Is Coffee Good or Bad for You?
Wonder of the Day
The Health Benefits and and Drawbacks of Coffee
It is the second most traded commodity in the world behind only oil. Millions of American need it to get them through the day. But is coffee good or bad on your body? For all the coffee addicts out there, I have good news; the answer is yes. Despite years of contradicting information, coffee has actually been shown to be beneficial when consumed by itself.
According to a Times report, "coffee has been linked to lower rates of type-2 diabetes, a reduced risk for some cancers, and protection against Parkinson’s disease. Other research links coffee to improved memory, mood and energy levels". Overall, “there is certainly much more good news than bad news, in terms of coffee and health,” says Dr. Frank Hu of the Harvard School of Public Health.
Of course there is a caveat. Caffeine, the main ingredient in coffee, is after all still a drug. And like all drugs, people build a tolerance to it. Over time, two cups gradually turn into three for someone to continue to feel caffeine’s stimulating effects. In heavy coffee drinkers, not getting their daily intake can lead to uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms such as headaches, irritability, and tiredness.
Also, there is a chance, albeit a miniscule one, that you can overdose on the drug. The lethal dose of caffeine is around 150mg/kg. An average cup of coffee has approximately 150mg of caffeine. This means that if you weigh 70kg (154lbs), it takes 70 cups of coffee to kill you. But you would have to consume all of it at once making it virtually impossible to overdose on caffeine by drinking coffee. However, caffeine pills, which usually contain concentrated amounts of caffeine, can be extremely dangerous for this reason.
Now please note that the health benefits of drinking coffee are attributed to when its consumed without the extra trimming (i.e. black coffee). On top of the aforementioned benefits, black coffee is a low caloric drink. The mocha/pumpkin spice-flavor with whip cream monstrosity and other sugar-heavy coffee concoctions are not. It might taste better but the detrimental effects of such sugary drinks offsets any potential benefits.
And so these are the facts about coffee. But let’s be honest. If you were already drinking coffee regularly, would you stop even if it was bad for you? Just hopefully this news will help you make informed decisions next time you are at Starbucks. Enjoy your cup of joe!!!