Coffee: Just a Harmless Habit?

Every morning when I’m bleary-eyed and foggy-headed, I rely on a cuppa Joe to get me started.  There’s nothing like the hum of beans grinding followed by the smell of smooth Arabica coffee brewing.  Stir in a little milk and sugar and I’m good to go.  Call it a bad habit or even an addiction, I’m not alone; people all over the world consume an estimated 400 billion cups of coffee per year. 

The Perks:

A caffeine jolt can make you more alert, focused and productive.  One study suggests that routine coffee consumption significantly lowers risk of type 2 diabetes.  Other research has indicated that coffee drinkers are at a reduced risk of colon cancer, liver cirrhosis, gallstones and even Parkinson’s disease.

Researchers aren’t sure if it’s the caffeine or other compounds such as antioxidants, or minerals such as magnesium found in coffee. 

The Taste:

Connoisseurs will tell you that the popularity of coffee is about more than just caffeine.  Dependant upon the beans’ origin, climate and how they’re roasted, aromas and flavors range from fruity notes to hints of chocolate, spice and even tobacco.  For those who want to see how the flavorful little beans are harvested, coffee plantation tours in their naturally scenic locales such as Costa Rica, Hawaii and Kenya are becoming increasingly popular. 

Check out:
www.coffeetours.com and
www.bayviewfarmcoffees.com for more info.   

The Negatives:

Great amounts of caffeine, more than 500 mg per day, can cause undesirable side effects: elevated heartbeat, blood pressure and levels of stress hormones.  Irritability, insomnia, acid reflux, and diarrhea are also linked to excessive caffeine consumption. 

Researchers from the University of Toronto categorized subjects in a recent study as either “rapid” or “slow” caffeine metabolizers, based on a gene we carry.  The coffee drinkers who consume 2 to 3 cups of coffee a day and carry the slow-metabolizing gene had a 36% higher risk of heart attack than the fast-metabolizers who drink coffee in moderation.  Those who drank 4 or more cups per day had a 64% risk, possibly because the caffeine lingers in the body longer.

Are these grounds for quitting?  It’s probably a good idea if you are pregnant, consider yourself caffeine-sensitive, or have insomnia, a heart condition or hypertension. 

If not, it’s good news for those like me, who can drink an espresso with dessert at the end of a late-night Italian feast, and then hit the sack without any problems. 

So whether it’s iced or hot, macchiato, latte, or good ole drip coffee, enjoy 2 or 3 cups a day of your favorite coffee drinks without any guilt or regret.  Your health thanks you for it, not to mention your daily to-do list you’ll find yourself flying through with the boost of a caffeine buzz!