In my quest to find a healthier lifestyle with what I eat, the topic of coffee often comes up. We live in a society where it seems that the new “social drinking” comes in the form of a coffee shop and a latte. I am convinced of people’s love of this drink by the fact that there are six coffee shops in a two mile radius of my house ( two of which are Starbucks), and that the standard latte is $3+. I admit that I love my coffee to the point where I get excited about having a cup, ever since it was my go-to for staying up in college (which is no longer the case! It’s all in moderation now). It’s my time in the day to slow down, enjoying something I love, and drinking a treat I enjoy. But there are some downsides to coffee (as their are in a lot of things, unfortunately) but the upsides may override them. Here is some of the research I found to determine if you feel that the cup of day is a pro or con to your health.
Lets start with the good stuff! Pros:
According to WebMD, coffee adds quite a few pros to your life. Research has shown that coffee can reduce risk of some diseases such as Parkinson’s, colon cancer, liver cirrhosis, gallstones, and possibly diabetes. The caffeine (which could have negative effects in some people) can help headaches and asthma and can increase mood and productivity.
Coffee is also a surprisingly good source for antioxidants. It supplies a concentrated amount that can supplement those in fruits, vegetables, seeds, etc. Coffee far surpassed black tea on the antioxidant scale, cup for cup. While coffee can not replace the antioxidants found in other natural foods, it contains some additional ones not found in the others.
Okay, we know there are some downsides. Cons:
Those who can not tolerate caffeine, or drink too much a day can suffer from problems like anxiety, high blood pressure, and may raise cholesterol. It can be addictive or cause withdrawals in certain people or those who drink it habitually (more on caffeine addiction here). And oh yeah – it can stain your teeth.
These are just some basics on coffee drinking and the pros and cons. At the end I will put some more in-depth references if you want to get more information. But if you do like a little coffee in moderation, don’t feel so guilty – it does have some very good qualities.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/08/0831_050831_coffee.html
http://www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/coffee_health_benefits
http://men.webmd.com/features/coffee-new-health-food?page=2
http://www.medicinenet.com/caffeine/article.htm
Photo credit: Nicholas Tarling
What interesting timing for you to write about the coffee topic. I’m currently on day 7 of no coffee. I go off coffee, then get back on, etc. This has been going on for years. However, this latest stint of quitting coffee as been especially nice, minus the withdrawal headaches. I don’t feel as anxious or edgy. I also don’t crave it now, which is something that made quitting in the past so terrible.
I recently spoke with an acupuncturist friend of mine who swears that most everything can be traced back to coffee. I wouldn’t go that far, but I can say that I feel better and more energetic than I’ve felt in years.
I LOVE coffee so much but I am giving my system a break, for now.
Great comment, and I think that it is a great to give your body a break from anything (except water!). Especially something that is as strong as coffee.
Im glad to hear you are feeling better – It sounds like if you are feeling this much better off coffee than it is definitely a con for your body. I have the same reaction to raw chocolate, I can only have it on special occasions because it gives me the anxious and edgy feeling.
Im guessing that you can still have coffee the same way someone would have cake – a special occasion kind of thing (since you do like it!).
It’s great to hear that you love your coffee too! But it is also good to hear that you are not craving it, that makes the breaks or quitting a lot easier.
Thanks again for the great info, it’s good to know personal experiences over just the research!
hi wats your myspace page
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