Is coffee good for health?

After reading Sir Pumpkin Longshanks’ Moka pot coffee visual recipe it only seems fair to talk about the health benefits of coffee.

Enough said. Most of us cannot survive without our morning cuppa to kickstart our day – and  most of us drink several cups through the day.  So it is hardly surprising that the researchers got down to it to do their bit. After all, coffee did have a bad reputation featuring alongside other social habits such as drinking and smoking. Caffeine was actually believed to be bad for health. But all that has changed. Here are some solid reasons to grab that morning cuppa – no – mugga!

• Good for your heart
• Coffee reduces your risk for heart diseases because it eliminates excess lipids in the blood.
• Controls asthma
• Coffee controls asthma – it has been found that it can even prevent or treat an asthma attack in an emergency
• Cuts your risk of diabetes by 50%
• Reduces your risk of gout in men over 40
• More than two cups of coffee each day can cut your risk of colon cancer by 25% and reduces your risk of other types of cancers as well.
• When you drink two cups of coffee a day, your chances of developing gallstones are down 50%
• Because of coffee’s caffeine content, the effect of painkillers is enhanced – particularly if you suffer from migraine.
• When you drink two cups of coffee a day, your chances of developing liver cirrhosis is down 80%
• Coffee drinkers have fewer chances of developing Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease
• Coffee has a substance called Trigonelline that prevents cavities and reduces plaque formation in your teeth
• Coffee prevents constipation

Hmm. That’s the good news.

But when you overdose on coffee – like too much of anything that is good – coffee can also mess you up.   Here’s what you can expect:

• Indigestion, skin rash, acidity
• Rise in cholesterol levels (which means cardiovascular problems)
• For women, Infertility, miscarriages and low birth weight for their babies
• Too much caffeine can stress your kidneys out and develop kidney stones
• Coffee can make you nervous, anxious and cause trembling because of its effect on the central nervous system. This tires out the adrenal glands, bringing down your ability to handle stress and affecting your health
• Interestingly, too much coffee can put you at risk for developing stretch marks.
• Finally, if you are addicted to coffee and decide to quit, you can suffer withdrawal symptoms similar to fatigue, severe headaches, an energy drain and lack of focus.

Thus – stick to a max of three cups a day. And am not talking about my kaapi “tumbler” which takes 3 cups of coffee. One cup = about 200 ml. No more.

And enjoy the health benefits it has to offer!