Coffee: Friend or Foe?

Is coffee really all that bad for you? 

While many of us rely on coffee to keep us going, coffee has gotten mixed reviews. First, it was bad for you now the common consensus is that a few cups of coffee a day seems not to be so bad. Recent research shows that properties in coffee reduce the risk of developing gallstones, discourage the development of colon cancer, improve cognitive function, reduce the risk of liver damage in people at high risk for liver disease, and reduce the risk of Parkinson's disease. But other studies have shown coffee drinking to contribute to weight gain, cardiovascular problems and weakened bones. 

So what's the deal, is coffee really your friend or foe? 

On the Bad Side

Is Coffee Making You Fat? 

It can, it all depends on what you are eating when you drink it. 

A 2004 study conducted at Duke University Medical Center found that caffeine had a negative effect on carbohydrate metabolism, creating insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is the prime contributor to developing type 2 diabetes and weight retention. This is because insulin resistance promotes weight storage. In Duke's study, fourteen diabetic nonsmoking coffee drinkers were checked for fasting glucose levels. The levels were checked again at intervals after consuming caffeine and a meal-replacement nutritional drink, or the drink with a placebo, for a period of two weeks. While fasting levels were not changed, the researchers noted that when caffeine was ingested with carbohydrates, blood sugar rose 21% higher than with food consumption alone! The study concluded that quitting caffeine could aid blood sugar control for type 2 diabetics and managing weight! 

This is especially a problem if your consume coffee along with a carbohydrate, such as coffee and a muffin, cereal or donut. The caffeine interferes with your body's ability to metabolize the carbohydrates which means high blood sugar levels = more stored, less burned! It is best then to drink coffee when you are not eating carbohydrates.

Is Coffee Hurting Your Heart?

Greek researchers recently proposed that caffeine increased aortic stiffness and, subsequently, the risk of heart disease. This is believed to be caused by the effect of adrenaline in the arteries. Caffeine stimulates the release of adrenaline in the body and with prolonged and substantial exposure there can be a negative affect on blood vessel tone and function by increasing arterial stiffness and wave reflections. Coffee has also been found to increase blood pressure and speed up your heart rate. While occasionally, this may not be an issue, prolonged increases in heart rate and blood pressure can damage arterial walls and tire the heart. In combination with a highly stressful life, this can lead to disastrous consequent. If you are prone to high blood pressure or high levels of stress coffee may not be good option for you.

Is Coffee Making Your Bones Weak? 

Coffee has an acidic effect on the body, which disturbs your internal pH. When the body's pH becomes acidic it utilizes alkaline minerals to buffer the acidity. These minerals include calcium, magnesium and potassium. When the body has utilized all available calcium, from the diet, and still remains acidic it will begin to pull calcium from your bones, leading to bone density loss or weak bones. Coffee has also been shown to induce extra urinary excretion of calcium, with heavy coffee consumption (4 cups=600 ml or more) causing the most calcium loss. Drink small amounts in combination with an alkaline diet. 

On The Good Side

Coffee has been found to be highly health promoting! The coffee bean has many health promoting benefits, just as all other plants in Nature. Researchers have found coffee to boost a sense of well-being through some of its many plant chemicals and possibly because it increases oxygen and stimulation to the brain.

Coffee has also been shown to halt the effects of aging in the cells. Green coffee beans contain about 1,000 antioxidants while roasting the beans adds about 300 more. Antioxidants in coffee slow and reverse the oxidation process at the cellular level which is a major factor in brain aging, cardiovascular disease, cancer and most all other diseases. Antioxidants have been found to deter Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease specifically.

Coffee beans also contain many coffee specific phytochemicals that have health promoting biological effects, from minimizing inflammation to favorably affecting glucose metabolism.
Specifically, chlorogenic acid found in coffee has been shown to slow the release of glucose in the bloodstream but this was found only when coffee was drank AFTER a meal.

Drinking Coffee Healthfully

Its not so much coffee in itself that is unhealthy, but how we use it that makes it unhealthy. Here are some tips for enjoying coffee while still keeping your body healthy.

1. Don't Abuse Coffee - Drink coffee as you would tea, for pleasure and not for an energy source. Instead pin point the cause of your lowered energy levels whether it be because of too much toxicity, poor diet or lack of exercise. Drink in moderation. 
2. The Darker the Better - The darker a food the more concentrated in nutrients and most especially antioxidants it is. The darker the coffee the more health promoting benefits it contains. Espresso rates at the top of the list. 
3. Don't Add. Just as with most things in nature, coffee is perfect as is. Adding milk, sugar and sugar substitutes turns an otherwise healthy thing into something not so healthy. If you need an add, add coconut or almond milk and sweeten with a natural sweetener such a stevia. 
4. Skip the Chemicals. Cheap, commercial coffee products use low grade non-organic coffee beans that have been sprayed, soaked and processed with a plethora of health harming chemicals. In fact, when coffee was linked to rhuemetoid arthritis it was found it was the chemicals used on coffee that was causing the adverse health consequences, and not the coffee beans themselves. 
5. Drink at the Right Times. Don't drink coffee as a way to jump start your day. Instead allow your body to wake up and get into your day naturally. Enjoy coffee after meals and not with carbohydrates. 
6. Don't Drink if your Have Other Health Problems. If your body is already struggling to maintain health, coffee may not be a good option specifically for those with cardiovascular problems, digestive issue or hormone imbalances.