Coffee Every Day!

Being widely popular and regularly consumed, coffee has come under scrutiny for its health effects. Its delicious taste and addictive quality have added to suspicions. The good news for coffee drinkers is that their wake-up drink may be more healthy than harmful when consumed moderately.

Coffee has been redeemed as recent research points to diverse health benefits. Moderate coffee drinking has been linked with a lower risk of heart and liver disease, Type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, and depression, amongst other benefits.

Background

Coffee has traditionally been linked with a range of health risks. Studies over the 1980s and 1990s linked the drink with a higher risk of conditions like heart disease, pancreatic cancer, and even asthma.

However, the medical view of coffee has changed since then. Several recent large-scale population studies have spanned data from hundreds and thousands of coffee drinkers.

The earlier studies may have inaccurately concluded coffee’s risks for different reasons. A key reason was that many of the studies featured people who also smoked or led unhealthy lifestyles, leading coffee to take the blame for adverse effects now linked with cigarettes and other factors.

Recent studies not only cover larger groups but also account for external factors like smoking that can throw off results. Advanced sampling and statistical tools have also resolved many of the previous studies' limits.

Analysis

Coffee is best known for its natural stimulant caffeine, which boosts people's energy and makes them more alert and awake. Caffeine blocks the neurotransmitter or brain hormone adenosine, preventing it from functioning by binding to adenosine receptors. Adenosine, an inhibitory neurotransmitter, makes the neurons less likely to fire and has a calming, sleep-inducing or depressive effect. By blocking this brain hormone, caffeine increases brain activity and releases neurotransmitters like norepinephrine and dopamine. This makes people feel less tired and more awake and alert.

Caffeine has short-term benefits like boosting brain function and improving mood. While these effects are admittedly short-term, they can give many the ignition they need to get going, whether they're starting the day or in the middle of it. Additionally, caffeine can improve metabolism by 3-11 per cent and exercise performance by 11-12 per cent. However, these effects are less powerful with regular drinking as people develop caffeine tolerance.

Besides caffeine, coffee contains hundreds of compounds, including plenty of polyphenols, a type of antioxidant. Being antioxidants, they protect the body against damage by free radicals, a waste product in the body that can act as toxins and cause inflammation.

Coffee has also been found to strongly reduce the risk of developing the common neurodegenerative disease, Alzheimer's disease. It also reduces the risk of Parkinson's, another common neurodegenerative disease caused by the death of neurons that generate dopamines.

Coffee could also play a role in protecting the liver, a critical organ with numerous functions. Coffee drinkers can have up to 84 per cent less risk of developing liver cirrhosis, the last stage of liver damage where the liver is overrun by scar tissue. Coffee may also contribute to protecting the liver from cancer and other diseases.

Coffee’s mood boost may not be just a short-lived spark. Studies have found a reduced risk of depression and suicide in people who drank more coffee. Additionally, coffee drinking has been linked with a lower risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. Other potential benefits include protecting people from colon cancer, other diseases, and stroke.

However, it is worth noting that this research is largely based on population data and not clinical trials. While it does reflect a likely association, it does not confirm a cause-and-effect relationship between coffee and the associated benefits.

Weighing both sides, coffee does come with certain issues. It often results in higher blood pressure, though this is usually temporary and affects those who do not regularly consume it. However, those with high blood pressure may need to be cautious with coffee to protect their cardiovascular health.

Too much caffeine can also cause anxiety and jitters, particularly in those with less caffeine tolerance or those with anxiety disorders. Further, it can disrupt sleep, though its effects on sleep differ based on how people respond to caffeine. Avoiding it later in the day may be a good solution if it disrupts sleep. 

Coffee is associated with negative impacts on pregnancy; pregnant and lactating women are usually advised to restrict or completely cut out coffee consumption.

Drinking unfiltered coffee can result in higher levels of unhealthy cholesterol, so drinking filtered coffee may be a healthier option.