Could you forgo your morning coffee?
Whether it’s a latte on the way to work or an espresso to get through the afternoon slump, coffee has become a routine pick-me-up for millions of Brits.
Health guidelines recommend a maximum of 400mg of caffeine per day – but as there is caffeine in tea, chocolate and fizzy drinks as well as coffee, our daily allowance can quickly add up.
With growing concerns about the number of us who are addicted to caffeine and consume cup after cup of the black stuff on a daily basis, it’s time to look at the facts.
Dr Sally Norton, consultant surgeon and weight loss expert at Spire, The Glen Hospital Bristol, and founder of Vavista.com, weighs up the pros and cons of consuming caffeine:
The cons:
1. It can be bad for your heart.
Some studies show it can reduce blood flow in your coronary arteries when you need it most – during exercise - as well as cause palpitations or irregular heartbeat and may possibly increase your blood pressure over time.
2. It disturbs your sleep. People who drink more than three cups of coffee per day are scientifically proven to have less than restful sleep. One study showed a difference of 79 minutes sleep between drinkers of caffeinated vs decaffeinated drinks. If you struggle to get to sleep then caffeine should definitely be a no-go. It takes about 5 hours to clear from our system – so drinking coffee after lunch-time is worth avoiding.
3. It is often linked with sugar. Even if we don’t add sugar to our coffee, we are often tempted to accompany it with a biscuit, cake or a breakfast muffin – particularly when encouraged to do so by high street chains. In addition there can be 11 teaspoons of sugar in some varieties – our total recommended daily intake. The calorie count of these specialist coffees can be huge too, so not good if you are watching your weight.
4. It’s bad for your mood. “Caffeine increases catecholamines such as adrenaline - known as the “fight or flight” hormone. No surprise then that caffeine can make you tense and jittery in high quantities.
5. It can impact your fertility. Drinking more than five cups of coffee a day - the equivalent of about 500 mgs of caffeine - is linked with lower fertility. If you’re trying to get pregnant, it’s certainly worth cutting down, and once you are pregnant you’ll want to quit caffeine altogether or certainly cut back to less than 200mg per day as it may increase the risk of birth defects or reduce fetal growth.
However, on the plus side…..
- 1. It can improve sports performance
Drinking a caffeinated drink before sport is associated with improved endurance and other sporting measures. It seems that caffeine increases heart rate but reduces the pain felt during exertion, encouraging us to push it that bit further.
- 2. It can increase mental alertness.
Studies performed on people in stressful conditions showed improved concentration, learning and reaction time after 200mg caffeine. In addition, there is some evidence that it can delay onset of Alzheimers disease.
- 3. It may reduce the risk of some diseases.
Drinking coffee, though apparently of both caffeinated and decaffeinated types, is associated with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes. It is also associated with a reduced risk of some types of cancer. Coffee adds high levels of antioxidants to our diet (up to to 64% in one study). Antioxidants protect us against various diseases, which may explain some of these benefits.
- 4. It may protect the liver
Fatty liver disease is becoming an increasing problem due to the combination of alcohol and obesity. Excess fat in the liver can cause inflammation and lead to cirrhosis. Some studies show that caffeine intake may be associated with a lower risk of fatty liver.
- 5. Caffeine cheers us up.
Even just the smell of coffee can make us feel better and drinking it too is related to lower rates of depression. Not to mention the social element of relaxing with friends over a cuppa.
Sally’s Verdict: “It seems that going cold-turkey on caffeine is not necessary – and we may even be worse off. Instead, we just need to be aware of how much we drink and try to avoid those extra large coffees and energy drinks. De-caff tea and coffee is the obvious choice if you are avoiding caffeine (remember even de-caff contains some caffeine!) but there are lots of other exciting options to tickle your taste buds. Peppermint and fruit teas are usually caffeine-free and make a welcome change from tea and coffee. It’s also a great time to increase your water intake. Just make sure you don’t choose sugary fizzy drinks or fruit juices instead.”
Tagged in Diet Healthy Body