Why coffee?

This product is one of the most commercialized and one of the three most consumed drinks worldwide. However, coffee is not only consumed widely. It is also a versatile drink because there are different ways to enjoy it. Also, coffee is the best companion for any time of the day because it provides us with energy due to its caffeine percentage and specific aroma and taste. 

 

What is caffeine?

One of the main reasons people wonder if coffee is good for you is because it contains caffeine. Caffeine is good, and one of its primary effects is stimulating the brain and central nervous system, helping you stay alert. It is a natural stimulant most commonly found in tea, coffee, and cacao plants. This substance is toxic only in massive doses. 

Health benefits of coffee 

Research at Harvard (Harvard Medical School, 2014) tracked 100,000 people for about 20 years, but they concentrated in 4 years. And results showed that people who regularly drink coffee might have an 11% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes than non-drinkers because coffee has some ingredients that can affect the hormones involved in metabolism. Likewise, experts say, people who drink coffee have a lower risk of having a stroke, and it can reduce the risk of atherosclerosis, which can cause heart attacks. 

On the other hand, the same study showed that people who reduce their coffee consumption increased the risk of developing diabetes by 17%. However, it is not yet clear how coffee influences diabetes. 

In a moment, some judged coffee like other drugs, but recently these kinds of opinions have changed. Studies have shown that coffee is not bad for us, it has benefits, and we have to learn to drink coffee moderately like with other kinds of drinkable things. 

Some benefits of coffee include:

•  May increase energy and performance: Thanks to its caffeine content, coffee may help people maintain alertness and energy levels. In addition, drinking coffee before exercise may help to reduce rates of exertion and improve athletic performance.
• Brain stimulation, focus, and mood: It is the most widely used psychoactive substance in the world. Caffeine beverages can boost your performance doing mental tasks and keep you more alert, but coffee with caffeine may affect the way your brain functions. It increases your brain's energy metabolism while reducing blood flow. Caffeine also helps in mental tasks and keeps you more alert. 
• May boost metabolism: Caffeine improves weight management through boosting metabolic rate and burning fat. Prolonged consumption helps insulin resistance. Also, there are healthy options like repent tea or organic coffee.
• Reduced disease risk may protect against Parkinson’s disease, type 2 diabetes, and a long list of other chronic diseases. For example, caffeine and its daily consumption can reduce your risk of diabetes and improve insulin sensitivity. However, these diseases are more significant because of your lifestyle, and coffee can not compensate for poor health.  

 

Is coffee bad for you?

Coffee is not bad for you, as long as you drink it in moderation. Coffee has benefits but also has some damages for your health. According to the FDA, drinking 1-4 coffee cups per day is considered suitable for adults, but drinking too much coffee, and if it is low quality, can be bad for your health. 

Coffee is not the only problem. According to some studies, external factors influence poor health like smoking, drinking, lack of physical activity, and the way they drink coffee. For example, they drink vanilla lattes, coffee mate, and frappuccinos that are not full of oxidants. Instead, they are full of sugar, empty calories, and unhealthy fats. 

Drinking coffee can have significant downsides. In the first instance, pregnant women should generally steer clear of coffee because some studies find that drinking coffee in your first try to conceive can increase the chances of a miscarriage.

 

• Anxiety: Caffeine can increase anxiety levels in some people because coffee contains a hefty dose of caffeine, which is a stimulant. People who already have anxiety often have noticeable anxiety reactions from coffee. Coffee is bad for children as well. 
• Sleep disruption: Coffee can keep you focused, energetic but also with lack of sleep. It is crucial to sleep to recover energy. 
• Addiction: Coffee is an addictive substance. Addiction happens when you become tolerant of caffeine. People know it is happening because they no longer experience the benefits of coffee; they drink more coffee to feel active. There is a disadvantage with people who regularly drink coffee because when they try to stop drinking coffee, it manifests symptoms similar to people who use drugs but milder. 
• Acrylamide: It is a compound produced when roasting coffee beans that may cause health concerns. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, this component may be a human carcinogen. Still, animals metabolize the substance differently than humans, so more studies in humans are necessary.
• Pesticides: Coffee is the most heavily sprayed pesticide crop in the world. Much of coffee crops are pesticide-treated. But not all kinds of coffee have to be treated with pesticides. Organic coffee is grown without all the yuckiness that chemical products provide. 

Coffee is not bad for you on its own. However, the real problem is another factor that people usually use in the coffee or the manner people drink it without control. 

How much coffee is safe?

According to FDA studies, up to 400 mg of caffeine (3 or 4 cups). Drink only one cup of coffee every day: One 12- ounce cup per day is enough. Try not to depend on coffee to have energy. If you feel the necessity to drink more than the recommended amount of coffee (12 ounces), change it for green tea or more options.  

• Always go organic: Coffee crops go through toxins or fertilizers that are not good for the body. Try to buy organic coffee. It is more expensive, but it is better for your health.

 

• Skip added sugar: There are different healthy options like vanilla extract or cinnamon to add to coffee and avoid increasing blood sugar levels. 

• Use filtered water: Your coffee will be free of contaminants, and it will taste better.

 

• Use a coffee filter: The cafestol in unfiltered coffee is what makes it a bit of a risk for raising cholesterol levels. Use a coffee filter to avoid trouble. 

• Take occasional breaks: Taking days off from coffee is good to know that there is no dependency on it. Instead, you can choose more options like green tea.

Is coffee safe for everyone?

Caffeine is a stimulant, and everyone reacts differently to it. As mentioned above, excessive caffeine consumption can be harmful (1-4 coffee cups or 8-12 ounces per day), so when you drink a lot of coffee in the day, you can feel agitation and anxiety. In addition, some people who drink different types of caffeinated drinks could feel bad, like dizziness or tremors. 

Those who drink a lot of coffee every day start to need more and more coffee to achieve the same effect in their bodies or experience withdrawal symptoms. There are other considerations in how caffeine reacts in the body like: 

• Coffee acts as a diuretic which may cause the body to produce urine more quickly. 
• Children may experience more significant effects from caffeinated drinks. 
• Some medicines interact with a caffeinated drink, that when you take them, their effect will be less effective. 
• Some people are sensitive to caffeine or any dark drink. Ask if it is good to take certain medications with a caffeinated beverage and what kinds of drinks you can drink without problem. 

Coffee, like other drinks with caffeine or substances, is not bad for us when we take it in moderation and have a proper diet. Coffee, being a versatile drink, is classified as the second most consumable after water. You can enjoy it in different ways. Coffee is not just a drink to start the day; it is a drink for any time of the day as it gives us energy and keeps us active. Experiment with coffee, try to find out the one you like most and consume it healthily.

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