It is the start of another work week. While Mondays are arguably the most hated day of week, there is only one thing that helps many people get through the day: a cup of coffee.
Coffee is the best part of the morning (and mid-morning, and late afternoon) for many working people. The need for a jolt of caffeine has even inspired a world wide cafe. Ever heard of Starbucks, anyone?
But for some, one cup of coffee to help start the day is often not enough. One morning cup quickly turns into two, then into three cups a day, then one cup every hour, until finally it turns into a steady caffeine drip intravenously. That is when someone would wheel you into your doctor’s office, search for your Humana health insurance card, and start you on a detoxification STAT.
So how much coffee is too much? And is it good for you?
First for the pros.
Coffee can give you that quick start for your day. The extra caffeine can help breathe life into people who would normally drag around the office all morning.
Coffee can help lower your risk of getting diabetes. You will lower your chance with each cup you sip. Different studies argue about what it is about coffee that lowers diabetes. One particular study argues that it really is decaffeinated coffee that lowers coffee, which suggests that the caffeine is not the magic ingredient, but something in the make up of the coffee bean. Either way, ingesting up to four cups a day can actually lower your risk of diabetes by 25 percent.
Caffeine has more benefits than a quick jolt. Some studies seek to prove that it might help lower your chance of Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s disease.
But with all good things comes a bad side. Coffee is not always beloved by all.
Caffeine can have just a negative affect on you as not having it. Those who are jittery, skittish or cannot fall asleep at night might want to cut back on their daily cup of jo. If you find you are having a hard time falling asleep, consider only have coffee before lunchtime to avoid counting sheep for house. Stress is often aggravated by coffee which increase anxiousness and tension.
Coffee might have other health benefits, it can cause or make other health problems worse. Caffeine can skyrocket blood pressure and hypertension. While coffee might help prevent your risk of becoming diabetic, it can be harmful to someone who is already diabetic. In one study, diabetics who drank coffee before a glucose test (a blood sugar test) found their blood sugar rose much higher and quicker than if they had not drank coffee beforehand.
So should you drink coffee or not? That is really up to you. If you are in good health and enjoy the taste and the feeling of a morning jolt, coffee might be the right drink for you. If you have sleeping problems or high blood pressure, your morning jolt should come from another form.