Coffee Is Okay
Having a Cup or Two of Coffee Day is okay!
Growing up in the mid-70s and 80s, I remember commercials for decaf coffee: “only half a cup for me” and “I’m not a doctor, but I play one on tv….” I hadn’t started consuming coffee when these commercials aired, but something told me that I shouldn’t drink a lot of coffee, if at all, once I became “of age.”
However, once I started on coffee, regular, fully leaded coffee, I was hooked. I like it. I find it to be comfort food.
My boyfriend, who later became my husband, wasn’t a coffee drinker, but I brought him to the caffeinated, dark side once he started an early morning shift at 4:30 in the early 90s.
I drank coffee during my pregnancy.
We got our son hooked on those early morning trips to ski.
We are a family of addicts.
I kid. I joke. But then again, I am completely serious. We like coffee and honestly can take it or leave it. But we don’t want to. So it is primarily a morning drink, but you will find us drinking it in the afternoon on occasion.
As a health-conscious individual, concerned wife, responsible mother, and a dietitian who keeps up on current research guess what? Coffee has a bunch of health benefits backed by research. Yes, a bunch.
If you drink coffee, compared to those who don’t, you are:
Likely to have a lower risk of type 2 diabetes (T2DM)
At the lower risk of heart disease and stroke
At decreased risk for Parkinson’s
At decreased risk of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease
Apparently at lower risk of many types of cancer, likely due to coffee’s high antioxidant properties
The information on coffee consumption during pregnancy appears to be confusing. Still, when one looks at the data closely, the recommendations usually end up the same: consume no more than 200 mg caffeine/day or the equivalent of about 16 fluid ounces of coffee per day.
I tell people to make sure that they consume coffee that contains about 5-10 calories per 8 ounces (coffee naturally has some calories. You add calories if you add milk, cream, sugar, syrups, whipped cream, and who-knows-what-else. In some cases, all these additions can be a lot, turning a 5-20 calorie beverage into a 150-650 calorie drink (or more). These added items don’t change the health benefit of the coffee; it just adds calories and perhaps dilutes the potential benefit.
And, some fancy coffee beverages may have very little coffee in them at all. I suggest treating those as a dessert rather than a drink.
Finally, I have to say it: even though coffee has its benefits, don’t overdo it. Some people will hear that coffee is good for them and consume in “excess.” Actual intake and tolerance vary based on the individual. For some, 16 ounces is more than enough, while others can handle 32 ounces with no problem. In general, I recommend no more than 40 ounces a day. Less is preferred.
Disclaimer: I drink coffee almost daily, and the coffee maker would be the appliance replaced in under 24 hours if it broke. Or, we would take a road trip to the nearest coffee shop. However, I am not related to anyone from a coffee-producing country, except all the US citizens I am related to, since Hawai’i is a coffee-producing state, making the United States a coffee-producing country. But I’m not related to anyone from there. Bummer.
