World over, many people are addicted to coffee. They need coffee to kick start their day and loads more to keep it going. These coffee freaks are looked down upon by many as people who have a bad habit; that of drinking coffee incessantly.
What the Critics Say
Some people rank compulsive coffee intake as bad as chain smoking or binge drinking. The critics of coffee accuse coffee of increasing cardiovascular diseases and causing cancer. Fingers are also pointed at coffee for causing other medical conditions and in some cases even death. If one was to dig deeper into the available empirical data, there is no grain of truth in these assertions.
The fact that coffee has caffeine as constituent lends a ‘bad name’ to it. The reality is that coffee is a complex beverage and consists of numerous compounds. It therefore follows that coffee intake will lead to different health outcomes.
This is not to say that one should throw caution to the wind and ingest numerous cups of coffee every day. There are potential adverse side effects of drinking too much coffee which include disturbed sleep, stress and at times, even tremors.
It is important to understand certain coffee facts that will enable you to take an informed decision. According to the American Dietetic Association, an individual should curtail the coffee intake to 200 mg to 300 mg a day. This translates to 2-3 cups of coffee every day.
What Studies Establish
A Harvard study has concluded that there is no relationship between coffee intake and increased chances of death. Some studies have alluded to the potential health benefits of coffee. The nutritional value of coffee can be gauged from the fact that its intake has been linked with reduced chances of contracting diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, liver cancer and liver cirrhosis. The other nutritional fact about coffee is that it aids in weight loss.
Numerous studies have revealed that coffee intake increases the metabolic rate and the rate of fat breakdown. Coffee is also known to make the individual physically and mentally alert.
Certain categories like pregnant women and people who find it difficult to keep their blood pressure under control should refrain from ingesting coffee.
A latest study has suggested that one should brew coffee with a paper filter so that cafestol, a forceful stimulator of LDL cholesterol levels, does not make way into the human body.
The aforesaid discussion thus makes it clear that drinking moderate amount of coffee does not cause any adverse side effect. In fact, there is growing evidence of the beneficial impacts that the beverage might bestow if ingested as per the stipulated norms.
