For a long time Coffee has been both praised and criticized for its potential benefits and risks. Some have treated it as a gift while others blame it for causing impotence and madness. However, the scientifically proven benefits and risks may actually differ from these concepts.
Caffeine is undoubtedly one of the most consumed psychoactive substances that may come under daily use and it is also one of the ingredients of coffee. Research tends to point towards various factors of coffee as a complex beverage that includes a thousand different substances.
This research is far from over but here are a few well known benefits and risks of coffee.
Health Benefits of Coffee
- Boosting physical performance: Coffee is well known for boasting physical performance by upto 11-12%. This is because Caffeine increases the adrenaline levels within your blood and adrenaline is the hormone that governs the “fight and flight” responses within your body. This is what helps you prepare for any physical exertion.
- Losing weight and fat: Coffee can help with losing weight and fat because coffee contains magnesium and potassium. These help the body to use insulin and regulate your blood sugar levels and in return reduce the craving for sugar treats. Moreover it can also help fat cells to break down body fat.
- Mental focus: Coffee can help improve your mental focus and alertness.
- Reduce risk of cancers and stroke: A study has shown that coffee may decrease the risk of prostate cancer in men by 20% and endometrial cancer in women by 25%. It may also prevent the development of basal cell carcinoma which is a common skin cancer. Moreover a reasonable amount of coffee (2-4 cups in a day) can help in lowering the risk of a stroke.
- Reduce the risk of Parkison’s disease, Alzheimer and Type II Diabetes: Some evidence suggests that coffee causes activity within the part of the brain that is affected by Parkinson’s. It may reduce the risk of Parkinson’s disease by 25%. It also reduces the risk of Alzheimer, dementia and Type II Diabetes. Caffeine can decrease your insulin sensitivity and hence impairs glucose tolerance, making you less prone to type 2 diabetes.
- Coffee can help fight with depression and lower suicide risk: Caffeine can stilumlate your central nervous system and can boost the production of neurotransmitters including serotonin, dopamine, noradrenaline. This can help with elevating your mood.
Health Risks of Coffee
- Bad quality can be toxic: Bad quality of coffee can prove to be toxic for you. This is especially if the beans are over ripped or just ruined. In that case your cup can be quite toxic.
- Insomnia and restlessness: This has something to do with the caffeine.You should be careful with coffee especially if you are caffeine sensitive. The maximum amount that you should have is 400 milligrams which is about 4 cups.
- Not recommended in pregnancy: STudies on drinking coffee during pregnancy are quite controversial. Especially if your baby is highly sensitive to caffeine, you should limit your caffeine intake.
- Not suitable for high cholesterol: Coffee beans tend to contain cafestol and kahweol which can raise the LDL cholesterol levels. Choose filtered coffee if you have high cholesterol issues.
- Bedwetting in kids: Coffee may increase bedwetting in kids around 5-7 years.
- Coffee can kill you: Drinking coffee above the lethal amount which is 80-100 cups (23 liters) can literally kill you. However you are more likely to vomit out most of it before you even reach that point.
Conclusion
You should pay attention to your caffeine intake especially if you are sensitive, pregnant or a child. Drinking a reasonable amount of coffee can be good for. However over abusing the usage of coffee is obviously going to be harmful. Make sure that you select the coffee that suits you and that the coffee you chose is fresh and well brewed.
Check out starbucks k cup coffee pod products if you’re up for shopping for coffee products.
