Caffeine has many health benefits, for example, it can increase your physical performance, improve your energy levels and also help you lose weight.
However, caffeine also has some risks that need to be kept in mind, for example, it can produce headaches, increase your anxiety levels and affect your sleep drastically.
If you want to learn more about the health benefits and risks of drinking coffee keep reading this article.
Health Benefits of Drinking Coffee
In this section, we will discuss the health benefits of drinking coffee like energy levels, weight loss, and nutritional facts.
#1 Improve Energy Levels
In summary, coffee can boost your energy levels because it contains caffeine.
But what is caffeine and how does it increase your energy levels?
Caffeine is a natural stimulant that can be found in products like tea, some types of coffee (like espresso), and cacao.
After you consume caffeine, it will be transferred from your gut to your bloodstream and then to your brain.
Once in the brain, it blocks the effects of the neurotransmitter called adenosine, which makes you feel tired and relaxed.
#2 Can Help You to Lose Weight
Since caffeine is a natural stimulant, it can be found in most performance improvement supplements and products that help you lose weight.
Why?
Because several studies say that caffeine has properties that can increase your resting metabolic rate (RMR).
Of course, if you have a higher RMR you burn more calories throughout the day, and if you are on a hypocaloric diet you can lose weight faster.
Disclaimer: Remember that caffeine alone will not help you burn fat, you have to accompany supplements with a proper diet.
#3 Can Improve Physical Performance
Caffeine works as an excellent pre-workout since it increases your physical performance by 11%.
This is because caffeine can increase the adrenaline levels in your blood.
But, what is adrenaline?
Adrenaline is a hormone produced by the medulla, this hormone triggers some responses in the human body.
For example, when we are in danger, the body produces adrenaline which redirects blood to the major muscle groups and decreases the feeling of pain.
As we said before since caffeine can increase the adrenaline levels in your blood, we can “manually” trigger these effects in our body on a minor scale.
#4 It’s Rich in Nutrients
Coffee contains several nutrients that can help you stay healthy in the long term.
1 Cup of brewed coffee (8 fl oz) (240 g) has:
| Name | Amount |
| Calcium, Ca | 4.8 mg |
| Iron, Fe | 0.024 mg |
| Magnesium, Mg | 7.2 mg |
| Phosphorus, P | 7.2 mg |
| Potassium, K | 118 mg |
| Sodium, Na | 4.8 mg |
| Zinc, Zn | 0.048 mg |
| Riboflavin | 0.182 mg |
| Vitamin B-6 | 0.002 mg |
| Thiamin | 0.034 mg |
| Caffeine | 96 mg |
Source: USDA
And many more nutrients.
#5 Help You With Depression
Since coffee is consumed every day all over the world and is the most used central nervous system stimulant, scientists started making studies about how caffeine can affect the mood of people.
Harvard for example published a study in 2011 where they analyzed a group of 50,739 US women for 10 years (1996-2006).
Through several questionnaires, they identified 2,607 cases of depression.
At the end of the study they discovered that the women that consumed more than 4 cups of coffee per day had fewer chances of becoming depressed.
Risks of Drinking Coffee
Now that we have discussed the benefits of drinking coffee, it’s time to go through the potential risks of it.
#1 Increase Blood Pressure
According to Mayo Clinic, the effect of increased blood pressure can vary depending on whether the person drinks coffee regularly or not.
That is, if a person drinks coffee frequently, they develop a tolerance to the effects of caffeine on blood pressure.
That said, you have to know that coffee does raise blood pressure drastically in a short period of time if you are not used to drinking it.
Therefore, if you have health problems related to blood pressure, it would be good to consult with a doctor before taking caffeine to obtain a recommended daily dose or simply remove it permanently from your routine.
#2 Produce Headaches
In 2019, a study was published where the correlation between caffeine and headaches was evaluated.
In this study, 101 adults were evaluated who over a period of time had to use electrical devices to develop personal diaries during the mornings and evenings.
At the end of the study, it was concluded that high levels of caffeine can trigger headaches during the day.
However, this effect can vary depending on the person as some people are more prone to headaches.
#3 Increase Anxiety Levels
A study from 2010 highlights that high doses of caffeine (more than 6 cups per day) can induce anxiety symptoms in rare cases.
Note: Keep in mind that the concentration of caffeine can vary a lot depending on the caffeinated drink.
What are those anxiety symptoms?
– Nervousness
– Restlessness
– Trouble sleeping
– Fast heart rate
– Gastrointestinal problems
Also, since coffee is considered a psychoactive drug, people could suffer from withdrawal symptoms.
Those symptoms are:
– Headaches
– Fatigue
– Anxiety
– Difficulty to focus
– Depression
– Irritability
– Tremors
– Low energy
#4 Can Affect Your Sleep
We have repeated several times in this article that caffeine is a stimulant.
Of course, as it is a stimulant it can help us stay active and focused, and that’s a benefit.
However, that effect can be positive or negative depending on the circumstances.
If we are trying to rest and sleep, caffeine will have a negative impact.
First, because caffeine can delay the timing of your internal clock, concluding in reduced sleep time and amount of deep sleep.
Also, there’s a study that says that drinking a caffeinated beverage 6 hours before going to bed can reduce the total sleep time by 1 hour.
Final Words: Health Benefits and Risks of Drinking Coffee
Now that you know the health benefits and risks of drinking coffee, we are sure that you will be more careful with the doses of caffeine that you consume each day.
Coffee is a tool that if used well can bring you joy and productivity but if used bad can harm your body and your mind.
Also Read: Coffee Before A Workout: Benefits, Timing, & Dosage.
