Coffee's Perks, Pros and Alternative Perspectives

If you're a coffee drinker, you're in pretty good company. Nearly half of the adults in America have coffee beverages at least once a day. This love affair with the bean brings in over $9 billion dollars in revenue annually. This passion has also led to some concerns - namely, is all that caffeine good for the human body?

The answer to that question has been convoluted at best. Some research indicates positive effects of moderate coffee drinking, and other research indicates negative effects for abundant coffee drinking. This article examines both sides of the issue so that any personal decisions you make can be based on as much information as possible in this space.

Mythic Proportions

For a long time caffeine was credited with being adiuretic, which it is. The key is that a 16 oz. mug of coffee only has about 200 milligrams of caffeine. It takes nearly three times that much caffeine to have diuretic affects.
Caffeine has also been blamed as a contributor to high blood pressure because of its stimulating effects. Nonetheless, studies don't support that claim. It appears that heart disease is not prejudice in one way or another toward coffee. If anything, for women, small amounts of coffee may have exactly the opposite effect - namely reducing the risk of heart disese!
In the early 1980s some thought that coffee increased the risk of kidney or pancreatic cancer only to be undermined by later reviews that couldn't find this link, and even felt that coffee might lower the risk of liver cancer.

Good Cup, Bad Cup

What we know thus far is that caffeine's effect on the body seems directly related to how much you consume. For example, both men and women tend to gain more weight if they're coffee drinkers than those who do not consume coffee. Additionally coffee helps with focus and energy. However, the more a person drinks, the more likely they are to experience stomach disorders or emotional stress.

Coffee contains antioxidants and minerals that appear to stave off type-2 diabetes in about 25 percent of coffee drinkers compared to those who do not drink any coffee at all. By the way - in this case it didn't matter if the coffee had caffeine or not. This implies that there are some benefits to coffee that have nothing to do with the caffeine content. On the other hand, coffee has caffeine, a substance linked to sleep disorders, stress, and some levels of dependency.
Women who enjoy coffee at moderate levels (2 cups a day) showed lower risk of heart disease, and improved memory retention. In men, coffee consumption seems to stave off kidney stones (perhaps because of the diuretic properties). However, drinking coffee over many years can cause dental problems similar to soda. Teeth may yellow from the tannins, and develop cavities if the coffee user adds sugar.

Keeping it Real

Coffee has been extensively researched from both sides of the isle and people are still uncertain of the results. Yes, that morning boost is helpful to kick off the day, but the energy downswing several hours later can leave the consumer sluggish. Also, like any other substance the body becomes accustomed to effects over time. So, some people may drink more coffee to maintain the boost (and of course - too much of a "good thing" can be bad for you).
Moderate coffee drinking has positive effects on the elderly for staving off dementia, but long-term use (of over 3 cups a day) may leach off calcium due to diuretic effects, and increase the presence of osteoporosis... the list goes on and on.

Overall moderation seems to be the key. A little coffee daily (under two cups) may actually prove somewhat beneficial to your health. More than that and problems could present themselves. So brew, and drink, wisely.

For more on coffee and its health benefits and drawbacks, visit the EnvyMyHealth.com Nutrition Channel!

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