The Benefits – And Drawbacks – Of Coffee

Knowing what to eat and drink – and what not to eat and drink – can be a tricky endeavor these days.

Red wine is good for you – but alcohol is bad.

Eggs are a great source of protein – but raise cholesterol levels.

Fish is full of healthy fats – and also full of mercury?

It’s not surprising that many people seek out nutritional counseling to determine exactly what they should and shouldn’t eat.

One food which seems to go back and forth between very good for you and not too great is coffee. We’ve talked about it before, but this time we’re going to update things with some new information.

Today we will look at the benefits and downsides of coffee, so you can decide if drinking it is the right choice for you.

Benefits Of Coffee

I know many people who claim their coffee intake isn’t for their own health – it’s for the health and safety of the people around them.

All joking aside, this popular morning beverage does have a number of benefits for those who choose to indulge.

Keep reading to learn more.

1. Antioxidants

Antioxidants are important for fighting free radical damage, which can cause effects of aging.

A 2001 study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry compared the levels of antioxidants in coffee, tea, and cocoa per serving¹.

Looking at standard serving sizes for each, researchers determined coffee held the highest levels of antioxidants, with cocoa coming in second, green tea third, and finally black tea.

Adding milk to the beverages did not alter the antioxidant content, so if you prefer your coffee (or tea) with a splash of milk, go right ahead and know you’re still getting the same benefit.

2. May Enhance Mental Performance

Does coffee make you smarter?

It may help – drinking coffee can help increase blood flow to the brain, which helps to support cognitive functions.

It has also been studied as a natural treatment for Alzheimer’s and other neurological conditions.

One study on mice showed when given caffeine from a young age, mice were protected against memory impairment as they aged.

3. Can Protect Your Liver

Coffee has been known to have properties which can help to prevent damage to the liver for some time.

A 2017 article review in the World Journal of Hepatology looked at the evidence for coffee as beneficial for liver disease².

Many studies have noted individuals who consume coffee regularly have lower levels of a number of enzymes which can be indicators of liver damage.

A 2015 study, noted in the review, also indicated a link between coffee intake and decreased mortality from chronic liver disease.

Even just one cup of coffee per day resulted in up to 15% reduction in risk of chronic liver disease, while 4 cups of coffee per day resulted in a 71% reduction.

It should also be noted that the beneficial effects of drinking coffee were not found to be repeated in other caffeinated beverages.

4. May Enhance Physical Abilities

Are you looking for a way to boost your performance while exercising?

Coffee might be just the trick – it has been shown to improve physical performance in the short-term.

It allows athletes to train longer, and give a greater power output.

For runners, coffee was also shown to improve speed in simulated race conditions.

Drawbacks of Coffee

For all of its benefits, it’s important to know that like any substance, coffee has some drawbacks as well.

Keep reading to learn about the downside of coffee. While for most people these won’t be reasons to give up the bean altogether, they are important to keep in mind.

1. It’s Addictive

We all know people who claim they can’t start their day without a cup of coffee – or two.

Although this trope is often used jokingly, the fact is coffee, or rather the caffeine inside it, can become addictive.

For those who have become addicted, symptoms can include headache, anxiety, fatigue, digestive issues, and change in appetite.

2. It’s Possible to Overdose On Caffeine

Just like with many substances, it’s possible to have too much of a good thing.

An April 2019 article in Nursing outlined how to recognize the signs and symptoms of caffeine overdose³.

Knowing the following can help you to recognize caffeine overdose:

● Heightened sense of alertness
● Increased heart rate
● Tremors
● Anxiety
● Mood changes
● Gastrointestinal discomfort (vomiting or diarrhea)
● Decreased physical and cognitive performance
● Seizures

Knowing these symptoms and finding someone with medical experience with them may help for someone experiencing a caffeine overdose.

3. May Increase Anxiety

Coffee, and other caffeinated beverages, can make you feel more alert, which can be a good thing when you need to get up earlier than you usually do, or need an extra boost to finish writing that report on time.

However, the release of adrenaline can also worsen feelings of anxiety and nervousness, and this is often made worse in those who suffer from chronic anxiety.

4. May Cause Thyroid Issues

Coffee can raise cortisol levels, which slow the conversion of T4 thyroid hormone to T3 thyroid hormone.

T3 hormone is more active when it comes to stimulating metabolism, and a reduction can lead to fatigue, hair loss, depression, and low body temperature.

Because of this, regular coffee drinkers often feel energized immediately after their morning cup, when caffeine levels are elevated, but overall have lower energy levels – resulting in a need to drink more.

5. May Lead to Insomnia

You have probably heard the advice to not consume coffee past 2 PM, lest it remain in your system and interfere with your sleep schedule.

However for some people, even sticking to one coffee first thing in the morning can result in an inability to fall asleep when bedtime rolls around.

If you’re finding it’s becoming difficult to fall asleep at night, consider cutting out your morning coffee and seeing if it makes a difference.

6. May Irritate Digestive Disorders

Coffee is a diuretic, meaning it causes you to urinate more often, and result in a loss of vitamins and minerals from your body.

Additionally, coffee causes an increase in acid production in the stomach.

This extra acid can be useful for digestion of food, however it can also aggravate digestive disorders such as ulcers, and gastritis.

IBS, Crohn’s, and other inflammatory bowel diseases can also negatively be affected by coffee.

The Verdict: Should You Drink Coffee?

So should you drink coffee?

Ultimately, I can’t answer that for you – not in an article, anyway.

For most people, an occasional cuppa’ joe, or even one per day won’t cause harm.

However, there are a number of health conditions which may improve by avoiding coffee (and caffeine) altogether, including anxiety, insomnia, and thyroid problems like Graves’ disease and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.

Ultimately it’s up to you to weigh the pros and cons to determine if coffee is right for you.

1.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11453788
2.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5440772/
3.https://journals.lww.com/nursing/Fulltext/2019/04000/How_to_recognize_caffeine_overdose.15.aspx

Contact Dr. Pat Nardini

Are you still unsure if drinking coffee is the right choice for you?

Or do you have other nutritional questions which you want a second opinion on?

Contact me, Dr. Pat Nardini, to learn about my nutritional counselling services – I’ll look at your current health status and diet, and help you to create a plan to ensure you’re getting all of the nutrients you need.