What doctors say about coffee is all over the board. On the one end, there are those who support its health benefits such as reducing the symptoms associated with Type 2 Diabetes, heart attack and Parkinson’s disease, among others. Yet others warn about its affects on premature aging and loss of sleep.
While the above are merely some of the warnings and promotions directly from doctors, research does sit on the side of coffee’s potential health benefits. It provides mental acuity and improves mood while also providing some protection from certain cancers and even cardiovascular disease.
Can Coffee Negatively Impact Health?
Too much of anything can be bad for your health, that includes coffee. More than four or five cups per day can create problems sleeping, promote jitteriness, increase anxiety and induce heart palpitations. It even has the capacity to exacerbate panic attacks.
According to Dr. Donald Hensrud, M.D. of the Mayo Clinic, high caffeine content in the blood can actually raise blood pressure. Pregnant women or women looking to become pregnant should consume it in low amounts. Plus, it can increase cholesterol levels, induce heartburn, create nervousness and promote insomnia.
Also, there are those who are extremely sensitive to caffeine and easily over-stimulated after drinking it. For all these reasons listed, coffee can be very detrimental to health.
Is Coffee Detrimental to Heart Health?
Coffee can negatively impact heart health in some people. But, this will be truer for those with a predisposition to heart issues than others. For most people, as long as they consume five cups or less per day, they should be fine. It shouldn’t affect heart rhythm or cholesterol levels either.
Is Coffee Bad for Your Skin?
On the matter of whether coffee is bad for your skin or not, the jury is out because it depends on how you’re referring to it in this capacity. For instance, if you drink coffee every day for decades, it does have the potential to have a negative impact on skin. There will be a toxic buildup that can cause skin to sag, wrinkle and prematurely age with time.
However, there are many creams and beauty balms on the market that feature coffee, especially for anti-wrinkle eye creams. Therefore, when applied directly to the skin, it can lift and tuck saggy bags, skin and wrinkles.
Can Coffee Benefit Health?
It’s difficult to look at one aspect of a person to say in certain terms whether coffee is a benefit to health. Other factors will influence this depending on how much a person drinks every day, what their diet is like, what kind of exercise they get and other lifestyle issues, like drinking and drugs.
But, for an average healthy person, a few cups of coffee per day can help clean out the digestive tract, improve mood, increase energy and ease other medical conditions like Parkinson’s disease and diabetes.
Why Are Doctors in such Disagreement over the Healthiness of Coffee?
There are studies and research aplenty on the efficacy of coffee. And this is a main factor for the diverse doctor opinions on the subject. Also, the experience doctors have in seeing how coffee affects their patients also weighs in.
But, even the several decades’ worth of research is all over the map. Earlier research that claimed coffee was bad didn’t include smoking habits or how active a person was. However, newer studies have taken these factors into account. Because of this, they found coffee can have innumerable health benefits when consumed in moderation.
What Do Doctors Caution about Consuming Coffee?
Most doctors recommend two to three cups of coffee per day and not to consume more than six cups per day. If you can, avoid daily consumption and switch it up with healthier alternatives like chicory or dandelion root.
Also, do not mix coffee with other types of energy drinks as this can cause severe damage to your heart. As a matter of fact, some college students have gone into the emergency room or worse due to consuming five-hour energy drinks, Red Bull and coffee within a short period of time.
If you do drink coffee regularly, understand that it’s incredibly dehydrating. So, you should counter your consumption with plenty of water and other hydrating beverages like pure coconut water.
What Does Scientific Research Conclude about Coffee in Relationship with Health?
Since scientists have included other factors of a person’s lifestyle and diet when studying them alongside coffee consumption, they have found innumerable benefits. Several studies from the last 10 years suggest coffee:
- Increases metabolic rate
- Improves fat metabolism
- Reduces the onset and risks associated with Alzheimer’s disease
- Reduces the onset and risks associated with Parkinson’s disease
- Reduces hepatic and liver diseases
- Helps lower blood pressure
- Decrease mortality
- Reduces cancer contraction
- Reduces instances of stroke and heart attack
- Makes Type 2 Diabetes easier
If You Drink Coffee Daily, Should You Quit?
If you drink coffee every day and find that you have frequent bouts of heartburn, insomnia, high blood pressure or increased panic attacks, you should cut down your intake of coffee. Look for healthier alternatives like yerba mate, dandelion root or chicory.
In the event you’ve been drinking coffee for decades, your chances of cardiovascular disease increase greatly. Cutting down or quitting can help lower anxiety, reduce stress-induced eating, lower cortisol (the fat-storing hormone) and lower blood pressure.
If You Don’t Drink Coffee, Should You Start?
Just because coffee can provide some great health benefits doesn’t mean you should start. If you have problems with Type 2 Diabetes, Parkinson’s disease or have a family history of Alzheimer’s disease, perhaps increasing your intake to a couple of times per week will be beneficial.
Likewise, if you don’t smoke, drink and live a very active lifestyle, it may be good to drink coffee once and awhile to help detoxify your digestive system along with improving cardiovascular health. It might also be ideal for those who experience occasional moodiness or crankiness in the morning.
Hi, I’m Jen Williams, chief editor and writer for ThirstPerk.com.
I’ve been drinking coffee and tea for most of my life, but it wasn’t until I started working at Thirstperk.com that I became an expert on the subject. I’m a total caffeine addict who has spent hours upon hours reading about and experimenting with the different types of coffees out there in my search to find the perfect cup of joe.
I’ve been a tea lover for as long as I can remember as well. I grew up in a house with a mom who loved to drink herbal tea, and I think that’s where my love for tea first began. These days, I’m always on the lookout for new and interesting teas to try, and I love experimenting with different brewing methods and flavoring combinations.