When you’re too tired to focus and don’t feel like you can do anything except slide in bed, one of your friends will introduce you to coffee. If that has happened to you, you might be wondering how often you can rely on a cup of Joe to keep you alert.
You can drink coffee every day as long as you don’t consume too much of it in a single sitting. Caffeine, within reasonable amounts, can be good for your health. Among the benefits of moderate coffee intake is metabolism improvement, better cardiac health, and weight loss.
In this article, we will look at the different advantages and drawbacks of drinking coffee every day. We will also look at different types of coffee beverages and the frequency with which you should have each, so you have the complete picture regarding the kinds of coffee you can have every day. But before we get into any of that, let’s discuss caffeine.
Is coffee the same as caffeine
Coffee is not the same as caffeine because the latter is a chemical found in coffee, while the former is a beverage made from coffee beans. Coffee has more than just caffeine, though it is consumed primarily for the mental stimulation that caffeine can provide.
However, since caffeine isn’t found in coffee only, those looking for a drink that can instantly improve their focus, make them alert, and chase the sandman away, can opt for the following coffee alternatives:
Tea
English breakfast tea or Indian Chai Tea has small amounts of caffeine that can help one wake up. If you haven’t gotten dependent on coffee, then tea can be a great way to consume a moderate amount of caffeine without getting overstimulated. Please note that having tea on an empty stomach can make one nauseous.
Energy drinks
Energy drinks are artificially crafted beverages that contain caffeine isolate. Caffeine isolated from coffee beans and other sources is added to a carbonated beverage alongside other taste enhancers to make a drink that tastes like soda but acts like coffee.
Decaf coffee
Not every coffee drinker is after a caffeine buzz. If you like the taste of coffee but aren’t sure about consuming addictive caffeine every single day, you can consume decaffeinated coffee and switch to regular coffee on the days when you really need to be alert.
Advantages of having coffee every day
We have already covered the alternatives, which means that if you’re still reading, you don’t just want caffeine; you want to have coffee daily. Here are the pros of doing that.
- Weight control – Given that you don’t have sugary coffee beverages with lots of milk, you can lose weight by drinking coffee. The beverage speeds up your metabolism, which can help burn fat better, especially if aided by exercise.
- Lowers risk of type 2 diabetes – This is an extension of the weight loss benefit as gaining weight can put one at risk of getting diabetic.
- Improves cardiac health – By speeding up the metabolism, coffee can lower the chances of cholesterol clogging the arteries. As a result, a coffee drinker has better heart health than the average person.
- Prevents aging – Aging itself isn’t a medical condition but is an amalgamation of the adverse impact of time on humans. Usually, we associate aging with wrinkles, but certain conditions like Alzheimer’s are associated with it too. Coffee reduces the odds of one having Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s and even prevents cancer to an extent.
Disadvantages of having coffee every day
When it comes to coffee, there really can be too much of a good thing. Here are the disadvantages of consuming coffee daily.
- It can be expensive – You will spend a lot of money on coffee if you get your cup from a coffee shop. You might spend more time waiting in line than you would while making coffee at home, but even homemade coffee can be expensive unless you settle for instant coffee.
- You can gain weight – Gaining weight because of coffee is like choking on asthma medication, yet it can happen. Coffee can help you lose weight, but if you add too much sugar, cream, or milk to your beverage, you’ll consume more calories than you burn.
- It can increase your caffeine tolerance – If you have high doses of caffeine every day, your body can get used to the chemical and not just become dependent on it but also be immune to its previous effects. After a while, consuming a single cup of coffee will have the same impact as not having coffee.
- Anxiety – Caffeine can trigger anxiety among people with attention issues and a history of overthinking.
- Digestive problems – Caffeine isn’t stomach-friendly. It dehydrates you and triggers bowel movements. Overdosing on coffee can lead to diarrhea and muscle cramps.
- High blood pressure – Rapid heart rate and increased blood pressure are two of the common effects of drinking too much coffee in a single day.
Types of coffee
Now that you’re familiar with the advantages and disadvantages of daily coffee consumption, let’s look at different types of coffee and their recommended dosage.
Black coffee
Espresso is the purest form of coffee as it is a concentrated shot brewed from roasted coffee beans. Americano (diluted espresso) and brewed coffee qualify as black coffee through an espresso shot is technically the same thing, albeit more concentrated. You can have up to 3 servings of this coffee spaced throughout the day. Consuming more than 2 cups in one sitting isn’t recommended.
Coffee with Cream/Milk
Cappuccino and lattes fall into this category, and though their caffeine contents do not exceed those of an espresso shot, you should avoid having too much of this type of coffee. To avoid gaining weight, consume no more than one cup of this drink.
Frappe / Coffee Milkshakes
Espresso shot in a milkshake may be called coffee by a cafe, but it is not. Drinking this type of “coffee” can lead to diabetes and weight gain, so keeping such intake to the minimum is highly recommended. Once a month is ideal though once a week can also be safe enough.
Final Thoughts
Drinking coffee every day is fine if you do not have more than two cups of coffee in a single sitting and draw the line at 3 cups. Moderate intake is actually beneficial to your health, but remember to hold the sugar and the creamer, and do not drink to the point of getting heartburn.