Caffeine has been around for ages, and it continues to play a large part in society. Some ancient societies even used coffee beans as currency. Today coffee is used as the daily drug of choice for millions of people worldwide to awaken the senses and get them going.
With all of the pitfalls that coffee has been blamed for including, “It will stunt your growth,” and “Coffee causes heart disease and cancer,” it is no wonder why we do not have a clearer picture of the benefits that coffee and caffeine can have on the body. One study published in the Journal of American Medical Association noted that for some people with a certain genetic mutation, 2 or more cups of coffee a day can increase the risk of heart disease. The reason, this particular group of people cannot breakdown the caffeine enough, and this can be detrimental to the heart. With that said, we all need to use caffeine in moderation.
On the other hand, some research shows that drinking coffee may help protect against type-2 diabetes and colon cancer. That same research points out that there are more beneficial effects from fruits, vegetables, and whole grains than there are from coffee, but this once again points out the importance of diet with a wide variety of foods. It is common knowledge that coffee contains antioxidants, this is important for decreasing the risk of liver cancer, reducing the risk of type-2 diabetes, and decreasing the risk of Parkinson’s disease. All of which coffee has been shown to do.
More importantly, we often here people using coffee as a stimulant to get them going in the morning. There are dozens of studies confirming that the caffeine in coffee is just as effective as prescription drugs for stimulating the brain. An article in the journal Human Psychopharmacology points out the benefits from coffee may also include increased performance at work, and better job site safety. It seems that coffee stimulates a portion of our brain called the reticular formation. This is the portion of the brain that determines our attention span, and it helps us focus on the task at hand.
It always comes down to moderation. The health benefits of coffee are not enough to add it to your daily regimen to ward off illness. On the other hand, if you already drink coffee, consuming up to 2 cups a day should not have any negative side effects on your health. The caveat to that statement is what you put in your morning beverage. If you load your coffee with 4 tablespoons of sugar, caramel, chocolate, and heavy cream, remember, these calories still count, and all of that sugar wears heavy on your insulin levels. As usual, do everything in moderation, but you no longer need to worry about coffee stunting your growth, or causing any long term illnesses.