The Pros and Cons of Coffee

Pros

Who wouldn’t want coffee? Coffee contains caffeine, a natural stimulant that can increase both mental alertness levels and concentration. Caffeine also stimulates the release of adrenaline, which can improve physical performance and enhance our ability to exercise more intensely. The caffeine is what gets us through the day.

Caffeine also possesses antioxidant properties. Antioxidants help neutralize free radicals, which can cause oxidative stress on the body and lead to inflammation, resulting in cell damage, development into disease, and even contribute to the aging process. Antioxidant properties can neutralize these free radicals and as a result, reduce the inflammation that occurs in our bodies. Some studies suggest that caffeine’s antioxidant properties can reduce the risk of certain cancers too.

Caffeine has been seen to have the ability to suppress beta-amyloid plaques, a characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease, and studies have shown that caffeine may serve as an effective therapeutic against Alzheimer’s. Not only does it have the potential to prevent Alzheimer’s, caffeine can also serve as a protector against Parkinson’s, with some studies suggesting that caffeine can protect dopamine-producing neurons in the brain that are affected by Parkinson’s disease.

Not only does caffeine contain all these pathological benefits, it also contains many social and cultural benefits. What better way to bring people together than coffee? Coffee can provide great opportunities for both socializing and networking with people.

Cons

While caffeine has its benefits, it is important to consume in moderation, as with all things. Too much caffeine can be detrimental to our health, and can lead to problems such as with sleep. Excessive coffee consumption, especially later in the day, could disrupt sleep patterns and intervene with our body’s natural sleep cycle. This could contribute to issues such as fatigue, decreased cognitive health, and even conditions like insomnia.

Withdrawal symptoms are another important issue with coffee consumption. Drinking coffee regularly can lead to us developing a caffeine dependency. If we suddenly stop drinking coffee one day, we may start feeling symptoms such as headaches, aggravation, fatigue, and trouble focusing.

People with underlying cardiac conditions can also be susceptible to the detriments of excessive coffee consumption. As coffee is known to normally increase heart rate and blood pressure, this can be harmful for people with certain heart issues and could potentially worsen their condition.

Coffee is also an acidic drink, and this acidity could lead to gastrointestinal issues in some people such as acid reflux, indigestion, or cause discomfort for people with sensitive stomachs or who already have digestive issues.

Finally, over time coffee can cause teeth staining, especially without proper dental hygiene. The acidity in coffee could also lead to the loss of enamel from our teeth. Enamel’s main role is to protect our teeth, and losing it could lead to problems such as the aforementioned staining, along with cavities, tooth chipping, gum irritation, pain and discomfort, and tooth erosion.

_________________________________

While coffee has its many benefits, too much coffee can lead to many issues. Ironically, many of the issues we may run into with excessive coffee consumption turn out to be the exact opposite of the issues we run into with regular coffee consumption. While we may experience higher and enhanced bouts of energy, mood, and potential reduced risk of disease, excessive coffee consumption can lead to fatigue, increased risk of certain conditions, and more.

While coffee is a great drink to have, it’s crucial to monitor how much we drink and when we drink it. Moderation is the key, and with that, coffee can be a very healthy beverage to drink.

_________________________________

For more information: