There has been an ongoing debate about whether coffee is good or bad for you. Hundreds of studies are dedicated only to the health benefits of coffee, giving evidence of how good or bad it is for health. Surprisingly, studies seem to be contradicting each other. Where some researches show numerous benefits of coffee like increase in productivity, pain relief, and even good retinal health, other show how its consumption can lead to nervousness, insomnia, bad gut health, and even cancer. But isn’t everything related to cancer these days?
The main thing to consider isn’t whether coffee is good for you or not. Sure, the health benefits of coffee do have strong medical backing. What makes coffee harmful is its excess consumption. Everything is good as long as it is moderation, and the same is the case with the coffee. As being the world’s largest coffee consumer, it is important to know how much coffee to drink daily, especially if you like to visit coffee bars to get Third wave coffee in Barcelona.
Tolerance for Coffee
Ever wondered why coffee keeps you awake, but your friend can still fell asleep even after drinking two cups? Caffeine affects people in different ways. The effect of caffeine and other stimulants is also determined by the genes we have. Many genes are found to play an important role in the effect of caffeine.
Certain genes affect how your liver metabolizes the caffeine. The genes also affect receptors in the brain that are stimulated by caffeine. Depending upon your genetic makeup, you may tolerate a lot or too little caffeine. Most people lie in the middle. So the recommended amount of caffeine is okay for most people, but tolerance can vary.
How much coffee is safe daily drinking?
While we know that people have different levels of tolerance for caffeine, there is also much discussion on comparing the tolerance level of caffeine on men and women who regularly drink coffee. Studies show that men and women generally differ in responses to caffeine. The difference in hormone balance and secretion is also one factor determining the tolerance and the recommended amount to consume caffeine.
According to the Dietary Guidelines for American, it is safe for women to drink three to four cups of coffee with a maximum amount of 400mg of caffeine. Note that the caffeine content varies among different types of coffee, but an average cup (about 8-ounce) has 95 mg of caffeine.
However, the same rules do not apply for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding. It is necessary to check with your obstetrician before you begin drinking four cups of coffee per day.
If you have diabetes or medical condition where coffee is not too good for you, you can still some of the potential health benefits by drinking one cup of coffee or drinking decaffeinated one. For more information about this topic, you can consult this great guide to low acid coffee.
What you put in coffee matters the most
There is another reason why coffee is getting defamed regarding health. Coffee is being associated with the risk of heart diseases and diabetes, not because of the caffeine but what is added to the coffee. We say coffee is best when it is black, but thanks to coffee shops and cafes, we are guilty of devouring caramel frappuccinos and fancy lattes that are loaded with sugar and cream. While sugar and cream make an amazing combination with the coffee, you should better leave that for the desserts. Adding sugar and cream will make the coffee anything but healthy.
But don’t forget, you need to protect your pearly whites from the acidic effects in coffee. We use coffee wipes to keep stains and acid from staying on our teeth. If you want to get maximum benefits of coffee, then black coffee, without a doubt, is the best option. But if you want to enjoy milk coffee, just add two tablespoons of milk or non-dairy milk substitute. Replace sugar with sweet spices and natural flavorings like vanilla, cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg unsweetened cocoa powder.