Is Drinking Coffee Good For You?
Coffee is one of those drinks that we always hear mixed reviews about.
One day you’ll hear about how it’s beneficial for your heart and alertness, then the next you’ll hear it’s unsafe because of its addictive properties.
If whether or not you should drink coffee is a question you often ask yourself, you may benefit from nutrition and lifestyle counseling.
It’s hard to figure out what’s true or not about this beverage that so many people drink daily.
Coffee might make you feel anxious, but it might feel worth it if you’re more able to focus.
If you’re not sure where you should land in terms of drinking coffee for your health, I’m Dr. Kimberly Dawdy, a Barrhaven Ottawa naturopathic doctor, and I can help.
Let’s take a closer look.
Coffee Does Have Some Benefits
While a drink so popular may seem like it can’t be healthy, coffee does have some health benefits.
You may be one of the people who coffee makes feel more motivated.
Coffee can give you energy, help you maintain focus, and keep you alert.
While it is known that coffee has caffeine, lesser known is the fact that it is full of beneficial things like antioxidants and micronutrients.
Some studies even show that coffee may help with weight loss and other disease prevention.
It can also improve mood because of the energy boost it gives you.
Let’s examine each of these factors more closely.
1. It Can Enhance Mental And Physical Performance
Because it has been shown to increase blood flow to the brain, coffee can help with mental performance.
It can also benefit your workouts, giving you that extra energy that will increase your performance in the gym and on your runs.
Some evidence shows that it can enhance performance and stamina, giving people increased speed and power output.
2. It’s Full Of Antioxidants
Coffee is full of antioxidants, showing the greatest activity of antioxidants in some comparative studies.
That means that coffee may actually have more antioxidants per cup than cocoa or tea.
Coffee has even been shown to increase the amount of antioxidants in the blood.
While whole foods like pumpkins and other fruits and vegetables are the most important source of antioxidants, coffee may be a good supplemental source if you don’t get adverse affects from it.
3. It’s Good For Your Liver
Because of the circulation increase it causes, coffee may benefit the liver.
Studies have shown that coffee can reduce the risks of certain liver diseases and hepatocellular carcinoma.
There is even some evidence that coffee lowers the rate of disease progression in people with hepatitis C.
Coffee Has Some Drawbacks Too
Despite all of these listed benefits, there are some downsides to coffee.
Coffee can be addictive, cause bowel problems, and may increase your anxiety.
If you have existing health conditions, you may be especially likely to have issues when you drink coffee.
Some side effects associated with drinking coffee are nausea, vomiting, insomnia, anxiety, and headaches.
Calories can also add up if you add a lot of extras to your coffee.
Let’s take a look at these more closely.
1. It Might Irritate Digestive Disorders
Coffee has a laxative effect caused by the release of gastrin.
Gastrin is a hormone that stimulates movement in the digestive tract, which can cause side effects such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
If you have GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), a condition in which you experience heartburn, nausea, and burping, coffee may worsen your symptoms.
Coffee can also trigger Crohn’s disease flare ups.
Speaking to a naturopath for gut health near me can help you understand if coffee will irritate your digestive disorder.
2. Overdosing On Caffeine Is Dangerous
It is possible to overdose on caffeine, symptoms of which can occur after consuming as little as 500 milligrams of caffeine (one cup of coffee contains 80-175 milligrams).
The symptoms of a caffeine overdose can include restlessness, nervousness, insomnia, a flushed face, increased urination, digestive issues, muscle twitching, and heart issues like tachycardia or cardiac arrhythmia.
As a result, if you have heart disease, it may be beneficial to avoid coffee.
3. It Can Increase Anxiety
Caffeine makes you alert and causes the release of adrenaline.
An increase in adrenaline can give you feelings of anxiety and nervousness, especially if you already struggle with anxiety.
If you are experiencing a lot of stress in your daily life, you may notice that coffee is increasing that anxiety and disguising your true moods.
If you’re feeling high levels of anxiety, there are plenty naturopathic solutions for anxiety, but the simplest one might just be to drink less coffee.
4. It’s Been Linked With Thyroid Issues
Among the other hormones coffee causes your body to release, it also triggers the production of cortisol.
Cortisol is a stress hormone, which is released during a fight flight or freeze reaction.
One of its jobs is to suppress your body’s nonessential functions when you’re in danger, which is really useful when you’re face to face with a saber tooth tiger.
But one of those suppressed functions is your body’s ability to convert T4 thyroid hormone into T3 thyroid hormone.
And because T3 is about five times as effective as T4, too much coffee can trigger thyroid issues.
In particular, it can be a contributing factor to hypothyroidism, which can cause chronic fatigue, depression, weight gain, hair loss, and feeling cold.
5. Most Importantly, It’s Addictive
Caffeine overdose is more likely if you are so addicted to coffee you keep increasing the amount you drink.
Coffee is addictive, and that means you can go through withdrawal when you can’t have any.
Withdrawal symptoms from caffeine include headaches, anxiety, irritability, fatigue, trouble concentrating, and changes in appetite.
So, Is Drinking Coffee Good For You Or What?
In general, as with many things, coffee is something you may want to consider in moderation.
Many health experts recommend drinking between one and two cups of coffee a day.
If you can keep to this moderate amount you may benefit from the antioxidants and stimulating effects that coffee provides.
As long as you can drink a reasonable amount and don’t add too many unhealthy ingredients to your morning cup, coffee’s benefits may be worthwhile.
However, if you have issues when you drink coffee, it is best to simply avoid it.
If you are struggling with anxiety, insomnia, or gastrointestinal symptoms, it’s best to drop the coffee habit.
Book Your Appointment With Dawdy Naturopathic Today
Looking for more tips on how to manage your daily nutrition?
Have you had your morning cup of coffee but now you’re looking for the next piece of advice to maximize your health?
Book your appointment with Dawdy Naturopathic Today.
Yours in Health,
Dr. Kimberly Dawdy, ND
Dawdy Naturopathic Clinic
6899 Sunset Blvd,
Greely, ON K4P 1C5
-https://g.page/dawdynaturopathicclinic
Dawdy Naturopathic Clinic offers a variety of naturopathic health solutions for individuals and families in Ottawa and the surrounding area.
