Many individuals express concern about the possible negative side effects of drinking coffee. While current research suggests that there are indeed some negative health effects associated with the popular beverage, coffee is actually very healthy. It is loaded with antioxidants and beneficial nutrients that can improve your health. The studies show that coffee drinkers have a much lower risk of several serious diseases. Here is a breakdown of the pros and cons of coffee.
Pro: Decreased Risk Of Diabetes
Individuals who drink coffee on a daily basis have a lower chance of developing Type 2 Diabetes than their non-coffee drinking counterparts. According to studies published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, with each additional cup of coffee consumed per day the risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes was cut by 7 percent. The researchers followed close to 500,000 men and women over the course of 18 different field studies to come up with the data.
Pro: Improve Energy Levels and Make You Smarter
Coffee can help people feel less tired and increase energy levels. This is because it contains a stimulant called caffeine, which is actually the most commonly consumed psychoactive substance in the world. After you drink coffee, the caffeine is absorbed into the bloodstream. From there, it travels into the brain. In the brain, caffeine blocks an inhibitory neurotransmitter called Adenosine.
Pro: Coffee Can Help You Burn Fat
Did you know that caffeine is found in almost every commercial fat burning supplement? There’s a good reason for that… caffeine is one of the very few natural substances that have actually been proven to aid fat burning. Several studies show that caffeine can boost the metabolic rate by 3-11%. Other studies show that caffeine can specifically increase the burning of fat, by as much as 10% in obese individuals and 29% in lean people.
Pro: Lowers Cancer Risk
Coffee has been shown to significantly lower the risk of developing certain types of cancer. Men who drink coffee every day can decrease their risk of developing prostate cancer. Men who drank between 1 and 3 cups of coffee per day could slash their risk of developing prostate cancer by 30 percent. The study showed that men who doubled that amount of coffee could reduce their risk of developing the most dangerous form of prostate cancer by as much as 60 percent.
Pro: High In Antioxidants
Although caffeine is the main ingredient found in coffee, it is also chock full of healthy antioxidants. These powerful compounds are also found in large amounts in fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans, red wine and chocolate. But according to chemistry professor Joe A. Vinson, Ph.D. at the University of Scranton, coffee is the main source of antioxidants in the U. diet. High levels of antioxidants in the diet are associated with a wealth of health benefits ranging from immunity boosting effects to protection from cancer and other serious diseases.
Con: Stained teeth
We all know what happens to a white cup when it is often used to drink coffee, so why should it be any different on our teeth? This problem is so rampant among heavy coffee drinkers that many need to use special whitening agents to remove the stains.
Con: Coffee Reduces Your Risk of Diabetes
In a 2005 review of nine studies, researchers found that for those that drank four to six cups of coffee per day, versus only two or fewer, their risk for Type 2 diabetes decreased by almost 30 percent. The number decreased by 35 percent when people drank more than six cups per day. And if you’re picturing yourself running around the office with your eyes bugging out of your head, no worries because caffeinated and decaffeinated coffees provided much the same results.
Con: Raises stress level
Caffeine in coffee stimulates adrenal glands, which increase one’s stress level for up to 18 hours. If a person works in an already stressful environment, drinking coffee can increase anxiety, which in turn can induce a plethora of other conditions.
Con: Causes Sleep Disturbances
Although the effects of caffeine can be felt almost immediately, those effects are not as quick to disappear. The effects of caffeine linger in the body for an average of 12 hours. This means that in sensitive individuals, drinking a cup of coffee at noon can interfere with their 9 pm bedtime. Even those coffee drinkers who may not be especially sensitive to the effects of caffeine may find that they do not experience restful sleep. Sleep disturbances are common in many people who consume just one cup of coffee per day.
Con: Can Stain Teeth
Over time, coffee drinkers will find that their teeth gradually become stained. The more coffee an individual drinks, the more likely it is that yellow teeth will develop. Other factors that can influence how quickly a coffee drinker’s teeth become stained are:
- Overall health of the teeth
- Condition of the enamel on the teeth
- The amount of acid present in the saliva
Although those conditions vary according to the individual, one thing is certain…if you drink coffee your teeth will eventually become stained.
If you switch to decaffeinated coffee, make sure the caffeine is removed in a natural way without the use of chemicals to do it. Often times, conventional decaffeinated coffee has more chemicals that regular.