The Pros And The Cons Of Coffee Consumption

Despite being a tea-lover, I do drink coffee occasionally.

Where coffee consumption is concerned, I prefer it in the form of instant coffee — the kind of coffee that is easy to prepare from brands like Nescafé and Folgers Coffee.

On the other hand, real coffee connoisseurs will prefer to have their coffee in the form of an espresso.

Coffee happens to be one of the most popular beverages on the planet (More than 2.25 billion cups of coffee are consumed daily worldwide).

It is as though, coffee makes the world go round.

Also, there are countless people who would not even dream of starting their day without it.

Have you ever wondered about whether or not coffee is good for us?

Well, I certainly have!

Those of you who drink coffee on a regular basis can consider this your lucky day.

Why?

Because I am going to share with you, the pros and the cons of coffee consumption.

Coffee Improves Our Mental Alertness

One of the main reasons why a lot of people drink coffee (preferably in the morning period), is to become mentally alert.

Why is it that coffee contributes to our mental alertness?

Because it contains caffeine.

The amount of caffeine that is contained in a single cup of coffee, can range from 50 to 400 milligrams.

So, please drink responsibly!

Caffeine Can Have Adverse Effects On Our Health

Almost everyone is aware of the fact, that the consumption of too much caffeine can affect us negatively.

Some of the side effects of caffeine are:

• Insomnia
• Anxiety
• Muscle breakdown
• High blood pressure
• Addiction
• Digestive issues
• Frequent urination
• Fatigue
• Rapid heart rate

Coffee is one of those beverages that should be consumed in moderation.

Coffee Can Help Us To Lose Weight

Yes, my friend, it is true that coffee can help us to lose weight.

And, why is it that coffee can help us to lose weight?

Coffee helps us to lose weight because it contains the minerals magnesium and potassium; which are known to help the body to utilize the insulin, thus regulating our blood sugar levels (This also helps in the area of combating type 2 diabetes).

Why should we take those dangerous weightloss drugs when we could drink coffee in moderation?

Coffee Protects Our Body

The antioxidants within the coffee protect us from free radicals.

The free radicals in our body can damage the cells in our body (That could lead to the development of cancer).

Coffee also protects our body in the following ways:

• It decreases our risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
• It lowers our risk of heart disease.
• It reduces our risk of developing gout.
• It decreases our risk of developing Parkinson’s disease.
• It lowers our risk of getting cirrhosis.
• It reduces our risk of developing colon cancer.
• It decreases the risk of breast cancer in women.
• It lowers the risk of prostate cancer in men.
• It reduces our risk of multiple sclerosis.

Hats off to coffee for protecting our body.

Coffee Enhances Our Mood

Coffee enhances our mood by stimulating the release of dopamine (Those of us who drink coffee would be aware of its euphoric effect).

People with mild depression can combat the proverbial blues by consuming coffee.

I would like to state for the record that coffee is in no way a replacement or a substitute for antidepressants (If you suffer from severe depression, it is highly recommended that you seek counselling from a well-trained psychologist or psychiatrist; your psychiatrist is the most appropriate person to recommend an antidepressant; which you should never deviate from taking).

Unfiltered Coffee Is Bad For Us

People who have opted for boiled but unfiltered coffee may run the risk of increasing their bad cholesterol (Low-density lipoprotein).

Unfiltered Coffee May Be Bad for Heart by the folks over at EHS Today, will provide you with detailed information on the negative effects of drinking unfiltered coffee.

To be on the safe side, avoid the consumption of unfiltered coffee.

Coffee Contains Vitamins

Coffee-lovers would be pleased to know that it contains the following vitamins:

• Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) — a water-soluble vitamin that produces energy in the body by breaking down carbohydrates, proteins and fats.
• Vitamin B3 (Niacin) — a vitamin that helps to keep our skin, digestive system and nervous system healthy.
• Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic acid) — one of those vitamins that are necessary for making blood cells and is responsible for converting the food that we eat into energy.

Coffee has nutritional perks!

Drinking Coffee Could Be Bad For Post-Menopausal Women

Post-menopausal women run the risk of developing osteoporosis by drinking coffee.

And, why is that the case?

Because the caffeine within coffee has a diuretic effect on the body; this can lead to a loss of calcium whenever those post-menopausal women urinate.

Oh, that is really bad news for the elderly women in our society.

Who Are The Ones Who Should Not Drink Coffee?

The truth is that coffee consumption is not for everyone (There are people who need to distance themselves from it).

So, who are the ones who should not drink coffee?

The following types of people should not drink coffee:

• Those who have heart problems.
• Those who suffer from high blood pressure.
• Those who have trouble sleeping.
• Those who are children.
• Those who are overly sensitive to caffeine.

Dear friend, if you happen to fall under any of the types of people above, I urge you to refrain from consuming coffee.

Final Thoughts

We all metabolize coffee differently; which results in varying effects (whether it be good or bad) in individuals.

From what I have gathered is that the good outweighs the bad where coffee consumption is concerned.

I would say, “It is okay for a healthy person to consume coffee in moderation.”

There is also the option of avoiding the consumption of coffee altogether.

Now, we cannot deny the fact that coffee has some wonderful health benefits.

Also, we cannot turn a blind eye to the downside of coffee consumption.

The problem is that a lot of us have a tendency to overdo a good thing, thus negating the positive effects.

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