Todays post is about Coffee, it’s potential health benefits and health negatives are a hotly d

Todays post is about Coffee, it’s potential health benefits and health negatives are a hotly discussed topic from people on both sides so lets take a look at some of them here:

Benefits:

• Drinking coffee blocks Adenosine which is a neurotransmitter that is inhibitory, this leads to and increased level of  memory, mood, vigilance, energy, reaction time and general cognitive function
  
• Coffee can aid in healthy weight loss as it increases the metabolic rate by up to 11% and it can specifically increase fat burning by 10-30% depending on the amount of muscle you already have. The leaner you are the more potential fat burning bonus you get.
• Drinking coffee can reduce your risk of getting type 2 Diabetes by as much as 50%
• It contains lots of essential antioxidants and minerals which add up if you have 2-4 cups a day, this boosts your immune system
• Lowers the risk of liver diseases significantly, even reducing liver cancer risk by up to 40%
• A Harvard study showed that women who drank at least 4 cups a day were at a 20% lower risk of getting depression
• It can reduce the risk of stroke by up to 20%
• It can reduce mental fatigue experienced by those suffering from fatigue inducing debilitating disorders such as M.E (however the come down can be quite taxing and not worth the initial benefit in some)

Negatives:

• Drinking it on an empty stomach stimulated hydrochloric acid production which will cause acid reflux and potentially strip your stomach lining of it’s protective film. This can lead to long term stomach complaints involving pain and excessive acid build up, increasing the risk of heart burn and indigestion. This also can lead to stomach ulcers. Never drink it on an empty stomach!
  
• It can lower the amount of nutrients absorbed from food as it acts as a laxative. This can cause stomach contents to enter the intestine prematurely before all the nutrients have been absorbed.
• It can also lower iron absorption in the stomach and reduce the kidneys abilities to retain calcium and zinc.
• Due to the stimulated release of stress hormones such as cortisol and epinephrine, the “energy boosting” effects can actually have a negative effect on those suffering from stress and anxiety. They can experience increased levels of heart rate and tensions which can lead to heightened anxiety and even panic attacks in some.
• Coffee addiction can be experienced in some people, symptoms include withdrawals such as headaches, sickness, nervousness and irritability.

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Final points:

-  When drunk regularly but in moderate amounts it can have great health benefits such as a boost to the immune system, lowered risks of dangerous diseases including some cancers, reduced risk of depression and increased fat burning potential.

-  However like everything if drunk in excess and on an empty stomach it can cause lots of health issues such as stomach ulcers and increased stress & anxiety.

-  The best way to have coffee if you want it’s benefits as a health tonic is to drink good quality coffee with the minimum amount of additives possible, when drunk with additives such as milk and sugar it can become more unhealthy than healthy so moderate the additives you have in your coffee if you want to get the most out of it. Try adding stevia or honey rather than sugar,              and any alternative milk such as soya or oat milk. Studies seem to correlate in showing that the most benefits are seen in those who drink 3-4 cups of good quality black coffee every day however 2 cups a day still saw significant benefits especially in terms of getting good antioxidants.

-  Never drink it on an empty stomach!

-  The myth of coffee being carcinogenic has been busted by studies, they have in fact shown a reduced rate of cancers in regular coffee drinkers than those who are not. However like stated above, what you add to the coffee can change this drastically. 

(: