Is Drinking Coffee Good or Bad?
Are you the type of person who looks for a cup of coffee immediately after waking up? If you are then you belong to the millions of millions of people who enjoy coffee. However, there are people who feel that drinking coffee is bad for your health. So which is which? Is drinking coffee good or bad? Here are some of the good and bad benefits of drinking coffee:Coffee is nutritious and acts as an antioxidant. An analysis of coffee reveals that a typical eight ounce cup contains up to 11 % of the RDA of Vitamin B2 or Riboflavin. It also contains amounts of Vitamins B1, B3 and B5 as well as folate, manganese, potassium, phosphorus and magnesium. Coffee is also found to have high antioxidant properties which help in relieving the toxins of the body caused by stress. This makes coffee a good stress controller or reliever.
Coffee can stimulate brain function and enhance metabolism. Coffee is the biggest source of caffeine which is considered to be a psychoactive substance. Caffeine acts as a brain stimulant since it blocks the formation of adenosine which is an inhibitory brain hormone. When adenosine is blocked, there is increased release of brain stimulating hormones such as norepinephrine and dopamine. This reduces the feeling of tiredness and makes the brain more alert. An average cup of coffee contains around 90 to 100mg of caffeine. This is why people who drink coffee get short-term boosts in their brain functions and energy levels. Several studies have also revealed that coffee drinking reduces the risk of having Alzheimer's and type-2 diabetes.
However, not all studies about coffee reveal it to give good benefits. Some studies have also shown coffee to have these effects:
Coffee causes anxiety. Since coffee contains caffeine, too much caffeine in the body can cause negative side effects. Anxiety, jitteries and heart palpitations have been recorded reactions for people who consume too much caffeine. People who are sensitive to coffee become anxious even after drinking a single cup. Because of too much caffeine, a person affected by it often complains of sleep disruptions.
Coffee can become addictive. The stimulating effects of caffeine can lead people to addiction. When people regularly drink coffee, their tolerance level to caffeine is increased. This leads to a higher consumption of coffee to get their caffeine 'fix'. However, when these people miss a few cups of coffee, they get withdrawal side effects such as headaches and being irritable which could last for days.
All in all, coffee can be beneficial to people who drink it. But like any other substance, when the intake of it is abused and left uncontrolled, it may lead to negative effects.
