It's reported that over 1 billion people around the world drink coffee every day. To me, that’s not surprising. I don’t drink coffee daily… but I do love the smell of freshly ground coffee, and the robust flavor when I do have one.

Yet, there are those who must have a coffee when waking up, to kickstart their morning. Then, there are others who have many cups of coffee during the day… and even until night time!

However, what effect does coffee have on the body? Does the caffeine cause harm?

Should coffee lovers be worrying about this? The growing number of coffee “addicts” have prompted hundreds of studies… to address the concerns about the effects of coffee consumption.

Some say that it's fine to drink coffee when you have headaches. Other people say that it's bad to drink coffee if you have stomach problems. While others say that coffee helps with weight loss.

Well, let’s dig deeper into this… to dispel the coffee drinking myths and uncover the facts about is coffee bad for you. So, for you coffee lovers, keep reading before having your next cup of coffee!

What Are The Main Impacts Of Coffee?

The impact of coffee on people fall into these main categories:

· Diuretic - Caffeine has an effect where it induces the kidneys to produce urine.

So, then the effect on the body is that it can lead to mild dehydration. An interesting fact about dehydration, is that many people don’t realize when this occurs.

Plus, many people mistake dehydration for hunger. And, that’s why many people overeat, and tend to put on unwanted weight.

· Stimulant – The caffeine from coffee acts as a stimulant to trigger the nervous system.

And, this can include the process of the nerves controlling intestinal activity, blood pressure… as well as airways size, which may keep you alert and awake.

Yet, the opposite effects may result in you experiencing… bad sleep, anxiety and feeling jittery.

· Heartburn – If you drink standard coffee as well as decaffeinated coffee take note of this…

All types of coffee can stimulate the secretion of stomach acid. And, what this can do is lead to heartburn.

Other effects of the body as a result of drinking coffee, can include staining of the teeth… which is very common among frequent coffee drinkers. Plus, who would’ve thought that this could happen… Burn injuries can occur when people are eager to drink their boiling hot coffee!

Even some mental health professionals suggest that regular caffeine users, including coffee drinkers… should be considered dependent, addicted or struggling with substance abuse.

I think this is ridiculous. Maybe that’s another way to get more of society to be on prescribed drugs?

What Are The Health Risks With Coffee?

Over several decades… studies have highlighted concerns with coffee or caffeine users over health risks. It makes people question is coffee bad for you? And, that’s because health concerns people have include stomach issues, pancreatic cancer, fibrocystic breast disease… as well as gallbladder disease, amongst other conditions.

However, after conducting further analysis, these studies fall short of implicating even modest coffee consumption… as a serious health risk among pregnant women and cardiac patients.

The Harvard School of Public Health did a study in 1981… about coffee intake having an association with an increase in pancreatic cancer. Yet, the result found it to be discredited.

So, this analysis is often used as a model… to show how an unsound study can mislead research results.

The study analyzed a series of “exposures” among patients with pancreatic cancer… which also included coffee intake.

Yet, the number of factors it examined… made it a “fishing expedition” according to most research experts. The danger of examining too many factors at one time… may result in “association just by chance.” So, there’s that problem of producing misleading results if a net is cast too wide.

There was a Nurses Health Study and Health Professionals Follow Up Study… which was conducted by The Harvard School of Public Health. This study examined the relationship between coffee consumption and overall mortality. And, in total this included about 130,000 study volunteers.

The study first included healthy women and men aged in their 40s and 50s. Then, following that were volunteers between the ages of 18 to 24 years. And, this was to monitor who died in that period… by tracking their diet and lifestyle habits, which included coffee consumption.

And, the findings were this: There was no relationship between coffee consumption and increased risk of death from any cause… even death from cancer, or from cardiovascular disease were found.

Plus, those who consumed up to six cups of coffee daily… were found to be at no higher risk of death.

These findings are in line with the research that has been emerging over recent years. For the general population… evidence suggests that coffee drinking doesn’t have any serious detrimental health effects.

Yes, There Are Benefits Of Drinking Coffee

So, there are benefits of drinking coffee / caffeine, aside from being a stimulant. And, these include:

· Premature babies, or those who’ve had surgery straight after birth can be treated with caffeine. And, this is to help stimulate their breathing.

· Coffee contains valuable nutrients, antioxidants and vitamins, such as:

· 11% of the Recommended Dietary Allowance for Riboflavin (Vitamin B2).

· 6% of the Recommended Dietary Allowance for Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5).

· 3% of the Recommended Dietary Allowance for Potassium and Manganese.

· 2% of the Recommended Dietary Allowance for Niacin (B3) and Thiamine (B1).

Now, it may not seem like a lot… but if you’re drinking several cups of coffee per day then this quickly adds up.

But there’s more…

Coffee also contains a significant amount of antioxidants. In fact, coffee is the biggest source of antioxidants in the western diet… and outranks both fruits and vegetables.

In saying that, of course… a combination of different veggies and fruits should be an essential part of your daily diet.

Plus, many of the nutrients in the coffee beans make it into the final drink. And, this is positive, as it actually contains a decent amount of vitamins and minerals.

Several studies have also uncovered modest benefits with drinking coffee / caffeine… including the treatment of asthma. And, this is because the coffee helps to give dilating effects on the airways.

Plus, some studies recommend that coffee intake be avoided before breathing tests. And, this is so as not to diminish the breathing abnormalities… which the tests aim to detect.

During the Experimental Biology 2007… there was an American Society for Nutrition's annual conference. And here, research experts reviewed evidence that moderate intake of coffee, say 3 to 5 cups per day… may reduce the risk of diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, kidney stones, gallstones, and depression.

The news that health risks are smaller than what many people thought… was music to the ears of the coffee lovers around the world.

Although, it should be noted that those who are considered high risk patients… would be better off to avoid the stimulant action of caffeine, or the heartburn brought about even by decaffeinated coffee.

In saying all this… be warned though, as not all coffees are the same!

Be Warned, Not All Coffees Are The Same

When going to the supermarket or even speciality coffee stores… there are literally hundreds of coffee varieties to choose and from different regions.

From decaffeinated, to instant coffee, from weak to strong strength, and all the way from Vietnam to Brazil… how do you know what’s good for you?

Well for me, I buy organic coffee beans and use a grinder to grind them up into a powder. And, this is because the true organic coffee beans have been grown… without using toxic pesticides or herbicides.

Generally, organic beans are grown in the shade, and can thrive without the use of chemicals.

Researchers by the name of… Yazheng Liu, and Professor David Kitts made an interesting coffee discovery. They uncovered that darker roasted beans produce a higher level of antioxidants.

Plus, they also found that the chemicals produced during the coffee browning (or roasting) process… is what delivered the shot of antioxidants.

This coffee roasting process is referred to as the Maillard reaction.

An MSc student in the Faculty of Land and Food Systems (LFS), by the name of Liu stated that... "Previous studies suggested antioxidants in coffee could be traced to caffeine… or the chlorogenic acid that’s found in green coffee beans. But, our results clearly show that the Maillard reaction is the main source of antioxidants."

Now, those who are considered heavy coffee drinkers, which is about 4 to 10 cups a day… can cause health issues including anxiety, irritability, restlessness, mood swings, sleeplessness and more.

I personally believe that you can have too much as coffee still is a stimulant. I would say to have no more than 2 - 3 cups of coffee per day. And, this is a rule I stick to. Yet, at the end of the day it is your choice.

Plus, although I don’t drink coffee every day, I’ve done stints where I haven’t had coffee for an entire month. And I have to say, it sure is a great feeling… and you may be surprised at how more alert you may feel.

I know it sounds contradictory, considering coffee is a stimulant. Yet, give it a go, and discover the effects for yourself!

What You Put Into Your Coffee Is Critical

Now, many people don’t have plain black coffee. And, while I’ve highlighted many benefits of drinking coffee… sometimes you’ll sabotage these benefits without even knowing.

And, that’s because you add milk, cream, sugar, powdered chocolate, alcohol, syrups… and even margarine.

And, when you look at the list above, some of those coffee flavorings… such as sugar and cream add fat and calories to your diet. So, if you’re trying to lose weight or maintain it, be wary of what you add to your coffee.

It may not seem like much, but if you have several cups of coffee a day… all those calories add up. Yet, for say 250ml of full cream milk, this can have about 150 calories.

Plus, a tablespoon sugar of sugar can have about 50 calories. So, throughout the day these calories will pile up, and also onto your body!

And, it’s not only the calories that aren’t great... these types of products can wreak havoc with the health of your body. Some of them can contain harmful toxins.

Aim to stay away from, or reduce the amount of these traditional coffee flavorings. Telling a regular coffee drinker to stop drinking coffee with sugar and milk altogether… is like a nightmare. But, that’s not what I’m saying.

For example, if you have 3 teaspoons of sugar is a cup of coffee… over time reduce it to 2 teaspoons of sugar. Then, cut that back to 1 teaspoon of sugar, and even better… NO sugar.

Once you start to get rid of those bad coffee flavorings, you’ll be better off… and your body will thank you for it!

For some healthier coffee flavoring substitutes… these can include raw honey, cacao powder, cinnamon, and coconut oil.

I personally don’t add flavorings to my coffee. When I get good coffee… I find that the robust flavor of the delicious coffee beans is enough for me!

In The End, It’s Great News For Coffee Lovers

So, if you’ve been wondering about is coffee bad for you… Then, you will have found that many of you can continue to enjoy your coffee and reap the benefits.

Benefits of drinking coffee include, an injection of antioxidants… as well as essential vitamins and minerals.

On the other hand, there may be potential risks too… which can include heartburn, dehydration, insomnia and weight gain.

Yet, remember that not all coffees are the same. And, if you can get your hands-on organic coffee beans and grind it yourself… then that is the option I recommend.

Also, having black coffee is my preferred option. Yet, if you do want to flavor your coffee then stay away from those bad additives… such as sugar, margarine, processed syrups and cream.

Not only can these do damage to your health, it can help to put on unwanted weight.

Instead choose healthier options including raw honey, cinnamon, and coconut oil.

So, making these small yet simple changes to your coffee drinking routine… you will have your body better off in the long run. And, if you are a regular coffee drinker… consider taking a break from it.

ENJOY!

Articles

Is Coffee Bad For You? These Interesting Findings Will Make You Think Again