It seems like every other month, we read conflicting findings about
coffee – whether it’s harmful or beneficial to our health. What’s
certain, though, is that coffee has its pros and cons.
Let’s take a look at some of the results of these studies:
The pros of drinking
coffee
- It helps protect the liver
– the risk of
cirrhosis of the liver was found to be reduced by as much as 80% –
especially in alcohol drinkers and tobacco smokers.
- It protects against colon and rectal
cancer.
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- It stimulates the cardiovascular system and may
increase blood pressure (beneficial for those with low BP only)
- It has a generous supply of
antioxidants which combat cell damage; one of its
antioxidants may protect against Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and
gallstones
- It has been linked to better athletic
performance and greater stamina
- It contributes to improved mental acuity
- Although it is a stimulant, it is not addictive
in the manner that amphetamines and other drugs are
- It is recognized by the US FDA as GRAS
(”generally recognized as safe”)
- It reduces the incidence of asthma
by 25%
- It improves memory
- It gives greater energy and alertness
- In studies, it was not linked to miscarriage,
birth defects,
premature birth, low birth weight, SIDS, or infertility; neither is
consumption of coffee linked to cancer, osteoporosis, cardiovascular
disease, reflux (although recent research has proved otherwise),
hypertension, and anxiety
- It can lead to a slight increase
in HDL (good cholesterol) levels
The
cons of drinking coffee
Some of these downright disprove the findings about coffee’s
advantages, but you be the judge:
- It hasn’t been scientifically proven to
cure
hangovers
- Although it isn’t on the same level of
addictiveness as prohibited
drugs, most people experience mild symptoms on coffee withdrawal, such
as headaches
- It causes a temporary and harmless rise
in heart workload
- Women with fibrocystic breast disease may
be
more sensitive at this time with caffeine
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- Coffee drinkers who are emotionally more
sensitive than others could be more prone to anxiety attacks
- It’s a myth that coffee could reduce your
weight in the long term
- Pregnant women consuming 300 mg of caffeine or
more a day are two times more likely to have a miscarriage
- Calcium loss has been
detected in women
who are regular coffee drinkers; to counteract this, one must consume a
cup of milk or yogurt for every cup of coffee taken
It can be quite confusing to have our beliefs and ideas about coffee
changed every so often.
These two sides are both backed by scientific studies, but there
still are a lot more factors that could invalidate research findings.
In the meantime, we coffee lovers just have to use a little common
sense and see what works best for us. The key term here is, and always
will be, moderation.
