The Good and the Bad About Coffee. Is Coffee Right For You?
Apr 28, 2022
Do you drink multiple cups of coffee a day or drink coffee as part of your morning routine? Then this article is for you! To understand the good and the bad about coffee and determining if drinking coffee is right for you.
Caffeine is an addictive substance and is the main active ingredient within coffee. It can be important to recognize the reasons for consuming caffeine daily. Do you need caffeine because you’re so tired? Do you experience withdrawal symptoms if you go without caffeine? Caffeine can definitely show up to save the day when fatigue sets in, especially when daily tasks need to be completed. It is important to recognize if you are dependent on caffeine for energy to get through the day.
The evidence shows that moderate coffee consumption can bring both benefits and risks. Higher caffeine consumption is likely not a healthy choice.
The Negative effects of caffeine overuse:
Nutrient Depletion
· Caffeine depletes important vitamins (B vitamins, vitamin C) and minerals (iron, zinc, potassium, magnesium, calcium), especially when coffee is consumed with food.
· In children and adolescents, coffee interferes with essential minerals needed for growth and development. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) discourages the consumption of caffeine and stimulants by children and adolescents.
Cardiovascular system effects
· Caffeine can raise blood pressure, cholesterol and triglycerides from its stimulant effects. All of these are risk factors that could lead to cardiovascular disease in the future.
· Anxiety can be mimicked by these cardiovascular effects of excess caffeine such as heart palpitations, shakiness, nervousness, trouble sleeping.
Gastrointestinal irritation
· Caffeine can increase stomach acid secretions for more than an hour, which can be problematic in those with stomach ulcers, or gastritis.
· Caffeine is a stimulate which can cause diarrhea by relaxing the smooth muscles in the colon. This can make the colon dependent of caffeine for bowel movement with its laxative type effect.
Central Nervous system effects
· Caffeine causes neuronal excitement in the brain and releases adrenaline, which increases energy. Caffeine also increases alertness by blocking the effects of a brain chemical adenosine that makes you feel tired.
· Side effects of caffeine on the central nervous system include nervousness, insomnia, irritability, dizziness, and headaches. Psychological symptoms like depression, anxiety or panic attacks may also occur.
· Caffeine can cause insomnia, especially when you consume a lot of caffeine daily or consume caffeine closer to bedtime.
Adrenal gland effects
· A lot of people chose to drink coffee in the morning for that pick me up of energy as caffeine helps to stimulate the adrenal glands to produce adrenaline and more of your stress-hormone (cortisol). Overtime this habit can contribute to chronic fatigue and leave your adrenal glands exhausted.
· Coffee increases blood sugar levels, which is especially bad if you have hypoglycemia, leaving you feeling anxious during the day. This also is another way the adrenal glands become exhausted.
· Overtime increased blood sugar levels and increased cortisol levels can affect your thyroid health. Cortisol levels slow down the conversion of thyroid hormones (T4 thyroid hormone into T3 thyroid hormone).
Diuretic
· Coffee is a diuretic which can increase the amount of time you have to go to the bathroom and increases water loss through urination. This can lead to dehydration
Benefits of Caffeine
· In a 2015 study, there was no significant association between coffee consumption and total cancer mortality. They found there was an 8%-15% reduction in the risk of death in those who consumed coffee. These results indicate that coffee can be incorporated into a healthy lifestyle. You will have to make the final call on how much and how often that may be.
· Another study from 2013, looked at the positive outcomes of bioactive compounds in coffee (excluding caffeine) to help with performance improvements and neuroprotective benefits in the aging. Coffee components have been shown to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties for supporting the aging brain. This study concludes that moderate coffee consumption may provide neurological benefits.
· Caffeine in coffee has been found to produce dopamine a neurotransmitter. Which may be helpful in Parkinson’s disease, a condition cause by low dopamine levels.
· Caffeine can be a performance enhancer for athletes. It may help muscles burn more fat and may work directly on muscle by improving its efficiency in generating power. Benefits may be better for endurance types of exercise.
· If coffee is filtered properly it seems to reduce the effects of cafestol a cholesterol-raising ingredient in coffee. Unfiltered coffee is limited to Turkish coffee and coffee brewed in a French press.
How much caffeine is safe?
150 to 300 milligrams per day
Drink Amount of Caffeine
Coffee – 1 cup (8oz) 95-150 mg
Coffee decaf – 1 cup 2-5 mg
Coffee, espresso 1/2cup (100g) 212 mg
Green tea – 1 cup 30-50 mg
Black tea – 1 cup 40-70 mg
You can start by tracking how much caffeine you consume and decrease your coffee intake by a cup per day. You can even challenge yourself to give your body a break from caffeine on the weekends. Or challenge yourself to eliminate coffee for a full month to help nourish your adrenal glands and your nervous system. You may experience withdrawal symptoms of caffeine within the first few days of eliminating coffee, but you will reap the benefits of not having coffee after a month by noticing improvements in sleep, anxiety, and having better energy then you thought was possible.
You can change your morning routine habits by having hot lemon water or an herbal tea as a replacement for coffee. Instead of grabbing for your morning coffee, try working out in the morning by going for a walk or practicing yoga to help increase your energy levels in the morning. To prevent dehydrate have a 16oz glass of water first thing in the morning before drinking any coffee.
Lots of research can be conflicting on whether coffee drinking is good or bad. There may be biases and limitations in various studies. At the end of the day, it’s best to listen to your body for interpreting how coffee makes your body feel. If you are dealing with chronic gastrointestinal issues, hypertension, pregnancy, adrenal exhaustion, anxiety, or thyroid issues then avoiding coffee may be ideal until these conditions improve.
Healthy Coffee Alternatives
Decaf coffee can help reduce a lot of the negative effects of caffeine mentioned above. Decaf coffee has the same antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits. It’s best to drink “naturally decaffeinated” decaf coffee that doesn’t use synthetic chemicals in the extraction process. You can look for the organic seal on decaf coffee, as there are not always specific labeling rules disclosing how coffee becomes decaffeinated.
FUN FACT
Did you know that lighter roast coffee actually contains higher levels of caffeine than darker roast coffee?!
Keep on shining bright,
Dr. Julie
References
Calderone J. Is decaffeinated coffee bad for you? [Internet]. Consumer Reports; 2017 [cited 2021 April.5]. Available from: https://www.consumerreports.org/coffee/is-decaffeinated-coffee-bad-foryou
Ding M, Satija A, Bhupathiraju SN, Hu Y. Association of coffee consumption with total and cause-specific mortality in 3 large prospective cohorts. Circulation. 2015; 132:2305-2315. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.115.017341
Harvard Health Publishing. What is it about coffee? 2012 [cited 2021 April.6].
Shukitt-Hale B, Miller MG, Chu Y, Lyle B, Joseph JA. Coffee, but not caffeine, has positive effects on congnition and psychomotor behaviour in aging. Age.2013; 35(6):2183-2192. doi: 10.1007/s11357-012-9509-4
Sojar SH, Shrier LA, Ziemnik RE, Sherrit L. Symptoms attributed to consumption of caffeinated beverages in adolescents. Journal of Caffeine Research. 5(4): 187-191. doi: 10.1089/jcr.2015.0006
Warwick KW. Does caffeine cause anxiety? [Internet]. Healthline; 2019 [cited 2021 April.5]. Available from: https://www.healthline.com/health/caffeine-and-anxiety
Wolde T. Effects of caffeine on health and nutrition: a review. Food Science and Quality Management. 2014; 30:59-65.
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