It’s a cold snowy day. I hesitate to wake up. I avoid all
modes of conversation. I lug myself into the kitchen to start the Keurig machine.
Do you hear that? That’s the sound of warm coffee running.
Coffee plays an essential role in our everyday lives. Coffee
chains such as Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks have provided us with the pleasure
of our morning coffee on the go. Not only is coffee is a great start to one’s
morning, but is also a great quick get-together with your closest friends idea.
However, is too much coffee bad for you? Are there any health benefits? Does
the habitual consumption of coffee make one desensitize to its effects? These
are the questions I ask myself when I consume more than three cups a day to
cope with my busy days.
So what exactly is in coffee? Through my research, I have
discovered that coffee has many benefits. However, it has some negative impacts
as well. The bottom line was that one would need to experiment for themselves
to determine whether or not coffee is right for them, given that caffeine
affects both mood and physiology. Just like everything else, the effects of
coffee will vary from person to person.
It has been shown that five cups per day is considered to
have no adverse effects on the body. In Coffee,
Nutrition Facts – Good for the Brain, Heart & Liver, Dr. Josh Axe
provides us with this information stating that one eight-ounce of coffee
contains: 2-5 calories, 0.2 milligrams vitamin B2 riboflavin, 0.6 milligrams
panthothenic acid, 116 milligrams potassium and 0.1 milligrams manganese. The
caffeine in coffee would vary depending on type of coffee bean used,
manufacturer, and method for making coffee. An average eight-ounce would
contain about 95 milligrams of caffeine. Dr. Axe also provides us with
information about coffee aiding in the reduction of inflammation and linked to
protection against neurodegenerative diseases, decrease in type II diabetes, and
an increased energy and concentration amongst others. For some, it makes them
jittery, anxious, insomniac, and have an increased heart rate. Read about it here
A study conducted by Singer et al. examined the effects of coffee combined with inulin and
dextrin to suppress hunger and improve satiety in healthy volunteers. The
volunteers drank two cups of coffee per day in which they were assessed over a
period of time to determine coffee’s effect on satiety level. As a result,
coffee with inulin and dextrin showed a suppressed hunger level with improved
satiety. The increase of satiety levels will allow individuals to eat less,
which would be beneficial to reduce the risk of obesity and other health-related
issues. Read about it here
For now, its safe to say that one can have their daily
caffeine from coffee without having to worry about adverse effects. Thank God!
I have never been big on coffee, I have tried it a few times and I just think that it tastes gross and it's just not for me. However, some of my house mates are very dependent on coffee. They will wake up and have a cup and then have about three more cups throughout the day. I tell my house mates all the time that I think they are becoming dependent on coffee and the caffeine that it brings with it. In order for them to do any work they must have a cup of coffee. They always told me that there are more benefits than just waking them up, but they never gave me any. I think that most of the coffee drinking population knows that there can be health benefits that go along with drinking coffee but, I don't think many actually know what these benefits are. After reading this I know a few more facts about coffee then I did before. But, I still don't think I will be drinking any coffee anytime soon.
ReplyDeleteI am an avid coffee drinker as well so I was so grateful to read the last sentence of your post. I didn't know about the health benefits of coffee, I specifically found it interesting that it increases satiety. Looking back this makes sense because I often find myself starving in the morning, I drink a cup of coffee and I'm good to go for a few hours. One of my friends was recently advised to refrain from drinking coffee due to her family history of heart disease, this worried me but I now feel slightly reassured after reading that it effects everyone differently and I haven't experienced adverse effects in the past.
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ReplyDeleteThis is a great article and many of us could relate to. It would be interesting to see if the study had compared different types of population, meaning I believe drinking coffee is almost considered as a cultural component of Americans. Recently, I came across a someone who was on a diet which required them to intake more than 5 cups of coffee. There is a correlation between coffee and losing weight but lot of people avoid the negative effects of coffee or they are unaware of it. Advertisements are not doing a good job at highlighting the risks because I believe this is an addiction that is affecting many people. However, after reading this article, I learned more about coffee then I did previously.
ReplyDeleteSimilar to Chris, I do not drink coffee. However, I also have many friends who drink coffee and one close friend that concerns me from the amount of coffee he drinks. Like you said, Angela, caffeine affects everyone differently. I have seen this in my close friend. Every time I see him, which is often, he seems to have a cup of coffee in his hand. However, he is very calm and we have very meaningful conversations. Related to caffeine, I drink at least two cups of tea a day that each have about 70-80 mg of caffeine in them. While this is not as much as in coffee, I do notice a difference if I have not had tea. Your article was very interesting, especially the part about suppressed hunger levels. I will have to ask my friend to see if he notices that benefit of coffee as well.
ReplyDeleteI am an avid coffee drinker, a complete psychological and physiological addict; therefore, I could not help but read your blog to see what damage I am currently doing to my body. However, I was relieved to see there are some positive affects. The first thought that popped into my head when reading your studies is that not everyone drinks black coffee. Most Americans douse their coffee with sugar and flavored creamer. Did you come across any studies in your research that took this into consideration? Also, when it comes to satiety, I couldn't help but think of the millions of people that believe coffee to actually be a meal, like me, how would replacing meals with a cup of coffee affect one's body? Does caffeine have a stronger affect on an empty stomach rather than after a meal?
ReplyDeleteI think the majority of college students can agree that coffee is a must have during the progression of a semester. Speaking for myself, I know that I have a cup of coffee nearly everyday and it helps me get through the day. Your blog caught my attention immediately because of the potential positive affects associated with coffee when taken in moderation and I think that is a major key in a lot of studies. I know that whenever I drink coffee I feel fuller, so I definitely understand the findings of Singer's research as you noted. I'm interested to see if there are any studies comparing varying coffee beans and their caffeine concentrations in association with satiety levels to see if there are any correlations. Overall, excellent article and blog!
ReplyDeleteCoffee has been a familiar drink to me as long as I could remember. The biggest coffee addict that I know would probably have to be my father. I also like coffee from time to time because of its unique taste and it helps me wake up in the morning. It is awesome to know that coffee has health benefits but it definitely means only when it is in moderation. Besides affecting your mood and psychology like you stated, dehydration is also a major side effect of coffee so we must remember to drink a lot of water during our day to balance out this dehydration. Also, I feel like as college students we mess up our sleeping schedule through waking up early and staying up late and coffee is something that would only promote this. Nevertheless, I believe in small and balanced amounts coffee can aid our health and stimulate our daily activities.
ReplyDeleteCoffee is what I drink when I have to stay up late to finish assignments and sometimes I have more than one cup of coffee per day, especially during finals week. It is wonderful to know that coffee has positive benefits since I always related coffee with having negative effects on the body. I totally agree with the effect of coffee varying from person to person because after I had three cups of coffee my heart rate increased very quickly and I became jittery whereas my friends did not face any of these problems when they drank the same amount of coffee as me. My body is not used to consuming that many cups of coffee per day but it is good to know that up to five cups of coffee per day has been shown to have no adverse effects on the body.
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ReplyDeleteI thought this this blog was very interesting. It is good to know that there are no known negative effects of coffee. What would be interesting to know is how caffeine affects the body, and how much is too much caffeine? I love my cup of coffee every morning but I also feel very dependent on my coffee. I don't think that I could make it through a day without a headache if I didn't have my cup of coffee. I have also seen my mom have to drink three cups of coffee to get through a day, without caffeine withdrawal symptoms. My question following your blog is whether or not a caffeine addiction is bad for you?
ReplyDeleteIt was very interesting to read this blog after drinking coffee over the years and even working for Dunkin' Donuts for 3 years as my first job. I have known that caffeine can be addictive which is why many people love their daily coffee, tea, or soda. I had no idea that coffee also aids in reducing inflammation and protect against neurodegenerative diseases and decrease in type II diabetes. I find it very interesting that coffee can have such a positive impact. I do not drink coffee much myself because it has never given me that extra boost of energy that it gives most people. But, it is comforting to know that a little coffee can't hurt and can actually be beneficial.
ReplyDeleteI am absolutely obsessed with coffee. I love the flavor and how you can do so many different things with it. With that being said however, whenever I have a busy week of school I definitely find myself binging on coffee. After these types of weeks I hate myself from the caffeine overload and the lack of sleep. I always cut myself off from caffeine until I feel that my body is rested enough to incorporate it back into my routine.
ReplyDeleteI have never been a fan of coffee for some reason but I can see how for many people including most of my family how it is a routine to have a couple cups when waking up. I was never aware of the different benefits coffee can bring including helping prevent type 2 diabetes. I would be interested to see the comparison of coffee to tea. A lot of my foreign housemates are just as dependent on tea as my family is to coffee and I would like to know if it has the same benefits.
ReplyDeleteI have always like the smell of coffee. However I don't like drink it. I tried it a couple of times and I didn't feel any affects from drinking the coffee. On the other hand, I notice with some of my friends that if they don't have their coffee, their mood is affected greatly from it. I think it was interesting to learn that it can help with diabetes type 2 seeing that I'm an aid and have several patients that have that. I curious to look up more information in regards to that.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great blog and it reminds me of when I was in I school. I believe I used to be addicted to coffee in my high school years. I would drink about a pot of dark bitter coffee with no sugar or sweeter each night five times a week to help me stay up to do work. I loved doing school work at night because my house was usually chaotic and loud during the day. It got to a point where one day I could not taste my cup of coffee, it tasted like water, and I usually make my coffee bitter. I thought I lost my sense of taste. This scared me and I suddenly stopped drinking coffee for about three years. I now occasionally drink it once in a blue moon. I was seriously worried about negative affect from what I experienced that day.
ReplyDeleteCoffee coffee coffee! I love coffee especially flavored with caramel, hazelnut or french vanilla! I have always loved the taste of coffee and I can easily drink 6 cups a day and it will not make me jittery but it can keep me up for a bit. However, I do have friends that can have a dramatic spike in their heartbeat and they can get super jittery after 1 cup of coffee. Its crazy that coffee can have a different effect on everyone. Just like most college students I feel like that I depend on coffee to stay up sometimes but its good to hear that even 5 cups is considered to have no adverse effect on the coffee. I also found it very interesting that coffee has wonderful benefits such as aiding in the reduction of inflammation, protecting against neurodegenerative diseases, and decreasing type II diabetes. Glad to hear that I can still have my daily coffee!
ReplyDeleteI am a strict no coffee drinker. And frankly I really do not know why that is the case, most likely it is simply an acquired taste which I will most likely pick up in my later years. Besides this fact, I find it very interesting that it helps combat against T2D and with the amount of red meat I consume, maybe coffee should be a daily thing for me! As well, Its good to know caffeine also has positive side effects, especially with all the negative things written about it! Cheers
ReplyDeleteI am a strict no coffee drinker. And frankly I really do not know why that is the case, most likely it is simply an acquired taste which I will most likely pick up in my later years. Besides this fact, I find it very interesting that it helps combat against T2D and with the amount of red meat I consume, maybe coffee should be a daily thing for me! As well, Its good to know caffeine also has positive side effects, especially with all the negative things written about it! Cheers
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