Over the years, researchers have implemented studies to show that coffee does more than just keep you awake with the common caffeine high. The benefits of coffee come twofold: nutritional and physical.
On the nutritional front, there are two sides to coffee. Firstly, the calorie count in one cup of coffee varies with its additives. According to medicalnewstoday.com, one cup of black coffee contains about two calories. However, when milk and sugar are added, the calorie count can skyrocket into the hundreds margin, turning the simple morning cup of Joe into a calorie counting, fat ridden beverage.
The other perk of coffee is the level of antioxidants that it contains. Joe Vinson, Ph.D., leader of a study from the University of Scranton, shed some light on the subject. “Americans get more of their antioxidants from coffee than any other dietary source.”
On the physical health front, coffee can help various parts of the body.
“Research over the past few years suggests that coffee consumption may protect against type two diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, liver cancer, and liver cirrhosis,” Dr. Rob van Dam, Assistant Professor in the Department of Nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health, said. “Coffee is one of the good, healthy beverage choices.”
Too much coffee, however, can leave an unsatisfied outcome.
“If you’re drinking too much coffee that you get tremors, have sleeping problems, or feel stressed and uncomfortable, then obviously you’re drinking too much coffee,” Dr. van Dam said.
According to researchers at the University of Oklahoma, “caffeine can cause anxiety symptoms…especially those with pre-existing anxiety disorders. Caffeine use is also associated with symptoms of depression.”
A new United States study provides evidence that coffee could help short-term memory.
“Volunteers took part in a double-blind trial in which they were either given a 200 milligram caffeine pill or dummy placebo tablet five minutes after studying a series of images,” Chloe Glover said. “Tests a day later prove that the memory of those who took caffeine had been significantly enhanced.”
“The amount of caffeine used was roughly equivalent to a double shot of strong espresso coffee,” Glover said.
In conclusion, coffee has many different qualities based on consumption. Too much coffee can provide one with unnecessary anxiety and stress that can affect sleep and mood. Also, the calories count on a cup of coffee packed with milk and sugar can spike unwanted results. On the other hand, coffee can aid in antioxidant levels, organ function, and memory loss.
Still suffering from caffeine high? Drink at least 32 ounces of water to begin flushing it out of the system. Then eating foods that are high in vitamin C will help fight against the lingering effects of caffeine.