If your morning ritual includes grabbing a cup of
coffee or passing through a Starbucks on your way to work, you have probably
often asked yourself if it may be bad for you. The benefits and adverse effects
of coffee usually draw controversial views and each person choosing the side
that best suits them. However, there are many benefits as well as cons of
coffee and it is up to you to figure out which outweighs the other according to
your lifestyle and understanding among other factors. That being said, is
coffee good or bad for you? Here are the pros and cons:
Pros
·
Coffee can boost your physical performance
especially when taken before a workout. This is because it raises your
adrenaline levels helping you be more prepared for the physical exercise. Coffee also improves memory and this is because it
keeps you focused and alert and helps in increasing your sustained attention
and cognitive performance.
·
Coffee also reduces the risk of diabetes.
Drinking coffee could minimize your chances of getting Type 2 diabetes.
According to research, a cup of coffee each day could lower your chances by up
to 7 percent. It also reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s and
Parkinson’s disease. Research shows that coffee could contain an agent that
elevates growth factor levels that are crucial in lowering the risk of
developing these diseases. However, for this to be realized as many as 4 cups
of coffee would have to be consumed each day!
·
Coffee contains antioxidants which have a
large variety of health benefits such as boosting immunity and fighting free
radicals which can help to reduce your chances of developing different cancers.
·
Coffee can also help in lowering the risk
of stroke and heart disease. Drinking 2-4 cups of coffee in a day could greatly
lower this risk according to Netherland researchers.
Cons
·
It can cause insomnia and restlessness especially if you drink a lot of it close to sleeping hours.
·
Coffee also causes premature skin aging by
increasing the wrinkling due to dehydration if you fail to pair it with water.
·
Caffeine is very addictive and hence once
you make drinking coffee a regular habit, stopping it can result in withdrawal
symptoms such as fatigue, headaches and irritability among other symptoms.
·
Too much coffee can also lead to weight
gain as well as increase cholesterol. Caffeine can cause blood sugar fluctuations
causing cravings.
·
Coffee is sometimes not suitably grown owing and cared for appropriately due to
the large amount of pesticides that is necessary to be sprayed to keep pests away. Choosing the organically grown coffees are better for your health and you will avoid the pesticides. Another con for coffee drinkers is that coffee can stain teeth as you increase your consumption.