Did you know that worldwide we consume on average 2.25 billion cups of coffee per day ☕️ That’s a lot of espresso!
As a nutritionist, I am asked time and time again – is coffee really all that bad?
During the 1000+ years that coffee has been a part of our diet and in the age of Starbucks – whether coffee is a benefit or hinderance to our health has stimulated endless debate. I’ll be the first to acknowledge that yes there is a lot of negative press circulating around coffee because of the widespread belief that anything that tastes good must be bad for you. There are some serious sides to the argument however such as – coffee stimulates the nervous system, increasing alertness but interfering with sleep. It also can be a strong diuretic, it stimulates the flow of urine, thus helping the kidneys to flush out unwanted toxins as well as stimulating the cardiovascular system by boosting heart rate and protecting against heart failure.
Everyone seems to have an opinion on why you should/ shouldn’t consume coffee. As an accredited health professional, I am here to provide my advice as well as separate the fact from the fiction.
I find a lot of people confuse coffee and caffeine, this then creates a lot of conflicting information and advice. Coffee is a food product prepared from roasted coffee beans, the seeds of berries from the Coffee plant, and caffeine is the active ingredient within the coffee. Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant aka responsible for the sudden burst of energy as soon as that warm brew hits your digestive track. If you consume more than the recommended allowance for caffeine per day – roughly 400 milligrams (mg) per day which is equal to roughly 4 cups of brewed coffee, 10 cans of cola or 2 energy drinks. You can expect to be plagued with horrible jittering, heart palpitations, headaches and anxiety to name a few.
Side note: Pregnant and lactating women, children and those who are sensitive to caffeine should aim to consume less then 400mg per day.
It is important to be conscious of how much caffeine your consuming on a daily basis after all naturally occurring caffeine is found in more than 60 food sources not just coffee these include tea, cocoa, and chocolate. Synthetic caffeine is also a primary ingredient in most pain relief and cold and flu tablets.
Coffee actually has a wealth of amazing health benefits. Like I say to all my clients – life is all about balance, learning the right balance for you is the best way to achieve optimal health. Some people are naturally more sensitive to the side effects than others, so they should aim to consumer less in order to still benefit from the protective health benefits of coffee.
So now that I’ve laid out the side effects of too much caffeine, let’s find out just how coffee can improve your life. I’ve listed what I believe to be some of the main benefits of coffee:
1) Coffee can make you more productive and increase mental alertness: If there ever was a cure for the dreaded Mondayitis this is it. Coffee is great for a short-term energy boost that can keep you energised between meals. Coffee is beloved by students worldwide and it’s no wonder with studies showing that adequate caffeine is linked with greater ability to make correct decisions, improved accuracy of reactions and better performance of short-term memory. No wonder its apart of every university students exam survival pack.
2) Coffee can lower the risk of type 2 diabetes: With chronic disease rates on the rise, it’s so important that these preventable diseases are treated before they have a chance to develop. Regular coffee consumption has been found to lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. This is because of the way coffee is metabolised and how it affects the hormones and proteins responsible for triggering the onset of type 2 diabetes.
3) Coffee can reduce your risk of liver cancer by up to 50%: In addition to being a proven preventer of type 2 diabetes – a risk factor for liver cancer, coffee has a favourable effect of cirrhosis and liver enzymes, which is why this disease can be easily prevented.
4) Coffee can improve your heart health: Drinking coffee in moderation can protect against heart failure. Specifically, those who drank coffee had an 11% reduced risk of heart failure compared to those who did not. It’s important to remember that cardiovascular conditions can be influenced by your genes as well as your diet. To reap the benefits coffee has to be utilised in addition to a healthy and active lifestyle.
5) Coffee has nutritional benefits: More than just black water, many of the nutrients in the coffee beans do make it into the final drink.
One cup of coffee contains:
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Riboflavin (Vitamin B12): 11% of the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA)
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Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin b5): 6% of the RDA
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Manganese and Potassium: 3% of the RDA
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Magnesium and Niacin (B3): 2% of the RDA
Whatever your opinion or belief on coffee, it is important to remember that the single most effective way to combat chronic disease whether it be physical or mental is to eat and drink to your individual requirements and enjoy a diet rich in whole foods as well as do plenty of physical activity.
