If you’ve been wondering about the health impacts of coffee, it’s easy to be of two minds about it. Not only will people fight for and against it more bitterly than the bitterest espresso, but some of the health impacts aren’t fully understood. However, there is as much good to be said about coffee as there is bad. Here are a few details you should know about it.
The nutrients and antioxidants
The first thing to note is that coffee brings some nutrients that are not only vital but can also be rather rare in your diet, otherwise, such as B vitamins, manganese, phosphorus, and folate. It’s also high in anti-oxidants, which have a huge range of benefits, from reducing the effects of aging right down to fighting the risk of cancer.
Alertness, energy, and fat loss
Caffeine is naturally going to be the focus of both coffee’s benefits and drawbacks. In moderation, caffeine can make you feel more alert and energetic, increasing adrenaline in your bloodstream. It can also stimulate your metabolism, which increases the rate at which you burn fat. However, too much of that adrenaline and you might begin to feel symptoms of anxiety and begin to experience sleep problems. As such, you need to avoid drinking too much coffee.
Coffee and your heart health
Caffeine and the heart have a somewhat complex relationship. Let’s address one of the common myths around coffee, first. Is coffee a blood thinner? No, there’s no evidence to really firmly suggest that it works as one. However, it does decrease you risk of heart disease when you drink it in moderation over the long-term. Drink too much, however, and it can increase your blood pressure, which can be quite risky and should be avoided unless specifically recommended by your doctor.
Minding your mental health
The effects of coffee can extend to the mind as well as the body. Drinking it has been shown to reduce symptoms of depression and can boost your mood. This is likely due to the caffeine in it. What’s more, there is some evidence to suggest that drinking coffee can reduce your life-long risk of developing memory disorders such as Alzheimer’s and dementia. However, as mentioned, too much coffee can raise your adrenaline too much, which can lead to anxiety symptoms, while the associated sleep loss can increase the risk of chronic stress.
The risk of addiction and withdrawal
While far from the most dangerous addictive substance, the truth is that caffeine is addictive. Drinking it too often can lead to a tolerance to it, which means you may drink more in order to feel the same effects you once did. When you don’t drink caffeine after a while, this can lead to withdrawal symptoms like headaches, irritability, and exhaustion that can last several days.
As with almost anything, moderation is the key. Coffee’s benefits can outweigh its risks when you take it in moderation. You have to be careful to avoid addiction or drinking too much, however.