I drink way too much coffee, and I know it. Caffeine is one of the most researched food items, and seems like new caffeine research results come up yearly, if not monthly, and often the result is: coffee is bad for you. But some research actually shows that there are some health benefits of caffeine, and boy is that good news for java junkies like me.
I drink coffee to wake up, I drink coffee before going to sleep. I drink coffee with friends, I drink coffee alone. Coffee is my drink. Period.
The recommended caffeine intake a day is 300-400 mg*. It is around three normal cups of coffee or just one big one. If you get the Grande size (medium) coffee from Starbucks, it alone tops the recommended amount of caffeine! But what happens if you drink too much coffee? Caffeine overdose is rare, but possible, and the main side effects of caffeine are hyperventilation, insomnia or palpitations. Don’t quit going to Starbucks just yet, the newest research results show us that a few cups of the nectar of the Seattle siren might actually be good for you.
CAFFEINE RELATED POSITIVE FINDINGS:
1. Finns love coffee and the national usage of coffee in Finland is twice the amount as in the US. I am not surprised and I wouldn’t be surprised if I got my love for coffee already in the mother’s milk. Finn’s have done several coffee related researches and one of the results: Drinking coffee prevents Parkinson’s desease. Finns researched this for 22 years and according the results the people who drink at least 4 cups of coffee a day are 40% less likely to get the Parkinson’s disease. I’ll take that!2. The relation between caffeine and heart disease is still under a reseach. There is some reseach results saying that coffee drinking is associated with increased heart attack risk, but the research result published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition claims that drinking coffee decreases the risk of heart disease in older people (over 65 years old). This health benefit was age related.
3. Swedes say that coffee protects you from liver disease, especially from liver cancer. This research result shows that two cups of coffee a day decrease the risk of liver cancer by 43%. 4. Do your colon a favor – drink coffee. You might know that coffee helps ingestion, that’s not new news. Drinking coffee does not increase the risk of colon or rectal cancer either say the Harvard University reseach team.
Even though coffee has many health benefits, remember not to drink it too much. The key is moderation! Drinking coffee can also increase stress, raise blood pressure among other health problems. Individuals who suffer from disorders of the cardiovascular system should avoid coffee.
Coffee, brewed: 90-110 mg. per 8 oz cup
Espresso, one shot: 50 mg. per kuppi
Coffee, decaf: 2- 5 mg. per kuppi
Tee: 25 – 110 mg. per cup
Cocoa: 2-20 mg. per cup
Cola-drinks and other sodas which include caffeine: 36 – 90 mg. per glass.
Red Bull drink: 80 mg per can
Starbucks bottled frappucino: 90 mg
Starbucks Grande Cafe Mocha: 116 mg
Starbucks Grande regular coffee: 372 mg.
Read more.
* The recommended amount in the US is 300mg/day, in Canada it is 400mg/day.
Sources:
McKinley Health Center at University of Illinois
Kahvi.net
Journal of the National Cancer Institute
Finfood