Is coffee really that bad for you?

I suppose there is something I should probably disclose before I continue writing this month’s blog…I’m a complete and utter coffee lover! When I was at uni, I affectionately became known as a ‘coffee snob’ as I’d regularly walk 10 minutes in the opposite direction to get my coffee rather than just pop downstairs. I love everything about coffee – the smell, the taste, seeking out the best cafes and baristas, the ritual of gradually and peacefully starting my day or meeting up with the girls for a good chat over a cup. Like watching the sun rise, being near the water or going for a good long run, for me, coffee is one of those simple pleasures that makes life just a little more enjoyable.

Sometimes my patients get surprised (or gasp!) when I tell them that I’m a coffee drinker. The other day, one of my patients blurted out ‘but you’re a naturopath!’ like she thought I only ever drank kale juice. After we had a good laugh about me being a naturopath and not a saint, it got me thinking about coffee and if it really is that bad for our health?

What is actually in coffee?

Most people know that coffee contains caffeine, but it also contains hundred (maybe even thousands!) of other phytochemicals. These are substances plants make to protect themselves against environmental factors (like bugs or changes in weather). Many of these phytochemicals stimulate a strong and protective health response at a cellular level. It is these chemicals that are responsible for many of the health benefits associated with coffee including a protective effect against type 2 diabetes, some cancers, improving metabolic function and supporting cardiovascular health.

How bad is caffeine?

Caffeine is a stimulant and wakes up our body (which is why you’ll often hear people referring to or perhaps looking for a ‘caffeine hit’). Once in our body, caffeine works in a very similar way to the hormone adrenalin. Adrenalin is released from our adrenal glands when we are stressed. Adrenalin functions to speed things up within our body including our heart rate and metabolism. By doing this, we can transport more blood and oxygen around our body, facilitating better energy production in that given moment.

In a standard cup of cafe brought coffee, the amount of caffeine you will ingest can be anywhere from 90–200mg, with 1 shot of coffee containing on average, 75mg of caffeine. The half-life of caffeine is around 5 – 6 hours. This means that the total dose of caffeine in your body will continue to halve every 5 – 6 hours before it is completely eliminated.

It is thought that the stimulatory effects of caffeine wear off after about 6 hours; however this is an individual response depending on what else is going on in your body. The big thing we need to be mindful of is the impact of caffeine on our nervous system, adrenal glands, liver function and digestion. Like any other stimulant, our body can build up a tolerance to caffeine, meaning that in order for us to feel the ‘hit’ we need to have more. This then in turn puts additional pressure on our adrenal glands, interrupting the way we produce good quality, ‘real’ energy.

Too much caffeine in our body (either by ingesting too much or by not processing it properly) can result in our body getting ‘stressed’ messages all the time. Our body can only handle this for a short period of time before it starts to get overwhelmed. Some of the signs that you’re not handling caffeine as well as you could be include:

So how much is too much?

For most of us (when our health is balanced) we can handle 1 – 2 coffees per day without any adverse reactions. I tend to ere on the side of caution, recommending that people keep their coffee intake to 1 small – medium cup per day. We also need to make sure that all other areas of our body are in balance. If you are not sleeping well, are prone to feeling anxious, are going through a stressful time, regularly get an upset stomach or are using coffee as a way to get you going in the morning then perhaps it’s time you and coffee took a break for a while. Identifying the drivers of these imbalances is important as caffeine and coffee will only exaggerate your symptoms. Once you have corrected this imbalance, you can usually reintroduce coffee with no problems at all.

What I do to keep my coffee intake in check.

Quality every time.

As my grandfather would say ‘Only drink the good stuff!’ There are several brands of coffee that I won’t touch and I usually always go for an organic and fair trade variety.

Never have one if I feel I ‘need’ it

This rule can be testing sometimes, particularly if I’ve woken up feeling a bit tired. On these days, I will always delay or skip my coffee until I’m back feeling energised. I want my energy to be good quality all the time – and I don’t want to be putting my adrenals or nervous system under any unnecessary pressure.

Taste the coffee

I never add sugar or flavoured syrups. These are extra kilojoules that you’re body doesn’t need and besides, the whole point of coffee is to taste the bitterness!

One per day

If I know I’m catching up with the girls later in the day for a coffee, I’ll have a tea with breakfast instead. On the odd occasion that a second one does creep in (sometimes, I just really want one!), I’ll go for a decaf. Just be mindful though to have a chat to your barista about the decaffeination process. Most brands use chemicals to strip out the caffeine, but there are a few brands that use the Swisse-Water Method – this is a chemical free to remove the caffeine. Toby’s Estate, Three Bean, Campos and All Press all use this method.

Savour the moment

Sit, relax and enjoy!

So is coffee really that bad? I might be a bit biased but I really don’t think so. There is some really convincing research that suggests coffee may even be a health promoting substance, but we do need to take into account that most of these trials were done on unsweetened coffee with little to no milk added. I’m not giving you free-reign to go and start drinking copious amounts of coffee and like the health promoting benefits of red wine (a blog post for another day), it’s all about balance. And of course there are several instances and conditions where you should drop back your coffee consumption and maybe even avoid all together (in preconception and pregnancy for example).

I also encourage people to consider the ‘why’ of their coffee consumption. Are you using it to prop up your energy levels? Are you using it as a way to escape out of the office? Is it a social thing? Or perhaps you just really enjoy it. If your answer is about boosting your energy, then maybe a trip to the naturopath is required. If coffee for you is about the experience and the taste, then go forth and enjoy your one cup per day – just don’t add sugar, sit and sip mindfully and don’t forget to say thank you to your barista!