Coffee can be both useful and disruptive. The same caffeine that helps focus can hurt sleep, anxiety, reflux, or blood pressure for some drinkers.
Coffee health questions rarely have one answer because sensitivity varies.
- Dose
Total caffeine matters more than the number of cups alone.
- Timing
Late caffeine can disrupt sleep even when it no longer feels stimulating.
- Sensitivity
Anxiety, reflux, pregnancy, medication, and blood pressure can change the answer.
- Habit quality
Sugar, cream, and snacks can change the health profile of a coffee routine.
Coffee can support focus and daily ritual when used well.
Timing is often the first issue to fix.
A comfortable dose for one person may be too much for another.
Estimate your daily caffeine load.
Timing Best Time to Drink CoffeeUse caffeine without stealing sleep.
Decaf Decaf Coffee GuideKeep the ritual with less caffeine.
Just finished my third coffee
What better way is there to feel alert than a delicious tasting steaming mug of rich Arabic roast or a tall glass of creamy latte? For me, caffeine has that strong advantage (as long as I only drink it in the morning). The disadvantage is that if I have a coffee anytime in the afternoon, it seriously hampers my sleep – even just one cup.
This isn’t true for everyone though. Some people can drink coffee all day and sleep like a baby. However, I’m with the majority and it got me wondering about the benefits and hidden dangers of coffee so I decided to do some research.
While I am not suggesting you rely on copious cups of coffee to boost your weight loss, it is widely known that caffeine can speed up metabolism. Caffeine increases the metabolic rate from anything between 3 and 11% and it’s a slow metabolism that contributes to weight gain. A recent study published in Nature Communications showed that coffee can indeed help with weight loss.
Scientists paid attention to the adenosine receptors in the brain that are blocked when caffeine is consumed. The study was conducted on mice and after high doses of caffeine, the mice lost interest in food. Their weight also decreased and their energy levels increased so they burnt more calories. The study possibly proves that caffeine intake and weight loss could have a significant link and this particular study will be used in further investigations into controlling world obesity.
Coffee Could Help Type Two Diabetes Patients
Diabetes
There have been a number of studies on caffeine consumption and Type 2 Diabetes patients. Drunk over a four week period, studies show that caffeine reduces insulin sensitivity. Please do bear in mind that other chemicals in a coffee can have an adverse reaction for Diabetes sufferers though so while there might be some benefit, there can also be disadvantages too!
Could Coffee Reduce Cancer Risk?
Coffee is an anti-oxidant too. Anti-oxidants fight free radicals that break down cells and damage them. Anti-oxidants help to flush out toxins and promote cell renewal. Interesting studies have shown that large amounts of coffee consumption (for example, 4 to 6 cups a day) can reduce the risk of some cancers.
A good example is a study held at Southampton University, England which showed that coffee could reduce the risk of developing HCC (hepatocellular cancer) a form of primary liver cancer. The study involved more than 2.25 million people and showed that drinking one cup of caffeinated coffee was linked to a 20% reduction in developing this form of cancer. Drinking two or more cups of coffee a day led to a 35% reduction and five cups halved the risk!
That’s all well and good and certainly heartening to read, but what about the drawbacks associated with coffee?
Coffee Hinders Sleep
As already mentioned, too much coffee can seriously hinder good quality sleep and even lead to insomnia! If you continue to experience poor sleep patterns, you could impact your overall health. If you find that you don’t sleep well or you have difficulty falling asleep, consider how much coffee you drink.
Caffeine can linger in your system for up to 6 hours so if you have a cup of coffee at 6 pm and go to bed at 10.30pm you might toss and turn for a couple of hours as that caffeine is keeping your brain alert! That means, that fantastic cappuccino could reduce your sleep by a couple of hours so it’s best to try and limit your coffee drinking to morning or the early afternoon. You’ll get a better night sleep and resist the urge to fill up on caffeine the day after to compensate for tiredness.
Caffeine is Linked To High Blood Pressure
If you know you already suffer from high blood pressure then think about how much coffee you drink. There have been a number of different studies performed over the years (including one at the Mayo Clinic) that show after drinking coffee, the caffeine content raises blood pressure for up to three hours. So, caffeine spikes blood pressure and for people with high blood pressure, too much coffee can potentially be harmful to health.
Caffeine can Cause Headaches
Or rather caffeine withdrawal can cause headaches! Have you ever woken up and skipped a cup of coffee only to find that an hour or two later, your head starts to throb? This is more than likely caffeine withdrawal. However, used with painkillers such as aspirin, actually, caffeine could even help with relieving headache discomfort by up to 40%! It’s interesting that it can do both.
Coffee is Linked To Increase In Anxiety
Coffee doesn’t actually cause anxiety but it can exacerbate it. That’s because coffee makes your heart race and certainly too much caffeine can even make you feel shaky! If you already suffer from anxiety or feel like you are the type of person who is often worried, you may find that reducing your coffee intake could help to alleviate that jittery feeling.
We engage ourselves to present you with the best of coffee maker , espresso machines, French presses, coffee grinders, coffee beans and a variety of coffee accessories.
