Coffee diet: Drinking

Coffee is one of the most popular beverages in the world, but is it really a good thing for you to drink? There are many reasons why people choose to drink coffee every single day. Coffee shops seem to be on each and every corner and they are always busy. This is a popular beverage not only in the morning, but also during the day and even at night for many.

Many people drink coffee to stay awake, to wake up, and for many other reasons. There are also a variety of beverages that are coffee related or contain coffee in different forms. Sometimes the reason we drink coffee is for the social interaction and other times it can literally be called an addiction. Here are some of the pros and some of the cons of drinking coffee.

Coffee

The Pros of Drinking Coffee

Coffee - The Pros and Cons of Drinking Coffee

1. Awareness

Now don't get the fact that coffee does make us more aware with some of the other things that can make us very unaware. If you have been drinking alcoholic beverages and you switch to coffee it does not make you more aware because the alcohol has already impaired you. However, having a cup of coffee in the morning can help to get you going and make you aware on your way to work.

2. Stimulation

Coffee is also able to stimulate your body and get your blood pressure up a bit. This can help you when you are getting ready to perform a workout and many will recommend a cup of coffee before you exercise. It will dilate your blood vessels, which allows more oxygen to get to your brain and give you more energy for a short amount of time.

3. Prevents Sleep

Since coffee contains caffeine it will help to block the sleep receptors once it reaches the brain. This means that if you are trying to stay up coffee can help you stay up for a short amount of time. It is not going to keep you up forever, but it can help you to stay up and concentrate for a little bit longer when you need an extra hour or two.

4. It is a Laxative

If you are constipated or struggle to be regular every day coffee can help you. This is one of the health benefits of having a cup of coffee every day. It can help you to stay regular and it can help to keep your colon cleaner as well. However, if you drink too much coffee it can hurt your digestive system, so keep it in moderation.

5. Flavor

Coffee comes in a variety of flavors and types. You can get many different beverages made from espresso and from other forms of coffee. There are light roasts, medium roasts, and dark roast to choose from. It is a lot of fun to taste different types of coffee and find the drink or flavor that you like the most.

The Cons of Drinking Coffee

1. Increases Cholesterol

There have been many reports that say if you drink decaffeinated coffee it can actually increase your cholesterol level. This can be a bit scary, but the good news is that it has never been fully proven that this is true. It has also been said that coffee can be linked to heart disease, but many have proven this to be false as well.

2. Weight Gain

Coffee has been proven to the weight gain that some have gone through. This is a true report because coffee contains many empty calories much like unnatural beers and sodas do. These calories can turn into fat if you drink too much coffee. It is not much of an issue if you just drink black coffee, but if you put sugar, creamer, or sweet syrups in it you will probably gain a bit of weight from it.

3. Not good for Some

If you suffer from cardiac arrhythmia and hypertension, then coffee can be very bad for you. Also, if you are suffering from emotional problems, neurosis, or mental illness, then drinking coffee can cause you even more problems than you already have. It can also cause sleep disorders if you drink too much coffee.

4. Horrible after Alcohol

As we discusses a little bit earlier coffee is not all that good when you have been drinking alcohol. Many people believe coffee sobers them up, but this is as false as it comes. All you get when you drink alcohol and coffee is a very alert drunk and that can be incredibly dangerous. If you have been drinking alcohol spend your money calling a cab instead of having a cup of coffee.

5. Can be Addictive

Caffeine is actually the most dangerous and most popular drug in the world. Sure it does not cause as much death as some of the other drugs in the world, but it is highly addictive. Many coffee drinkers will start with one cup a day and before they know it they are up to a pot a day or even more. This is when coffee can get dangerous and you really need to be careful with how much you drink every single day.

So the question still remains, is it okay to drink coffee? Many of the experts believe that coffee is not that harmful to our bodies if we don't overdo it. One or two cups of coffee a day is not going to cause you many issues, but when you start to reach the three or more cups a day level you could be causing some harm to your body.

There is nothing wrong with drinking a cup or two of coffee every single day. Even though you may find many reports telling you that coffee is bad for you nobody has proven that it is that bad for you. If you are really concerned about whether or not you should drink coffee consult with your doctor before you decide to consume the beverage.

Coffee - The Pros and Cons of Drinking Coffee

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Drinking coffee daily is a normal routine for more than 108 million Americans consumers, including the majority of US adults and a growing number of children. Is this habit good for our health or is it harmful?

Coffee has been the subject of research for decades and the results consistently show that coffee is more healthful than harmful. Research takes place daily on coffee, caffeine and health around the world. Hundreds, if not more, of new studies are published every month by scientists and research institutes worldwide.

Coffee

Coffee has two main ways of improving the health of your body: antioxidants and caffeine. Both of these substances have health and anti aging benefits. Antioxidants help your body repair damage to cells caused by free radicals. These free radicals are produced as a by-product of cells through normal daily activities.

Coffee - The Health Benefits of Drinking Coffee

The health benefits of coffee are many and the research supports them. For example,

ASTHMA RELIEF: caffeine can help manage asthma and even control attacks when medication is not available. Did you know that a single dose of pain reliever such as Anacin or Excedrin contains up to 120 milligrams of caffeine? This is the equivalent of a hefty cup of coffee.

CAVITY PROTECTION: caffeine can prevent cavities because of a compound called trigonelline which gives coffee its aroma and bitter taste. Trigonelline has both anti-bacterial and anti-adhesive properties that help prevent dental cavities from forming.

CHOLESTEROL: a paper filter is worth a "pound of cure" or so. There are two substances in coffee, kahweol and cafestol, that raise cholesterol levels. During the brewing process, paper filters capture these substances. Paper filters, in this case, help in the prevention of harmful cholesterol levels. Coffee drinkers who drink non-filtered coffees such as "lattes," which do not use paper filters, may want to reconsider their choice and frequency of beverage for their own health benefit.

COLON CANCER: drinking at least two cups of coffee daily can translate into a 25% reduced risk of colon cancer. Coffee drinkers, as compared to non coffee drinkers, appear to be 50% less likely to get liver cancer. They also have lower rates of colon, breast and rectal cancers. There is a powerful antioxidant found almost exclusively in coffee, methylpyridinium, that boosts blood enzymes widely believed to protect against colon cancer. Methylpyridinium is formed in the roasting process from a chemical found naturally in coffee beans. Dark roasted coffees contain two to three times more of this antioxidant than medium roasts.

CIRRHOSIS: coffee drinkers have up to 80% reduced risk to suffer from cirrhosis than non coffee drinkers. People who smoke and are heavy drinkers have less liver damage as compared to those who do not. The reduced risk of alcohol cirrhosis may be associated with the phenolics and related substances in coffee.

DEMENTIA: drinking coffee during middle age may reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease and the risk of dementia in the elderly. Coffee drinkers at midlife have a lower risk for dementia or Alzheimer's later in life than people who drank little or no coffee at midlife. Moderate coffee drinkers had up to a 65% decrease risk of contracting these conditions as compared with low coffee drinkers.

GALLSTONES: certain compounds in coffee may help prevent liquid stored in the gallbladder ("bile") from crystallizing or hardening. This is what causes gallstones and obstructs the bile duct, a narrow tube which leads from the gallbladder to the intestine. Gallstones are painful and patients can experience fever and jaundice. Coffee drinkers have almost a 50% reduced risk of suffering from gallstone disease as compared to non coffee drinkers.

HEART DISEASE: People who smoke and are heavy coffee drinkers have less heart disease as compared to those who do not. Drinking coffee as part of a healthy and balanced diet is not associated with the development of cardiovascular problems, including atherosclerotic disease, myocardial infarction, ventricular arrhythmias and hypertension.

MENTAL ALERTNESS: caffeine enhances concentration, reduces fatigue and heightens alertness. The reason lies in caffeine's effect on brain receptors, enabling a better energy uptake.

MALE FERTILITY: caffeine in coffee appears to increase sperm "motility." Motility is the speed at which sperm moves. Since sperm hyperactivity is critical to fertilization, heightened motility increases the odds of pregnancy.

PARKINSON'S DISEASE: antioxidants and caffeine have health and anti-aging benefits. Antioxidants repair the damage to cells caused by free radicals. People who drink coffee on a regular basis are up to 80% less likely to develop Parkinson's disease. Caffeine's adenosine-blocking power may be one mechanism through which the brain cells in Parkinson's disease are protected. Based on this and other evidence, Parkinson's drugs are being developed that contain a derivative of caffeine. However, it seems that coffee protects men better than women against Parkinson's disease. This is because estrogen and caffeine need the same enzymes to be metabolized and estrogen captures those enzymes.

TYPE 2 DIABETES: drinking one to three cups of coffee daily can reduce diabetes risk by single digits. Drinking six cups or more each day can reduce men's risk up to 60% and women's' up to 30% as compared to non coffee drinkers. Coffee has large amounts of antioxidants such as Chlorogenic acid and tocopherols. Coffee also has minerals such as magnesium. All these components improve insulin sensitivity, glucose metabolism and lower blood sugar.

The good news about coffee and health keeps getting better. Coffee and caffeine are recognized for their positive health benefits and potential functional food attributes. Obviously, check with your own physician regarding any medical conditions, treatments, diagnostics, pregnancy or special dietary plans for you.

Go ahead and drink coffee. In the process, you will derive some health benefits. Enjoy a cup of Panama Boquete specialty coffee!

Coffee - The Health Benefits of Drinking Coffee

Timothy ("Tim") S. Collins, the author, is called by those who know him "Gourmet Coffee Guy."
He is an expert in article writing who has done extensive research online and offline in his area of expertise, coffee marketing, as well as in other areas of personal and professional interest.

Come visit the author's website: http://www.ourgourmetcoffee.com