Coffee Debunked

 

Are you the type of person that tends to look forward to the morning just so you can enjoy a hot cup of joe? Don’t worry, you’re not alone.

Coffee is among one of the world’s most popular beverages. Among many things, coffee can help us to become a lot more alert, better start the day as well as help to improve our overall productivity. Alas, every flow has its ebb. Although there seems to be a lot of benefits to reap from drinking coffee, research has a tendency to give coffee a bad rap.

Let’s break down the truth about coffee and caffeine.

1. Caffeine

Caffeine is a chemical stimulant that is naturally found in certain plants, such as coffee beans, some teas and cocoa beans. When consumed in moderate amounts, caffeine can help to keep you feeling more awake by inhibiting the fatigue signals in your body. 

The recommended daily amounts of caffeine you should consume is:

  • 300mg for women of procreating age (roughly 2-3 cups of drip coffee);

  • 400mg for everyone else 19 years of age or older (roughly 3-4 cups of drip coffee).

Within these recommended amounts, there is no health concern to worry about. However, when consumed in excess, caffeine can cause adverse effects, such as headaches, heart palpitations and trouble sleeping.

Caffeine can also cause serious health concerns when taken with certain drugs, alcohol, having had certain chronic diseases, and while pregnant or breastfeeding.

Be sure to speak with your healthcare provider to ensure that you are consuming caffeine moderately and safely.

2. Coffee

Coffee is more than just its caffeine content. Did you know that decaffeinated coffee still does contain some caffeine?

Coffee in and of itself is packed with both vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, and provides plenty of health benefits. Most notably, some studies have shown that drinking coffee can help to lower the risk of developing type II diabetes. Interestingly, this benefit was shown to work using both regular (70 mg of caffeine) and decaffeinated coffee (7 mg of caffeine). Furthermore, some studies suggest that caffeine may even counter the benefits of coffee by hindering people with diabetes’ glycemic control.

Furthermore, it has been suggested that people who don’t drink coffee may be more at risk of developing type II diabetes than those who drink within the recommended daily amounts. Even so, it is not yet recommended to drink coffee to help reduce the risk of type II diabetes. Plus, since these studies were conducted using just plain black coffee, these benefits might get overshadowed if you’re the type of person who loves their coffee with 3 creams and sugar.

Let that brew with you for a second.

Overall, within limits, coffee is a perfectly okay drink to have, so long as water remains your primary source for hydration. So the next time you find yourself pouring your third or fourth coffee of the day, try switching it for your favourite tea, herbal tea or even decaf coffee!

What’s your favourite morning drink?

Source(s):

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Laura NguyenComment