Is Coffee really good for you?

YESspesso or CappucciNO: IS COFFEE REALLY GOOD FOR YOU?

Put the kettle on – drinking three cups of coffee a day could help you live longer, according to a study from Harvard University.
It is estimated 70 million cups of coffee are drunk in the UK every day! Depending on who you ask, coffee is either a healthy beverage or something to be seriously avoided. The health effects of coffee are extremely controversial. So, while I’ve come into Evergood Towers today and stuck the kettle on, let’s explore whether it was the best decision I could have made on this Friday morning or perhaps it could be my last sip of the good stuff!

Enjoy the buzz?

Coffee is frequently seen as a quick fix to help you wake up in the morning or for that lull in energy later in the day. You feel faster, sharper and more focused. This is because caffeine binds to the adenosine receptors – these build up in our bodies while we’re awake and high levels make us feel sleepy – which stops the sleepiness signals reaching the brain. This can happen within five minutes of drinking that cup of hot java.
While feeling more alert and focussed is great, too much caffeine stimulating our nervous system can leave you feeling anxious and shaky, as well as increasing levels of adrenaline. This can have a negative impact on people who have high blood pressure.

How to get all the benefits

Stick to caffetière or espresso machine coffee if you want to get the best benefits. The Harvard study highlights that coffee contains cafestol; a stimulator of cholesterol levels. Most of this is removed when coffee is made using filter papers.

Heart disease

There have been headlines over the last few years declaring that coffee “prevents heart attacks”, which simply isn’t true. The study suggests that moderate coffee consumption can reduce the risk of dying prematurely from heart disease, but consumption is also linked to raised blood pressure and cholesterol. It’s certainly clear that more research is needed in this area.
Studies have also linked coffee drinking to a reduction in the risk of Type 2 Diabetes, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and Multiple Sclerosis, but the research is not complete enough for us to expect doctors to start recommending drinking coffee as a preventative measure for these diseases.

A good night’s sleep

Let’s not forget that a late-night cup of coffee containing all that energy-inducing caffeine – a stimulant most would use to get out of bed in the morning – can result in very disrupted sleep patterns. Experts advise that you don’t have a coffee for at least six hours before going to bed.
The science is definitely confusing. Coffee contains a whole raft of chemicals that can have both positive and negative effects on our energy levels and overall health, so there really is no “right” answer.
Maybe the answer could be as simple as the old adage, ‘everything in moderation’. In the meantime, I think I’ll still have that morning coffee, just perhaps bring some filtered coffee in to the break room. See ya latte.

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