Is coffee good for you, or bad for you?
It would appear the jury is still out on this. A growing body of research shows that coffee drinkers, compared to nondrinkers, are less likely to have type 2 diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, and demena and have fewer cases of certain cancers, heart rhythm problems, and strokes.
So does this mean we should embrace the bean? Not really. Coffee isn’t actually proven to prevent these conditions. According to WebMD, researchers involved in such studies did not ask people to drink or skip coffee for the sake of science. Instead, they asked them about their coffee habits, therefore the studies can’t show cause and effect. Coffee drinkers questioned for this study have other advantages, such as beer diets, more exercise, or protective genes.
So does this mean we should avoid the bean? Well, not really. Coffee has also been linked to lower risk of demena, including Alzheimer’s disease. A 2009 study from Finland and Sweden showed that, out of 1,400 people followed for about 20 years, those who reported drinking 3-5 cups of coffee daily were 65 per cent less likely to develop dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
According to the World Resources Institute, the average American downed 416, 8-ounce cups of coffee in one year. Is this good or bad?
What is known for sure is that regular coffee contains caffeine which can raise blood pressure, as well as blood levels of the “fight or- flight” chemical epinephrine, also known as adrenaline. Caffeine is a mild diuretic which means it makes you urinate more than you would without it. Decaffeinated coffee has about the same effect on urine production as water. Both regular and decaffeinated coffee contain acids that can make heartburn worse.
If you drink large amounts of coffee and find yourself jittery or can’t sleep, it might be a good idea to reduce your consumption. Lack of sleep can bring on a wealth of other health issues. If in doubt, talk to your healthcare professional about your coffee consumption.
