A Whole Latte Love during National Coffee Month

Oh boy, do I love the month of August. Why do you ask? Because it’s National Coffee Month! Thomas Jefferson once said, “The coffee bean is to become the favorite beverage of the civilized world.” And he was right. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), coffee is the second most-traded commodity, globally, behind oil. Over 83% of adults drink coffee in the U.S., which is why it makes sense coffee is celebrated during an entire month!

Whether your go-to coffee beverage is a latte, espresso, cappuccino, iced or just a classic medium roast, caffeine is the stimulant that makes up your favorite coffee and gives it its wake-up effect.

Coffee and Your Health

So is coffee food for you? Is it bad for you? Depending on who you ask, you may get different answers. There is an ongoing debate behind the benefits of coffee. Lucky for you, I have put together a list of health effects coffee can have on your body.

Positive effects:

Coffee contains a massive amount of antioxidants, which have protective effects against heart disease and some cancers.

One of the antioxidants, quinines, along with magnesium and chromium (found in coffee) work together and can affect your blood sugar levels. This affect might be responsible for the lower risk of type-2 diabetes coffee drinkers experience.

Coffee may help protect you from Alzheimer’s disease, Dementia and Parkinson’s by slowing neural degradation.

Caffeine can improve your energy levels. In your brain, caffeine blocks the neurotransmitter adenosine, which is in charge of making you sleepy, as a result you feel more awake.

Caffeine can boost your mood. By blocking adenosine, the production of two other neurotransmitters, dopamine and norepinephrine, increases. These are natural stimulants that help boost your mood and may even reduce the risk of depression.

Caffeine can boost your metabolic rate.

Negative effects:

When caffeine leaves your system, adenosine, which has been building up, reattaches and makes your body feel naturally tired. This build up is what leads to the “caffeine crash.”

Caffeine increases your heart rate and respiration rate. Excessive amounts can cause adverse effects if you have any heart issues, such as heart murmurs, hypertension and arrhythmias.

Excessive amounts of caffeine can lead to insomnia, upset stomach, restlessness and a fast heartbeat.

Caffeine is a strong diuretic, which can lead to dehydration.

If you are already experiencing heartburn, coffee contains acids that can make it worse.

Recommendations and Add-ins

For a healthy adult, it is safe to consume 300-400mg of caffeine without any adverse effects.

This is equal to ~4 cups (8oz) of brewed coffee a day.

Be aware of what you are adding into your coffee!

If you’re getting flavored coffee from a coffee house, specify how many “pumps” of syrup you want in your drink. If you don’t, your barista can add up to 100 extra calories!
If you like full fat milk in your coffee, try working your way down to low-fat milk to reduce your overall fat consumption.
If you like to add sugar in your coffee, that is OK, as long as it’s in moderation. If you are not making your coffee yourself, be sure to specify how much sugar you want added.

If your body cannot handle caffeine well, but you love to drink coffee, choose decaffeinated coffee. It has similar benefits to caffeinated coffee, except that 97% of its caffeine has been removed.

Your Turn to Take Action: Do you like to drink coffee? Let me know how you like your coffee in the comments below.

Reference: http://www.medicaldaily.com/health-benefits-caffeine-brain-caffeine-has-its-positives-and-negatives-283408