Why this Topic?
70% of Americans drink coffee every week with 62% drinking it everyday. The average coffee drinker consumes about three cups a day. While coffee does have benefits, but like everything else, it also has drawbacks. Is coffee good for you, or does it have horrible consequences? How much coffee should we drink, and is there a better alternative? Let’s find out!
History of Coffee
According to the National Coffee Association, in Ethiopian Peninsula, a goat herder named Kaldi saw what happened when his goats ate coffee beans. They became so energetic that they wouldn’t sleep at night. Kaldi went to a monastery to share his discovery. The monks turned it into a drink with berries. Kaldi discovered that it helped him awake and more alert. Eventually, word spread East towards the Arabian Peninsula around the 15th and 16th century. This led to coffee bean cultivation and trade. In the 17th century, coffee was becoming popular in Europe. People began drinking coffee instead of alcohol. This led to better work quality. In the mid 1600’s, it was brought to present day New York. Eventually, it diffused globally with coffee plantations in many different countries.
Advantages
Please note that everyone is different and coffee may affect you differently than it does with others. Let’s talk about the benefits first.
Higher energy levels
Coffee is a stimulant, which means that it raises certain functions. When caffeine enters your bloodstream, it travels to your brain and blocks the inhibitory neurotransmitter adenosine. Adenosine is a depressant, which is something that slows down certain things. Adenosine is one chemical that's responsible for making you sleepy.
Increase metabolism
It’s proven that drinking coffee can boost your metabolism by 3%-11%.
Contains nutrients
Riboflavin(Vitamin B2)
Pantothenic Acid(Vitamin B5)
Manganese
Potassium
Magnesium and Niacin(VitaminB3)
B vitamins are responsible for turning food into fuel, or boosting metabolism.
Lowers risk for diabetes 2 on average by 11%.
Reduces risk for Alzheimer's and Dementia by about 65% by reducing inflammation.
Reduces risk for Parkinson's Disease by about 32%-60%.
Protects liver from cirrhosis by about 80%. Cirrhosis is when the liver is replaced by scar tissue.
Lowers risk for stroke and heart disease.
Drawbacks
Coffee can reduce risk for certain diseases, but it can also cause a few. They are listed below:
Anxiety
As previously mentioned, caffeine blocks adenosine, but it also boosts adrenaline, the fight or flight chemical. Because of this, you’re more aware of your surroundings, but too much can cause anxiety problems.
Insomnia
Coffee is something that keeps you awake. Too much leads to insomnia and sleep problems.
Digestion Issues
Coffee, including decaffeinated coffee, can release a chemical in your stomach called gastrin. This causes your colon to work faster. This can lead to diarrhea and reflux problems. Contrary to popular belief, coffee doesn’t cause stomach ulcers. A study with 8,000 people showed that coffee doesn’t cause ulcers.
Caffeine Addiction
You may have heard of coffee addicts. When people drink lots of coffee on a regular basis, their body becomes adjusted to it, relies on it to function, and craves even more. Similar to melatonin medicines (they help you fall asleep) your body becomes adjusted to a set dose to the point where it becomes ineffective. Then you need more to have the same effect.
High blood pressure and high heart rate
Because coffee is a stimulant, it speeds up your heart rate which leads to high blood pressure.
Feeling tired
After the effects of the caffeine wear off, many people are left feeling exhausted.
Feeling Jittery
While coffee can help make you more alert, too much can cause restlessness and feeling jittery.
Stained Teeth
More Frequent Urination
Similar to the reason for having stomach problems, caffeine also speeds up how quickly your bladder works.
Use with Medicines
Caffeine can also interact with some medications. Talk to your doctor and ask any questions about diet modification for a certain medicine.
Ephedrine
Ephedrine is used to help with congestion. Consuming lots of caffeine can cause you to have a higher risk of high blood pressure, stroke, or heart attack.
Theophylline
This is used to clear up bronchial airways. Its side effects are similar to caffeine, so taking it with caffeine can lead to heavy side effects
Echinacea
Echinacea is an herbal medicine used for colds. This can increase the effects caffeine already has on your body.
Healthy Serving Portions
The bottom line is that while coffee has many great benefits, too much of a good thing may not be so good for you after all. How much coffee should we drink? According to Mayo Clinic, four cups of brewed coffee is ok.
Best Time to Have (Or Not Have) Coffee
Many people have coffee in the morning. This may not be the best thing, especially after waking up. According to Michael Breus, a clinical psychologist, when we sleep, we lose 1 quart of water, and many reach for coffee as their first drink. This means that we wake up dehydrated, and make it worse by having coffee. I remember learning that for every one cup of coffee you drink, you should ideally have two cups of water to keep your body balanced. You should also try to avoid caffeine after 3 pm so that you can sleep at night.
How to Cut Coffee Consumption
If you’re trying to decrease how much coffee you drink in a day, here are some things you can do.
Don’t stop all in one day
If you’ve been drinking lots of coffee for a long time, your body has already gotten adjusted to having that extra caffeine in your system. Removing it all at the same time can sometimes do more harm than good. If you're having 8 cups of coffee a day, start by reducing it to 7 cups, then 6, and so on and so forth.
Be aware of how much you’re drinking
Maybe if you’re someone who only drinks coffee, start by adding water into your diet. Try implementing the 1:2 ratio of coffee to water. Slowly start having less coffee and more water.
Use Decaffeinated Coffee
It has the same benefits of coffee, but without the caffeine. This will help people who do have caffeine addictions.
Switch to tea.
I will get an article about tea up one day. There are caffeine free teas that can help too.
Drink water.
Water is one of the best things you can drink. Increasing your water consumption can help you feel better.
Summary
I know that was a long article, but here are some key takeaways.
Coffee has great health benefits like decreasing your chances of diabetes 2, stroke, and heart disease.
Coffee has drawbacks, such as anxiety, insomnia, and addiction.
It’s ok to have up to 4 cups of brewed coffee.
For every one cup of coffee you drink, you should match it with two cups of water.
Sources
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/top-13-evidence-based-health-benefits-of-coffee#TOC_TITLE_HDR_8
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