,” she said. “People used to criticize me for drinking such weak coffee, but now I can just call it ‘Yoo Jae-suk’s coffee.’”

Yoo explained that he prefers his coffee so diluted that he can almost see someone’s face through it, adding that the strength he had ordered was just right.

Jisoo, however, expressed an entirely different preference.

“I drink my coffee like poison,” she said, adding that ordering extra espresso shots was a given.

Coffee drinkers are often divided between those who prefer a strong, bold brew and those who favor a much milder cup. But does drinking weaker coffee offer any health benefits?

The short answer is that coffee’s effects depend less on how diluted it is and more on the total amount of caffeine consumed throughout the day.

A typical 12-ounce (355-milliliter) Americano at major coffee chains contains two espresso shots, or a double shot, providing approximately 100 to 150 milligrams of caffeine.

According to Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, the recommended maximum daily caffeine intake for adults is 400 milligrams.

This means that even people who prefer strong coffee can generally stay within recommended limits, provided their total daily caffeine consumption does not exceed 400 milligrams.

However, those who regularly drink several highly concentrated cups of coffee with additional espresso shots, as Jisoo does, should be more cautious.

Excessive caffeine consumption can overstimulate the central nervous system and sympathetic nervous system, potentially causing a range of side effects.

These include insomnia, headaches, anxiety, nervousness, nausea caused by increased stomach acid, elevated heart rates, palpitations, muscle tremors and spasms, and changes in urination.

People who experience such symptoms after drinking coffee should consider whether they are consuming too much caffeine or are particularly sensitive to its effects.

Although coffee has long been associated with concerns that it may stunt growth or harm the body, a growing body of research suggests that moderate coffee consumption may offer several health benefits.

Coffee beans contain not only caffeine but also a variety of beneficial bioactive compounds, including polyphenols and other antioxidant substances.

Moderate caffeine consumption can also help relieve fatigue, while its diuretic effect may increase urine production.

A study by researchers at the West Virginia University School of Medicine, published in the international nutrition journal Nutrients, found that adults who drank three to five cups of coffee a day had a lower risk of death from all causes.

The study also found consistent associations between coffee consumption and reduced risks of cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, stroke, respiratory diseases, cognitive decline and certain cancers, including liver and endometrial cancer.

These associations were observed with both regular and decaffeinated coffee. The researchers concluded that moderate coffee consumption may offer more health benefits than risks.

However, adolescents should be particularly careful about their caffeine intake.

Compared with adults, adolescents generally have lower body weights and greater sensitivity to caffeine, meaning even relatively small amounts can trigger more pronounced side effects.

Korea’s recommended maximum daily caffeine intake for adolescents is 2.5 milligrams per kilogram of body weight.

For an adolescent weighing 60 kilograms, this translates to less than 150 milligrams of caffeine per day — roughly the amount found in one Americano.

This article from Kormedi.com, Korea’s top health care and medical portal, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.