Is Coffee Good For You? Here’s What You Need To Know About Your Favorite Cup Of Joe

This generation is so obsessed with coffee that, regardless of the impact on their budget and the weird sensations they get due to excessive consumption of the drink, they just cannot give it up. Starbucks, The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, and other coffee shops have even made coffee more enticing by introducing coffee offerings with loads of whipped cream, sprinkles, syrup and flavouring; with these sweet temptations, it’s definitely no wonder that so many people start drinking coffee at such a young age.

But is coffee good for you? This is a very important question that has varied answers because so many research works have produced results that claim great health advantages of coffee. Some of these advantages include: lowering the risk of certain cancers, because coffee beans are rich in antioxidants; delaying onset of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease; improving skin, especially if used as a body scrub (which Halle Berry swears by – great for taking away skin dullness and fighting cellulite); lowering the risk of diabetes; and several other things.

So why do some people think that coffee is bad particularly to children?

Well, coffee is definitely not “all bad,” especially if you do not have overactive thyroid glands. But if you want to fuel your days wisely, caffeine-heavy drinks like your favourite espresso blends and macchiato are not exactly the best choices.

First of all, caffeine and sugar can actually deplete you of energy and are more detrimental than you are probably aware of. This combination has a direct impact on two vital organs, the adrenal glands and pancreas. The adrenal glands release cortisol and adrenaline when you’re under a lot of stress, and when you drink coffee or other caffeinated drinks that are spiked with sugar, the same hormones are instantly secreted. Why is this bad? Studies reveal that when people become stressed, or if they ingest stimulants like sweet caffeinated drinks, their adrenals become overactive. Therefore, they release adrenaline and cortisol which are both “catabolic” hormones that break down energy reserves for immediate use. The body believes it’s in a state of “fight or flee,” so it needs that great amount of energy. However, if the body is unable to properly use up that energy, it results in quick weight gain.

As for the impact on the pancreas, the high levels of these hormones breakdown reserved carbohydrates for energy, prompting the release of glucose (sugar) into the blood for immediate use, which will then activate the pancreas. The pancreas secretes insulin to dispel glucose from the blood and store it in the muscle, liver and fat cells. This cycle creates the rising and falling of blood sugar levels and my lead to hypoglycaemia, which will then condition you to believe that you always need sugar; more often than not you will succumb to this belief. Apart from this, this cycle can also drain the adrenal glands, which can make you feel easily fatigued often.

Perhaps the best answer here is to understand all the pros and cons, and to consume coffee and other caffeinated drinks moderately.