It’s no wonder that coffee is the second-most popular drink in America. It’s delicious, it comes in as many unique flavors as you can think of, and it’s a very quick pick-me-up for tired souls. Why is it, then, that I feel so guilty when I indulge in a cup?
It’s probably because coffee’s got a bad rap. If you drink too much—say, three pots a day while never sleeping and studying all week—yeah, you should stop. Like, yesterday. High “doses” of coffee can make you dehydrated, raise your blood pressure (but only for a few minutes), and perhaps even contribute to more brittle bones. It’s also not a good idea for pregnant women.
That said, coffee is essentially good for you in many other ways. It can lessen the risk of Type 2 diabetes as well as Parkinson’s disease, alleviate mild depression, and possibly help with weight loss by increasing calories burned per hour (up to 44%).
And coffee doesn’t just make you perkier. Coffee can also help reduce the risk of colon cancer, as well as help you maintain digestive regularity. It can sharpen the mind, reduce the risk of developing kidney stones, and cut your risk of getting cancers of the skin, liver and bladder. It may even help you live longer.
A source of antioxidants, it should be no surprise that coffee has these benefits. While we hear about the antioxidants of tea and wine all of the time, coffee doesn’t get the limelight so much—and while it may not have as many antioxidants as green tea, it’s often the largest source of antioxidants for coffee drinkers themselves.
Coffee also has a compound in it, theophylline, which can help people with asthma by lessoning symptoms. And how many drinks do you know that actually have fiber in them? Well, drinks that you like; Metamucil doesn’t count.
The Mayo Clinic has even gone as far to say that for people who drink coffee, the benefits may just outweigh the risks! So fellow coffee inhalers, leave your guilt behind with your sluggishness and low metabolism and embrace your daily java.
That said, as you know, caffeine is addictive, and everything in moderation is a good rule. Too much of a good think makes it no longer a good thing.
So how much is too much? Two to four cups a day is said to be okay as long as you’re not pregnant, but keep in mind that that means actual cups—not the giant “cups” most of us encounter.