Is coffee good for me or not?
Growing up, too much coffee was not a good thing. At least that is what the commercials on television told me. Not that I drank coffee as a kid. Seeing those commercials made me think that this was not a good thing to consume.
And what was too much coffee? In some cases, having only half a cup was an acceptable amount any more than that was not. Only half a cup because my doctor said so.
As with many things that have changed in the last 30 to 50 years and even longer, we now know that coffee isn’t harmful; coffee isn’t as dangerous or even deadly as one thought. Not only is it fine, but is good.
When I think back to the people who drank coffee when I was a little kid, they also had other habits that went with that coffee. For example, my grandparents had a breakfast of coffee, donuts, and a couple (or three or four) of cigarettes. I guarantee you the coffee wasn’t the problem with their breakfast.
When we consider overall lifestyle not everyone who drinks coffee is a smoker, and not everyone who drinks coffee is a donut eater. Then, not everyone who drinks coffee is harming their body.
We now know that coffee is one of the most widely used and consumed beverages on the planet. It is one of the primary sources of antioxidants in our diet. It has so many health benefits. So, when people tell me they are trying to cut back on their coffee because they shouldn’t drink it, I question whether or not they need to do that.
Of course, if someone wants to cut back on coffee, I support that. However, I do double-check the reason for this. For example, is it for personal benefit (such as difficulty sleeping)? Or is it because there is a perception that they have too much?
When I count how much coffee I drink daily, two mugs, it is a lot more surprising to others how much it is. I do drink coffee every day. I can take it or leave it. I have done so in the past for several days with no negative consequences or effects. And I admittedly consume about 30 ounces of coffee daily, which is my two mugs. And, don’t worry about me, that isn’t a bad thing.
Health Benefits
For most people, the potential health benefits of drinking coffee regularly far outweigh any possible adverse effects.
Keep in mind that many studies will look at coffee consumption as the most common form of caffeine delivery. However, we must consider that coffee is just one component of diet and lifestyle. So, if you are like my grandparents or anyone like my grandparents, whose coffee came with a donut and a known carcinogen (cigarette), those extras will diminish the benefit.
There is an abundance of evidence that suggests that people who consume coffee have:
reduced risk of heart disease,
reduced risk of type 2 diabetes (it may help us process sugar better),
reduced risk of developing Parkinson’s disease,
may protect us from Alzheimer’s or dementia, and there is a
correlation between reduced risk of liver disease and liver cancer.
While none of these are a known cause and effect there is a very strong correlation.
And the benefits are seen with coffee and not caffeine consumption (so drinking a caffeinated energy “shot” will not have the same benefit as coffee).
And a note about type 2 diabetes glucose/blood sugar management: this isn’t an excuse to consume excess sugar or added sugars in our coffee.
Drinking coffee and the potential benefit on the liver is not an excuse to overconsume alcohol.
How Much is Too Much, and Are There Negative effects?
First, I bring up again that coffee and caffeine are not interchangeable terms; it is easy to go there. So, while I address caffeine amounts in this section, coffee is just one potential source of caffeine.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cited 400 milligrams a day for healthy adults—that’s about four or five cups of coffee — as a safe amount to consume. (Note: four to five cups of coffee is about 32 – 40 ounces.)
But like with any drug, caffeine is legal and widely consumed drug, there are a couple of things to consider.
Are you getting caffeine from other sources, such as tea, caffeinated sodas, and energy beverages? Caffeine is in much more than coffee, and only coffee and tea have various health benefits. Those other sources contribute to your overall caffeine intake for the day.
Are you a habitual user or an occasional user? The health benefits don’t change much – it aligns with the dose. But some people may consume caffeine from coffee daily, while others may only have it occasionally. So, the person who rarely consumes it will still get the health benefits but may also feel the stimulant effect much more profoundly.
There is such a thing as caffeine poisoning – and it takes effort to get to a higher amount. But with the proliferation of energy drinks in the past 20 years and making it easier to consume excess caffeine, this is a real risk.
If you are finding you have difficulty with sleeping, consider caffeine as a potential contributor. Of course, it may not be the only contributor, but keep it in mind.
Since caffeine affects people differently, it is hard to know. For example, some people must stop caffeine intake by 11 am to sleep at 11 pm, while others may have a coffee at 4 pm, with no problem going to sleep at 11 pm. You know yourself better than a “blanket” recommendation (no pun intended there).
What about those coffee “drinks”?
Whether we’re talking about a latte, a mocha, a macchiato, a Frappuccino, or any other beverages that have added calories, we question whether the benefit is still there.
The health benefits of coffee are still there, assuming they’re still coffee in that beverage. However, the excess of added calories often added sugars and fat, likely dilutes it.
While coffee has virtually no calories, about five calories per cup slash 8 ounces, there added ingredients can change that.
Once we add:
creamer, half and half, or any type of milk
whip cream
syrups including mocha syrup, caramel syrup, almond syrup, peppermint syrup, pumpkin spice syrup (why?), any other flavoring
we just turned a 5-calorie cup of coffee into what could easily be 200, 300, 400, or even 800 calories or more.
So, I say there is no benefit.
This change is like me telling you that popcorn is a healthy whole-grain snack. Then go to the movies and get it popped in coconut oil, loaded in butter, and added salt. While the original intent is that it is a healthy food product, something that’s good for us, adding those substances makes it much less healthy, and all benefits, or at least most, are now diminished.
While you may enjoy those beverages, don’t think that you’re getting the same health benefit from them as you are with a regular cup of brewed coffee. Now iced coffee is fine if it’s just coffee; again, it’s diluted by adding extra additives as noted above.
There are all kinds of ways to enjoy and consume coffee; there’s nothing wrong with adding a little bit of sweetener, a little bit of milk or cream, and/or a little bit of flavoring; just don’t let those things add up to where you’re having what is equivalent to an entire meal in that one cup of “coffee” which is really now a dessert.
My daily coffee has some sweetener, one teaspoon of unsweetened cocoa powder, and some half-and-half.
Coffee and chocolate are soulmates.
And my favorite frou-frou coffee beverage is tall, nonfat, no whip mocha.
This version became my modified go-to beverage after I had my gallbladder removed many years ago in the removal of the fat was necessary at the time. Now it’s just my usual go-to beverage that I only get occasionally—maybe once a month.
And in December, I go for the tall, nonfat, no-whip peppermint mocha. Why only in December? Well, it’s a seasonal drink, but I would have it every day of the week if I didn’t put some guidelines up for myself.
