Coffee is GOOD for you … in more ways than you think. And there’s plenty of research to prove it.
By Dona Suri
Okay, so too much red meat, saturated fats, sugar and salty stuff is going to clog up your arteries, ossify your kidneys and dump killer fat on your liver. You’ve read all about it … again and again and again.
In fact, it’s all been thumped so often that you’re tired of reading about foods that are “bad” for you. Surely there must be something you like that does no harm. It would be even better if there were something you like that is actually good for you. Well, there is. You will be delighted to learn that
COFFEE IS GOOD FOR YOU.
We are not proclaiming this off the top of our heads. There is now a huge body of research, published in highly reputed medical journals, that extols the health benefits of coffee. (Google “caffeine effects research”. Literally dozens of scholarly studies will pop up – even if you limit results to only what has been published in the past two years.)
A lot of what the researchers are finding is stuff that we already know from our experience as coffee drinkers.
“Drinking coffee boosts energy level.”
“Drinking coffee positively affects alertness and cognition.”
Of course, it’s all in academic language. Instead of just saying “coffee puts people in a better mood and makes them feel less stressed,” the researchers have to say: “Caffeine activates noradrenaline neurons and affects the local release of dopamine. It acts through neuronal adenosine A2A receptors to prevent mood and memory dysfunction triggered by chronic stress.”
The more research you read, the more coffee benefits you discover. Canadian Nurse recently put out a concise summary draw from eight different academic papers published over the past two years. Here it is —> —> —>
Caffeine is the main element in coffee but the researchers found other beneficial compounds as well. They mention polyphenols such as catechins, theaflavins and chlorogenic acid (CGA). These components are anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. Altogether, they help you beat off many, many serious diseases.
In research paper after research paper, the only cautionary note concerns the effect of coffee on sleep. Caffeine has a half-life of six hours and excellent bioavailability. In other words, if you drink coffee at 4 pm, your system won’t have it all metabolised until about 10 pm. Taking coffee too close to bedtime is likely to interfere with getting a good night’s sleep.
And by the way, a cup of coffee is not the only delivery system for caffeine. Tea, cola soft drinks, energy drinks, chocolate and some medications – particularly cough syrups – contain caffeine.
Which brings up another note of caution: soft drinks, coffee drinks, bottled tea, or energy drinks typically contain high amounts of sugar. A super-size latte with whipped cream on top might as well be a dessert if you are counting calories.
Also, people with certain conditions need to go slow on the coffee. Watch out if you are prone to …
Migraines or chronic headaches.
Too much coffee, or suddenly going without coffee, can trigger headaches. Remember, caffeine is an ingredient in some migraine medications.
Sleep issues.
People drink coffee to stay awake and alert. People who have trouble getting to sleep anyway should avoid coffee altogether in the hours before they put their head on the pillow.
Severe anxiety.
Coffee is a stimulant; too much coffee is likely to over-stimulate, leading to a spike in restlessness and anxiety.
Heart issues.
Over all, coffee has been found to benefit heart health but excess can raise the heart rate and bring on palpitations. People with heart conditions should ask their cardiologist how much coffee they can safely take.
Acid reflux or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
Caffeine increases the release of acid in the stomach so it does no good to those who have pre-existing reflux issues.
Pregnancy.
Baby consumes what Mom consumes … but baby weighs very little compared to Mom. The foetus simply can’t metabolise a lot of caffeine. Women who are expecting should consume no more than 200 mg of caffeine per day; exceeding that limit has been linked to lower birth weights and an increased risk of miscarriage.
Breastfeeding.
Again, Baby consumes what Mom consumes. A high level of caffeine in the body means too much is going to be passed on to the child
Drug interactions.
Caffeine may interact with certain stimulants, some antibiotics, asthma medications, and heart medications. Ask your pharmacist about how whatever medication you are taking is likely to be affected by caffeine.
Coffee and kids is another issue. The American Academy of Paediatrics takes a dim view of handing a kid a cup of coffee, but what the academy really frowns on are caffeine-loaded energy drinks.
“Stimulant-containing energy drinks have no place in the diets of children and adolescents. No one of any age, especially zero to 17, should have energy drinks.”
The AAP notes that standard energy drinks are 16 ounces, doubling the caffeine per serving noted on the label (generally 85 mg per 8 ounces). Children who consume two or three energy drinks a day would be getting more caffeine than an adult who drinks four cups of coffee. Plus, energy drinks are loaded with sugar, increasing the risk of obesity.
Without going into the matter of caffeine’s impact on child nervous system and cardiovascular system, but just on the basis of what a body of a certain weight can metabolise, it’s obvious that children can’t handle an adult-size caffeine hit.
Incidentally, to get all of coffee’s health-giving benefits, you want to drain the brew through a paper filter. Unfiltered coffee (espresso, French press or boiled Turkish) can contain compounds called diterpenes that raise levels of “bad” cholesterol or LDL.
And stay away from those fattening Caramel Macchiatos and Venti Java Chip Frappuccino with extra whipped cream.
Stick to basic coffee.
About how much caffeine is your personal optimum?
Answering that question is as simple as listening to your body. Individual genetics sets a limit for each person. The effects of caffeine are clearly perceptible and it’s easy to tell when we have had enough.