There’s nothing like a hot cup of freshly brewed coffee to start the day right. Coffee is one of the most consumed products on the planet today. In fact, it’s pretty much a staple of our modern culture, but just because it’s ubiquitous doesn’t mean it’s good for us. The health effects of coffee have long been a matter of controversy. On one hand, it’s rich in antioxidants and can allegedly reduce the risk of many diseases, but on the other hand, it also contains caffeine which can cause many health problems with various levels of severity.
In an attempt to settle this debate, let’s take a look at some of the main pros and cons of drinking coffee every day.
Pros
Researchers define moderate caffeine consumption as about 4 cups of coffee or 400 mg of caffeine a day. It’s important to note that the health benefits listed below can only apply for those who stick to this recommended amount.
Energy boost
Caffeine is a known stimulant that can temporarily boost your energy levels by blocking your adenosine receptors. Adenosine is an inhibitory neurotransmitter responsible for slowing down cell activity in preparation for sleep. When there’s caffeine in your system, the nerve cells speed up instead as adrenaline is released, reducing tiredness and making you feel more alert. This surge of energy can boost your physical performance during workouts by 11-12%. Coffee can also increase your metabolism by 3-11%.
Lower risk of liver diseases
Long-term liver damage from any cause can lead to permanent scarring—a condition known as cirrhosis. When this happens, the liver becomes unable to function properly. Research suggests that those who drink coffee every day have up to an 84% lower risk of developing cirrhosis and up to a 40% lower risk of liver cancer, which is the second most fatal type of cancer worldwide.
Reduced risk of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases
These are the 2 most common neurodegenerative diseases in the world today. Research shows that regular coffee drinkers have up to a 65% lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s and a 32–60% lower risk of Parkinson’s disease.
Lower risk of Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is characterized by elevated blood sugar levels due to the effects on insulin. Hundreds of millions of people around the world currently suffer from this increasingly common disease. Several studies show that drinking at least 4 cups of coffee a day lowers your risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 23-67%.
Cons
The negative health effects of coffee are aggravated when you start relying on it to reduce fatigue. Also, if you have high cholesterol or you are caffeine sensitive, you might experience more severe effects.
Increased LDL cholesterol levels
Cafestol and kahweol are two components found in coffee beans that can raise the LDL cholesterol levels in the body. These cholesterol-boosting substances are found in much lower levels in filtered coffee. While the amount of cholesterol-boosting substances found in an espresso won’t affect a person with normal cholesterol levels, those with high cholesterol should drink filtered coffee instead. There’s more than one useful website out there that can help you choose a top-notch filter coffee machine. A drip coffee maker can give you a similar taste whenever you’re craving an espresso without messing with your cholesterol levels.
Calcium loss
Coffee can also cause your body to lose calcium, especially if you drink it with no milk. As a result, excessive coffee drinkers can be at risk of developing conditions such as osteoporosis, where the bones become less dense and more fragile.
Insomnia and restlessness
On average, it takes about 6 hours for caffeine to clear your system. Drinking coffee too late at night or too much during the day can affect your ability to sleep. As a result, you will probably resort to drinking more coffee the next day to counter the lack of sleep, which, in turn, will trap you in an ongoing cycle of caffeine dependency and overconsumption. However, this is easily countered by limiting your consumption to a couple cups of coffee a day. They can be made from one of the best coffee makers with grinder. Ideally, slowly over time, until you have reached your goal of drinking a suitable amount that doesn’t cause you to stay up at night.
Caffeine addiction and withdrawal
Regular caffeine consumers become tolerant to it over time. This is because your nervous system builds up a tolerance to caffeine over time, which means that you will need to keep upping your intake to get the level of alertness you’re seeking, otherwise, you will experience caffeine withdrawal symptoms such as headaches, exhaustion, and irritability. To counteract these symptoms, you can simply be more adventurous with your coffee. Try a Mochaccino or new coffee beans and blends from time to time.
If you are a coffee lover, you will definitely perk up when you read about the health benefits, but you may also be concerned about the possible side effects. Research on the pros and cons of regular coffee consumption is nowhere near finished, however, the health benefits of coffee are strong and consistent among numerous studies, which leads us to believe that coffee can be very healthy for most people. So unless you have a specific medical condition or have been advised by a medical professional to avoid coffee, then drinking coffee in moderation every day may indeed play a positive role in your health.
