The Truth Behind Your Morning Cup of Coffee

It is your morning side-kick, afternoon pick-me-up and the center for social gatherings, first dates, business meetings and the like. There is no other beverage that has generated more popularity (and revenue) than coffee. Whether your go-to coffee beverage is an Americano, latte, cappuccino, iced, decaf or just a classic medium roast, you can all join the celebration of the beverage that has won the hearts of people all over the globe, as today is International Coffee Day!

Coffee is a special beverage in that, aside from water, it is enjoyed by countries around the world, which is why this annual celebration isn’t only in the United States. The Arabs were the first to cultivate and begin trading coffee back in the fifteenth century, where it then traveled to Europe. Once it arrived in New York by the British, the drink of choice was still tea, until the Boston Tea Party revolt forever changed the American beverage preference to coffee and the rest is history!

There is an ongoing debate on the nutritional benefits behind coffee. Is it healthy? Is it harmful? Many people say that drinking coffee stunts your growth or can put you at risk for developing certain diseases like cardiovascular disease or cancer. However, research shows that it might not be so harmful after all. No study has proven the direct association between coffee and an increased risk of cancer or heart disease because so many other lifestyle factors such as physical inactivity or smoking tend to also be common among heavy coffee drinkers. In fact, growing bodies of research actually attribute coffee drinkers to being less likely to have type 2 diabetes, Parkinson’s disease and dementia. In fact, caffeine is known to be an approved performance enhancer for athletes, one that is healthy and not dangerous for your body.

One of the downsides of being an avid coffee drinker is that though this drink is presumed to be a stimulant, it can also have the opposite effect. The reason why coffee can be harmful to you is because of the astronomical amounts that people consume on a daily basis. Caffeine is almost like a drug to some people, as they feel that they need it in order to function throughout the day. Although a cup of coffee does give you an alert feeling, it will only give you a short term boost, especially in the large amounts people typically drink at one time. About 2 hours after your morning cup of coffee, the caffeine wears off, causing you to “crash” and you reach for another cup.

The best way to get the most of your morning cup of coffee without overdoing it is to limit yourself to 200-300 milligrams of caffeine at a time, present in one 8 ounce cup, rather than one large amount at one time. If you drink too much coffee in one day (more than 500-600 milligrams worth of caffeine), you can experience side effects like insomnia, nervousness, restlessness, irritability, upset stomach, fast heartbeat and muscle tremors.

There is no need to worry that coffee is doing bad things for your health. Just like everything in nutrition, moderation is key and with caffeine, it is important not to overdo it. And, consider what you are putting in to your coffee…sugar, creamer, whipped cream. These all add unnecessary calories. Keep to nonfat of low fat milk and a drop of natural sweetener, if you need it.

So stop at your local coffee shop and treat yourself to your favorite cup of coffee. Check to see which coffee shops are recognizing International Coffee Day – you never know you might get a free cup!

Your turn to take action: How big is your morning cup of coffee? Will you be making it a small today?