Coffee: The Good
And The Bad

Do you know the good and the bad of coffee? Top Vacaville chiropractor Alex Tam of Absolute Integrative Physical Medicine explains.

Coffee really comes with health benefits, but they are also controversial.

Despite the number of things you may have heard about it, there are still a lot of positive attributes to be said about coffee. They are rich in antioxidants and has been known to reduce the risk of many diseases.

However, the caffeine in coffee is a stimulant which may cause certain problems for some people and it could disrupt their sleep. So if you still don't have the complete details about coffee, then this article will tell you all the good and bad things about it. Through this, you will be more aware of your approach towards coffee and be mindful of your daily consumption next time.

Vacaville Chiropractor Provides the Goods & The Bads of Coffee

THE GOOD

Reduced risk of diabetes - Doctors in Vacaville agree that coffee can help reduce your risk of developing diabetes. The results on this study may fluctuate a bit but the key thing is that coffee is great for your diabetes and doesn't contain any risk factor.

A study conducted by the School of Public Health at the University of Minnesota has shown that women who drinks 6 cups or more have a 22% lesser risk of having type 2 diabetes. But then, not all are able to drink that much cup in a day wherein they are mostly limited to only 1 to 3 cups per day. However, there is still good news about that shorter range since even just a cup of coffee can already deliver a 13% risk reduction.

The anti-cancer benefit of coffee is due to its many antioxidants. These compounds can provide stability to the unstable compounds in the body. Free radicals are sometimes the reason why cancers develop and making them stable can actually benefit you.

Effective workouts - There's been some talks on how coffee can improve your workout. Some people say that it helps burn fat more quickly while others say that it increases your endurance.

In a 2015 study conducted by Cardiff Metropolitan University, people who drank coffee before a workout can perform more repetitions when lifting weights. They are certain that it's all thanks to caffeine, but more research is needed to find out the exact reason for that effect.

There's another theory which suggests that coffee can boost the endurance during long workouts but doesn't activate when you're only doing quicker, more intense sessions.

As for the University of Georgia, their study suggests that 2 cups of coffee before a workout can reduce your muscle pain by nearly 50% after a workout. This is certainly an easy fix for anyone feeling muscular discomfort after their exercise.

And lastly, coffee can help you lose weight. Caffeine has been associated with weight loss since it can speed up your metabolism and stimulates your other fat-consuming process.

Reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases - Heart disease is known as the #1 killer amongst Americans. The good news is that your habit of drinking coffee can help you with that one.

If you're drinking coffee even in a moderate level, you will have lower prevalence of having subclinical coronary atherosclerosis. Now that's something to keep your heart healthy and happy.

THE BAD

Caffeine-induced anxiety - The unfortunate thing about caffeine is that it gives us symptoms that are similar to that of anxiety neurosis which is an anxiety disorder. There are some people in Vacaville who experience these symptoms and may not even realize how much it has affected them.

The symptoms of this disorder include:

• Insomnia
• Irritability
• Muscle twitching
• Nervousness
• Palpitations

This usually happens when you drink 3 or more cups but that still depends on your tolerance on coffee.

Upset stomach - Each of us may have experienced an upset stomach after drinking coffee at some point in our lives. This can become such an uncomfortable experience and there are times that it can be painful.

One of the reasons why this happens may be due to the following:

• Extra-sensitive to caffeine
• Extra-sensitive to acid
• Drinking coffee on an empty stomach

There's no doubt that coffee is an intense drink. It's because it contains acids, caffeine, and other types of ingredients. So make sure not to attempt on drinking it on an empty stomach because it will cause problems for you.

Cream and sugar - Black coffee is good and healthy but add it up with some cream and sugar then it becomes the complete opposite.

Sugar in general will introduce your body to a whole list of health problems. There are endless studies as to how sugar can negatively impact your health and even lessen your longevity. It can mess up your metabolism and even cause diabetes, weight gain, stimulate cancer, increase heart disease, and disrupt your life in many different ways.

So whenever you need your coffee fix for the day, do yourself a favor and go for a simple, black coffee instead.

Impaired sleep - Coffee may help you stay awake and maintain energy, but it doesn't do any good when it comes to giving you a quality sleep. However, some people have so much tolerance on coffee that they can still sleep soundly even when they drink a cup at night.

According to Wayne State College of Medicine, their study has made some fascinating discoveries on coffee which includes:

• People aren't good in self-diagnosing their sleep. Some study participants revealed that coffee didn't affect their sleep at all.
• It's obvious that coffee can damage your sleep. However, the study has concluded that drinking coffee 6 hours before bedtime can reduce overall sleep for an hour.

Whether you realize it or not, caffeine can mess up your sleeping patterns. So if you still want to sleep soundly at night, make sure not to drink any more coffee by 6PM and beyond.

Call Absolute Integrative Physical Medicine in Vacaville today for more information.