Coffee: Friend or Foe?

Laura-Lee Nuttall, BSN

The mere mention of coffee can make one imagine their favourite mug, the swirl of cream and sugar, and that irresistible aroma. Coffee is a friend that helps pull you out of bed in the morning with its promise of warmth and energy, just a few sips away. But does coffee have a dark side? Does dependence on this elixir of energy, the nectar of the gods, come with a price?

Does Coffee Have a Dark Side? Benefits?

Early research suggested that coffee increases the risks of heart disease and even asthma. The public was warned of consuming coffee, and to this day, many 'cleanses' include eliminating caffeine from the diet. However, the latest coffee research suggests that it may hold health benefits. The original research was confounded by an association with cigarette smoking. When smoking was eliminated from the research some surprising health benefits emerged. Moderate coffee consumption (2-5 cups a day) was associated with increased life expectancy and protection against:

Parkinson's Disease
Type 2 Diabetes
Liver Disease
Heart Attack and Stroke

Coffee Side Effects

Coffee consumption does come with some side effects due to its high caffeine content. The significance of these side effects will depend on how each person responds to caffeine and how much caffeine is consumed. Some of these side effects include:

Anxiety
Restlessness
Shakiness
Headache
Fast Heart Rate
Temporary Increase in Blood Pressure
Insomnia
Heartburn

Caffeine Consumption

It's not just coffee that contains caffeine; soft drinks, especially energy drinks, can have an astonishing amount of caffeine. All that caffeine counts!

As a shift worker, it's important to consider how caffeine consumption can impact sleep. It is wise to eliminate coffee consumption several hours before bed. At 3 a.m., the allure of a hot cup of coffee might seem irresistible. However, a few hours after that, while you're struggling to fall asleep amidst the daylight and noise of the outdoor world, that same coffee might come back to haunt you as it keeps you awake when you would much rather be asleep.

Another caveat from the research suggests that it's important to brew coffee through a paper filter to remove impurities. These impurities have been linked to increases in LDL cholesterol.

It's also important to consider how much sugar might be in your favourite hot drink. Sugar has landed itself in the hot seat lately, and research shows how detrimental our addiction to sugar is to our health. Most people consume far more sugar than they should, and much of that sugar is in liquid form, in the coffee and soda that we drink. For example, a Grande Cinnamon Dolce Latte has 40 grams of sugar in it. That makes up 80% of the recommended daily sugar intake.

Coffee consumption may be hazardous during pregnancy, so pregnant women are advised to limit their caffeine consumption to 200 mg a day (One 8 oz cup of coffee is around 100 mg, depending on the type and how it is brewed). There is also not a lot of research regarding caffeine consumption in children. So it's probably best to keep the kids out of the coffee.