It’s another workday, barely light outside, and you’re not exactly motivated. The only hope of putting yourself into that productive mode is the sweet smell of coffee. One cup, and you feel alive again.
However, are there any negative effects attached to coffee? Some feed into the addiction, others try to have it in moderation – only to surrender to its familiar taste and comfort yet again.
So, is coffee actually bad for you? I will answer this age old question once and for all. We have some new studies and research come in, and it may be in favor of coffee drinkers. Just continue reading and find out everything you need to know!
Benefits of Drinking Coffee
Consuming coffee in moderation (1-3 cups per day) is associated with several health advantages and is generally safe for most adults. As long as you react to it well, here are the benefits you can expect from each sip.
1. More Energy
It’s not a myth, the caffeine in coffee can really fight fatigue and increase energy. Caffeine actually blocks specific receptors in the brain that regulate critical functions like sleep, alertness, cognition, and memory. This way your body gets and instant energy boost that will work every time.
2. Supports Brain Health
Some studies suggest that coffee may help protect against certain neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
Substances contained in coffee block the neurotransmitter adenosine in the brain. In turn, other neurotransmitters like norepinephrine and the well-known dopamine increase along with neural firing. Cognition improves when you drink coffee, along with critical thinking, memory, reaction speed, productivity, and focus.
3. Reduced Risk of Diabetes
Diabetes, especially type 2 diabetes is something you’ll have to worry about less if you drink coffee regularly. A recent review found that each cup of coffee per day was linked to a 6% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
This effect is linked to coffee’s ability to preserve the function of beta cells in your pancreas – which are the ones that produce insulin that regulates blood sugar levels.
Plus coffee is super rich in antioxidants, which are proven to positively impact insulin sensitivity, inflammation, and metabolism.
4. Promotes Weight Loss
If you ever felt that coffee suppressed hunger and made dieting easier, you weren’t wrong. Researches state that coffee can help lower hunger and suppress appetite – which then aids in the loss or maintenance of weight.
Caffeine also speeds the process of “thermogenesis”, which is how our body naturally burns fat.
5. Lower Risk of Depression
Feeling down? A warm cup of coffee may help. Drinking just one coffee per day was stated to lower the risk of depression by over 15%.
The anti-inflammatory properties of coffee are the ones to blame. Caffeine blocks mood-depressing chemicals in the brain, which in turn promotes a positive spirit.
6. Better Heart Health
Although coffee can increase blood pressure, recent studies suggest that this typically dissipates with regular use.
If cardiovascular health is your main concern, you’re in luck. Drinking 1-3 cups of coffee per day was associated with a 15% reduced risk of heart disease. Furthermore, coffee usage also significantly decreases the risk of heart failure as well.
7. Enhanced Athletic Performance
Coffee is a great natural pre-workout. Drinking it before exercise increases your endurance, performance, and speed.
One study found that consuming coffee significantly reduced fatigue – extending time to exhaustion during a workout by 12%.
8. Liver Protection
It is stated that coffee may also help protect the liver. Researches are led to believe that an ingredient inside coffee may help lower the risk of cirrhosis, or scarring of the liver.
Another study found that people who had 2 cups of coffee per day experienced a much lower risk of liver cancer.
9. Improved Metabolic Health
Looking to revitalize your metabolism?
Look no further. Higher coffee consumption is linked to a decreased risk of metabolic syndrome – an informatory condition characterized by high cholesterol, excess body fat, and high blood sugar levels.
10. Increased Longevity
It’s true, coffee can actually help you live longer. It is found that people who drank ground coffee lowered their risk of death by 27%, followed by 14% for decaffeinated, and 11% for instant coffee.
Coffee may also hold some anti-aging properties. However, this is yet to be scientifically confirmed.
Cons of Drinking Coffee
It’s not all sunshine and rainbows. I’ve listed the major disadvantages of coffee drinking, below.
1. Caffeine and Anxiety
Everyone had coffee jitters at least once, it wasn’t just your imagination. Drinking too much caffeine is actually proven to induce jitteriness, anxiety, increased hearth rhythm, and jet lag.
If you frequently experience any of these symptoms, lower the caffeine doses you take. However, if any amount of coffee is contributing to your anxiety, consider cutting it out entirely.
2. Coffee Can Disrupt Sleep
If you’re facing sleeping troubles often, you may want to consider giving up coffee. Caffeine can indeed disrupt ones sleeping pattern.
And with a lack of rest and recovery, you won’t be able to perform properly in any area of life. To avoid these issue, try drinking your coffee early in the day, and avoid it completely in the evening before bed.
3. Coffee is Addictive
I’ll be the first one to admit, cutting coffee isn’t fun. It’s a well-known fact that when people abstain from coffee, they get withdrawal symptoms like headaches, exhaustion, brain fog, and restlessness.
Even though unpleasant, these symptoms only last for a few days. So, if you’re experiencing other negative effects it may be best to remove it entirely.
4. Higher Cortisol
There is some speculation that drinking coffee in the morning may interfere with your body’s ability to regulate cortisol, the stress hormone. Cortisol levels are typically high in the morning, 30 minutes after waking up.
This spike combined with coffee may promote longer periods of elevated cortisol, which could increase stress. Therefore, drinking coffee an hour after waking up could be a safer bet.
5. Gut Problems
Finally, drinking this caffeinated beverage before breakfast could trigger your stomach, helping you go number two faster. Some may not find this as a con, but many do.
Besides this, people sensitive to caffeine could also trigger nausea and acid reflux. To neutralize this unpleasant symptom, put a splash of milk in your coffee to lower its acid.
Conclusion
So, to drink coffee or not to drink? If you don’t like consuming it, there’s no pressing reason to start. Even though there are tons of benefits to drinking coffee, you can get all the nutrients and antioxidants provided by coffee from a healthy diet.
However, if a delicious cup of joe is the perfect start to your day, there’s no reason to quit now.