I admit that I have a piping hot cup of coffee every morning, and I love it. Admittedly, that’s the only one I have for the day, but sometimes a post lunch cuppa sneaks in there every few weeks. I’m trying to be really disciplined about it, but that’s just me. You might be a 6 cup-a-day kind of person and that’s your prerogative. I don’t know too many folks who don’t drink coffee, and no matter where you go, it’s being served up with all the trimmings, even in some churches, never mind the malls, arcades and stand-alone coffee houses. Since it’s so easy to get it, it must be good for us, right? This is where it gets crazy. It seems that it’s all about which side of the fence you’re on. You could think it’s bad, but has some benefits, or you’ll think it’s the nectar from the gods themselves, so let’s not bother ourselves with the odd bit of jitteriness, and that nervous twitch in the eye.
All together about 19 000 studies have been concluded around the health impact of coffee and they have found so much that is good, you’d think the best way from here would be to plug it straight into your veins and get on with things. Doctors have however concluded, that even though there are things to be gained from the humble brewed bean, they don’t recommend it for the treatment of any disease. That goes without saying really, I won’t put aside the docs meds’ and grab a latte, that would be irresponsible, even if less tasty. Hmmm, latte. 2 Cups of coffee per day has been shown to reduce the risk of colon cancer by 25%, and those that drink 6 or more cups a day cut their risk of developing type 2 diabetes by up to 54%. I’m assuming those cups are enjoyed without added sugar, right? So, is coffee is good for you then? Or is coffee bad for you?
Well, apart from making you super jittery and possibly too wired to complete a proper sentence, it can slowly let you build up a resistance and need more of the dark brew to get the same buzz. If that’s what you’re after. On your inside, where all the confusing chemical processes take place, this is what goes down. In the simplest terms, in your brain there’s something called Adenosine and it only wants to hang out with certain receptors. When these 2 get together, they make you drowsy. When you drink coffee and caffeine shows up, it attaches to the receptors that Adenosine cannot. Your pituitary gland sees this and things there’s an emergency so it tells the adrenal glands to produce adrenaline. On top of all that, the caffeine boosts your dopamine (the feel good hormone!) The result of all of this? You get a caffeine high and you feel goooood!
Is coffee good for you? Well, it has its benefits. Is it bad for you? Well, have too much of it and it can confuse your hormonal system, because, it’s a drug after all. Now your body has to make adjustments to deal with all of this, and that is not really normal and who knows the long term effects. I’m guessing here that we just enjoy it, because it tastes so F-I-N-E fine, and if you’d rather not touch an espresso with a barge pole, well, that’s up to you!
What’s your favourite way to drink coffee? Let us know in the comment section below. FYI, I like a black Americana, and I’ll add a spot of milk if I’m in the mood!