The good news is that if you are a coffee lover you don’t have to cut it out altogether to be healthy. Coffee is high in caffeine, however it also contains a number of nutrients and beneficial compounds: B vitamins, magnesium , potassium, antioxidants and polyphenols, but the amounts are quite small. Some people are more sensitive to caffeine than others and how it affects you depends on a number of factors including existing health conditions, how much and how often you consume it.
Some studies have shown that caffeine has a detrimental effect on health, while others have shown that it has a protective effect against type 2 diabetes, Parkinson’s disease and heart dis-ease. A large study on 200,000 men and women has found that coffee consumption is associat-ed with lower incidence of type 2 diabetes. Many studies also confirm that caffeine can en-hance mood, alertness, attention, vigilance, enhanced cognitive function and reduced percep-tion of fatigue.
On the other hand, caffeine can have temporary unwanted side effects including raised blood pressure, gut symptoms, anxiety and trouble sleeping. Most people can have up to 400mg of caffeine a day (or 200mg for pregnant women) without experiencing side effects. It can be hard to know exactly how much you are having because coffee isn’t the only source of caffeine in our diet. Some common foods and drinks with their average caffeine content are:
Drinking coffee may have health benefits and the scientific evidence suggests that moderate coffee consumption has no adverse health effects. More importantly, unsweetened teas and coffees also count towards your fluid intake of 6-8 glasses or cups of fluid a day and can even be beneficial to help maintain your body temperature in winter. If you experience side effects from coffee, such as sleeplessness, insomnia or nervousness consider cutting back or switching to decaf.
References:
Ruxton,C. (2008) The impact of caffeine on mood, cognitive function, performance and hydra-tion: a review of the benefits and risks, Nutrition Bulletin, 33(1), pp. 15-25. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-3010.2007.00665.x
EFSA (2015) Caffeine
Mayo Clinic (2020) Does coffee offer health benefits
Heckman, M. et al. (2010) Caffeine (1, 3, 7‐trimethylxanthine) in Foods: A Comprehensive Re-view on Consumption, Functionality, Safety, and Regulatory Matters, Journal of Food Science. doi: 10.1111/j.1750-3841.2010.01561.x
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1750-3841.2010.01561.x
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