Coffee>> Sorting the Bitter Truth

Ahhh coffee! Americano, cappuccino, mocha, macchiato, latte – you name it and I want it. I just so love coffee. But with that being said I cannot be classified as an avid coffee drinker, in fact, I am very inconsistent. Sometimes, I drink one or two, even three cups of coffee and on times I can go without it for weeks on the run.

Today coffee is considered as the most widely consumed beverage, and most definitely it comes to no surprise when people find themselves reaching for yet another cup of coffee only to find themselves growing dependent on it. That’s when scientific studies have been conducted surrounding the effects of coffee as it continues to attract attention and gain popularity all the same. So in this article were gonna see into the advantages and disadvantages this drink has in store.

CAFFEINE – AN INGREDIENT

Coffee contains an ingredient known by the name of caffeine. Though this ingredient can be commonly found in several energy drinks, beverages, and tea, our main concern here solely surrounds coffee. Now this caffeine is a naturally occurring trimethyl xanthine or in other simpler words, it is a naturally occurring psychoactive substance. This substance works to stimulate the central nervous system by increasing adrenaline levels in the blood which in turn reduces fatigue and intensifies mental sharpness.

HEALTH BENEFITS

Studies reveal that coffee presents some certain health benefits. Since coffee is full of antioxidants, it lowers the probable risks of diseases like – liver cancer, prostate cancer, Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, and CVD i.e. the cardiovascular disease. Not just this, it boosts the daily energy and improves mental clearance. And the wafting aroma this drink has to offer calms the nerves.

UNHEALTHY EFFECTS

Just above we’ve surmised the health benefits of coffee; however, it has got a flipside too. High consumptions of this beverage lead to consequences like – increased general toxicity, dieresis, and calcium imbalances in the bone. Furthermore, the invigorating power in it interferes with the sleep cycle to cause insomnia.

CAFFEINE- HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH?

Consumption by an average coffee drinker: 180mg/day

Recommended limits

Safe daily limit:

Men and women: 400mg/day

Pregnant and lactating mothers: 300mg/day

However, there’s an important point which might have to be considered that not all cups of coffee carry the same equal amount of caffeine. Some coffees may be caffeinated while others may be decaffeinated. Therefore, it becomes all the more necessary that you check the caffeine content your cup of coffee holds.

TRYING TO CUT BACK ON COFFEE?

Here’re some tips:

1.      Take it gradually: decrease the amount of consumption gradually. Take your time in reducing the number of cups you ingest daily. The measured reduction will save you from the unnecessary headache, fatigue, and loss of mental focus that happens when you let go of it all of a sudden.

2.      Opt for decaffeinated coffee: true, cutting back on coffee can be quite a task for the avid coffee drinkers. However, one thing that you can obviously do is to opt for decaffeinated coffee or at least mix some parts caffeinated with parts of decaffeinated. This will ensure that you consume lower levels of coffee with lesser doses of caffeine.

3.      Hydrate your body: thinking of grabbing another cup from Starbucks? Hold on. Just pour yourself a glass of water and drink it. This might be helpful in tricking your mind to cut off that desire for coffee.

CONCLUSION

 Higher consumptions of anything are unhealthy and it’s bound to introduce adverse health effects. On the contrary, consciously drinking in moderation won’t affect much. Thus coffee can be considered as a reasonable addition provided you do not exceed the limits and watch your caffeine.

That is all in the coffee story. And thanks a latte for taking out the time to read it.

Until next time, bye😀.