Is Coffee Good or Bad For You?
Is coffee good or bad for you?
If you travel anywhere in the world you won’t find a shortage of coffee houses. Coffee is probably the most popular beverage in the world. It is estimated in the U.S. alone 107 million people enjoy a cup of java daily.
With so many coffee drinkers globally it can’t be really that bad or is it? The effects of coffee on health are controversial. You may have heard that it contains antioxidants and has been linked to the reduction of many health diseases. Yet on the other extreme it contains caffeine a known stimulant linked sleep issues.
Let’s take a look at the positive and negative effects of coffee and see if it’s worth the drinking 1-2 cups of morning java.
Some positive benefits of coffee
Coffee does contain antioxidants and a small amount of vitamins and minerals
Caffeine is the main compound in coffee and can boost metabolic rate, burst of energy, boost brain function, and improve exercise performance
In older coffee drinkers there is a lower risk of Parkinson’s, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease
Coffee can lower type 2 diabetes risk
The more coffee you drink, the lower your risk of liver cancer and cirrhosis
Some studies show that coffee drinkers have a lower risk of depression and less suicide tendencies
Some negative effects of coffee
Can reduce sleep quality
Anxiety, heart palpitations, jittery, panic attacks from excess caffeine
Diuretic effects
Can initially raise blood pressure
Can increase cortisol levels
So what is the bottom line on coffee?
If you can enjoy a couple of cups before noon made from organic beans, enjoy it but don’t need it to start your day or get withdrawals from missing a day, then it may not be so bad. According to research from the Mayo clinic up to 400 milligrams (mg) of caffeine a day appears to be safe for most healthy adults, approximately 4 cups of coffee. Personally I think that 2 cups of coffee may be ideal from my clinical experience with somewhat healthy patients and eliminate or minimize caffeine in patient’s with HPA dysfunction.
However, if you have sleep issues, anxious, heart palpations limiting your coffee before noon maybe your best bet but you know your body best, so take a break and see how you do.
Supercharge your coffee for the ultimate health hack
With more people adopting the low carb and ketogenic lifestyle the popularity of keto coffees or bullet proof coffees have become the rage and with good reason.
I have upgraded my cup of morning java that I have enjoyed for years with several weeks of coffee breaks but my upgraded java is delicious with a super boost of health benefits. Some of them include:
Improved mental clarity
Steady and lasting energy
Appetite suppressant
Increased metabolic rate
Check out this VIDEO for my upgraded coffee, but the basics are 8-12 ounces of brewed organic coffee blended with the following ingredients:
MCT OIL
Medium chain triglycerides (MCT’s) as Caprylic Acid (C8) is quickly converted into ketones a natural efficient alternative fuel source for the body. Helps with appetite management, mental clarity, focus, increased energy and improved metabolic function.
Amount: 1 Tbsp.
GRASS-FED BUTTER
Grass-fed butter from cows that are sustainably raised to eat grass off the land instead of cooped up in barns with hundreds of other cows eating GMO soy and corn. Grass-fed butter is higher in omega 3 fatty acids, that have an anti-inflammatory properties, and more conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) which has promising anticancer effects. It also is much richer in vitamin K2, which pla ans important role in bone and heart health.
Amount: 1 Tbsp.
COLLAGEN
Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body. Think of it as the glue giving structure to your skin, hair, nails, bones, joints, ligaments, cartilage, and tendons. Some benefits are healthy, younger looking skin, stronger bones, tendons, ligaments, improved athletic performance, recovery and positive gut healing benefits.
Amount: 1 Tbsp.
COCONUT CREAM
Coconut cream contains MCT’s that increase insulin sensitivity and also helps with gut microbiota.
Amount: 1 Tbsp.
CINNAMON
Cinnamon has antioxidant properties and helps with healthy blood sugar levels and insulin sensitivity.
Amount: ½ tsp.
STEVIA
An alternative sweetener from a South American stevia plant that is up to 300 times sweeter than sugar with zero affects on blood sugar. Stevia has been documented to have medicinal benefits not limited to antimicrobial, anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, and diuretic purposes.
Amount: ½ tsp.
References:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14988447
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00213-002-1175-2
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10819950
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1046/j.1468-1331.2002.00421.x
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20008687
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00125-009-1516-3
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16772246
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0016508507005689
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3296361/
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/advances-in-psychiatric-treatment/article/neuropsychiatric-effects-of-caffeine/7C884B2106D772F02DA114C1B75D4EBF
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21531247
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19774754
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/caffeine/art-20045678
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2257922/
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/grass-fed-butter#section1