Coffee, is it good for us, should we be drinking it and how much should we actually be drinking? Well, to keep it simple, it really depends. Let’s dive in and talk about the benefits and disadvantages so that you can make a decision based on your health.
Benefits of Coffee
#1 Coffee is extremely high in antioxidants which means coffee can reduce cellular damage by free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS), reduce inflammation and may prevent the appearance of ageing.
#2 Coffee is well known to promote fat burning, especially taken right before a workout as it can signal to fat cells to breakdown and utilise fat as energy. Coffee can also boost your workout performance by increasing adrenaline.
#3 Coffee is a stimulant. The Caffeine content in coffee makes us feel more awake, focused and alert (which is why many of us do drink coffee!)
#4 Coffee is a bitter and bitters stimulate our digestive system which is why you may find after having a coffee, you need to skip to the loo.
#5 Coffee may protect you from many diseases such as Alzheimer’s, stroke, certain cancers, Parkinson’s, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Studies have also shown that coffee may increase life span.
#6 Coffee can improve memory. Studies have shown coffee may enhance cognitive functions when consumed in moderate intake.
The Disadvantages of Coffee
#1 Coffee contains high amounts of caffeine and caffeine can over stimulate the body and put a lot of strain on the adrenals, possibly leading to adrenal fatigue.
#2 Caffeine can overwhelm the brain with excitatory neurotransmitters which can actually cause resistance to neurotransmitters and damage receptors which means, over time you will need more and more coffee to feel the effects.
Note: Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers such as dopamine, adrenaline, serotonin
#3 Coffee contains tannins which can reduce the absorption of Iron, zinc, calcium and many other minerals. This disadvantage can be reduced if you consume your coffee 1-2hours before or after you eat and take any vitamin supplements.
#4 Too much sugar. Coffee is very bitter, and this causes many of us to need sugar to make it taste better. The issue is, if too much sugar is added, this can cause a spike in blood sugar levels as there is no fibre present to slow down the absorption. If you have 3,4,5 coffees a day, each with 1-2 teaspoons of sugar, then that’s a lot of sugar in one day and we know sugar has a lot of negative health implications.
#5 Coffee can increase blood pressure and may cause you to become dependent on it.
#6 For some people, coffee can increase anxiety or cause stomach and digestive upset
As you can see, there are a lot of benefits and disadvantages of coffee and this may not have helped you make up your mind. To make it a little bit easier though, if you are someone who struggles with adrenal fatigue, thyroid problems or insomnia then you may want to stick away from coffee or really limit your intake and try not to consume coffee in the afternoon if you do have insomnia. If you don’t have any health concerns, then coffee can be a healthy part of your diet but like anything, in moderation and I would say no more than 3 a day (less if you are more sensitive) so you don’t over stimulate your body and put too much tension on your neurotransmitters and adrenals.
Does it matter what type of coffee you drink?
Something that I think gets missed a lot of the time is the fact that not all coffee is created equal. The roasting of coffee beans is actually quite a complex process. If your coffee has been roasted too much such as dark roasted coffee, then this process can actually create cancer causing chemicals such as PAHs. To prevent this, look for an organic, medium roast smokeless process which will also be higher in antioxidants. You may also want to give your adrenals a rest and go caffeine free for a week every now and then to reset your body. I do this around every 8 weeks so I usually keep organic decaf in the cupboard and just use that for the week I’m on a detox or you may choose to go off coffee completely.
With all that being said, it’s important to listen to your body. If coffee doesn’t make you feel good, then find something else you enjoy. There are so many options out there now such as roasted dandelion, which Is also a bitter and will give you some great digestive benefits!
I hope this helped clear up some confusion surrounding coffee. Please keep in mind that we are all different, therefore the benefits may not apply to everyone and the same goes with the disadvantages.
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