A government panel recently suggested that there are no long term health risks of drinking three to five cups of coffee a day. In fact they noted that coffee drinkers have a lower risk of getting Type II diabetes and heart disease. What are the benefits of drinking coffee and what are the problems if you exceed the guidelines? Big Think posted an article about the dietary guidelines relating to coffee.
Good news for coffee drinkers across America: a U.S. government-appointed panel of scientists has found three to five cups a day doesn’t pose any long-term health risks. In fact, a caffeine habit could even reduce risks of cardiovascular disease and type-2 diabetes. Just make sure you take it easy on the cream and sugar.
The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee has been charged with updating guidelines that act as suggestions for other agencies to follow, such as the FDA and Department of Agriculture. Roberto A. Ferdman from The Washington Post reports that this decision has broken the committee’s silence on coffee that’s gone on for over 40 years. One member of the committee, Tom Brenna, a nutritionist at Cornell University, said to Ferdman:
“I don’t want to get into implying coffee cures cancer – nobody thinks that. But there is no evidence for increased risk, if anything, the other way around.”
The dietary guidelines folks are concerned that if you add too much cream and sugar to your coffee you are going to offset the benefits of drinking coffee. But, there are other concerns. So, how much coffee is safe, and why is that?
How Much and Why?
Time has published an article asking, how much coffee should you be drinking.
The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee concluded that strong evidence shows moderate coffee consumption (3 to 5 eight-ounce cups per day, or up to 400 milligram/day caffeine) isn’t tied to any long-term dangers for healthy people. Now, the word “healthy” is key (read on for more), and this is a general statement, not a directive. In other words, the committee isn’t saying that everyone should drink 3 to 5 cups a day.
Even if it may offer some benefits, it’s important to listen to your body. Some people can drink a strong cup of coffee and feel fantastic. Others may drink half a cup and feel jittery and be left with an upset stomach. There’s a lot of individual variation when it comes to how coffee makes you feel. So, don’t take this as a green light to down a pot a day. Consider what feels best for you. (And if the answer is none, there’s no reason to start drinking java.)
In short, if you have stomach ulcers or esophageal reflux you may want to cut back on your coffee intake because caffeine stimulates acid secretion. If you have a troublesome anxiety disorder and get more jittery after you drink coffee you should probably drink decaf or skip coffee entirely. All of us are different and to the extent that coffee bothers you it may be wise to cut back. On the other hand there are a lot of really good benefits from drinking coffee.
Coffee Benefits
The benefits of organic coffee are those of coffee and those of organic production, processing and storage.
Coffee drinkers are less likely to develop any of several types of cancer. Drink coffee regularly and you are less likely to get type II diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, or depression. There are, unfortunately a whole host of chemical impurities that may be found in a cup of regular coffee. The benefits or organic coffee over regular coffee hinge on the fact that healthy organic coffee is free of these substances.
Hundred and Thirty Chemicals That You Can Do Without
Health authorities in Australia have found that more than 130 different impurities may be found in a cup of regular coffee. These contaminants include metals such as aluminum and zinc, pesticide residues, ochratoxin A, acrylamide, furan, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Some polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are found to cause cancer. Furans have been associated with skin disorders, liver problems, certain kinds of cancers, impairment to the reproductive, endocrine, and immune system, as well as effects on embryonic development. The benefits or organic coffee start on the coffee farm when the farmer uses sustainable growing practices.