So how many cups is too much? Wellness guru Sarah Queen explains why drinking a cup every day could be good for you, but why downing too much of it can seriously damage your health…
Let’s start with the good news, Sarah. What health benefits are there in a cup of coffee?
Research suggests that moderate intakes of coffee may help to reduce certain cancers such as liver, colon and breast; lower the risk of type 2 diabetes and potentially lower the risk of strokes, gallstones, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. These health benefits are believed to be because of the phytochemicals that coffee possesses.
Talk us through the caffeine high
Caffeine is a stimulating drug and the amount found in coffee varies from the type of coffee bean used, how it is brewed and type of coffee drunk, such as whether it is an instant, a latte, cappuccino, Americano or espresso.
So what happens?
When any drink or food containing caffeine is consumed, the caffeine is absorbed very quickly into the blood stream where it then stimulates the central nervous system. This stimulation leads to an increase in blood pressure, a quickening in heart rate, an increase in blood flow to the skin and the release of hormones. This stimulation also leads to a release of sugar and glucose into the blood stream. All of this combined leads to the caffeine buzz that many of us rely upon in the morning to start the day. Ideally we should rely upon hydrating our body with plain water first thing in the morning followed by breakfast then look to have the ‘buzz’ after breakfast.
Is it good to drink in a hot climate?
I always recommend not to have more than three caffeine drinks daily due to the negative effects that it has upon the body. Also, although we live in a hot climate many of us spend most of our time indoors with the air conditioning on low and need a hot drink to warm up. I would recommend that instead of opting for coffee, try fruit or herbal teas or hot water with a slice of lemon.
It’s a diuretic, what effect does it have on the body?
Research has shown that if more than about 500mg of caffeine is drunk in a day it can have a diuretic effect. This means it leads to the body excreting more water than it would normally and so a person has to urinate more. Having no more than three coffees will not be dehydrating. However, many of the clients I see drink a lot more coffee than this and many do not drink water and so are quite dehydrated.
What about teeth staining?
Dark coloured foods will stain the teeth slightly and coffee does need to be avoided for the first 48 hours after teeth whitening.
People often rely on coffee too much. How can you overcome this?
Caffeine is a drug and is addictive, so people become reliant upon coffee to give them an energy boost and buzz. But they’ll often crash 90 minutes after their intake. This leads to drinking another coffee to combat the crash and so the cycle begins of the highs and lows of caffeine intake and is classically seen when people are under stress or miss meals and they can be drinking 10-12 cups a day.
When are the best times and worst times of the day to drink coffee?
Caffeine interferes with iron absorption and it also leads to the excretion of calcium and so coffee and other caffeine drinks should not be drunk around meal times. Leave at least one hour after a meal before having a coffee. Caffeine also affects sleep and the quality of it and so should ideally not be consumed from mid-afternoon. The best time to have a coffee would be an hour after breakfast and up to an hour before lunch. Many people suffer with withdrawal headaches if they do not have their regular caffeine intake. Other reported symptoms include tiredness, weakness, reduced concentration and irritability.
Any other health benefits or things people should know?
If you regularly drink more than three cups a day then you should reduce the amount that you drink. This is because the current recommendation is to have no more than 200-300mg of caffeine a day. Consuming more than this may lead to the following (some people may be more sensitive to caffeine and experience the following with only a small amount of caffeine): heart palpitations, shakiness, headaches, muscle tremors, dizziness, irritability and upset stomach. Coffee also contains two other chemicals, cafestol and kahweol, which have been shown to raise cholesterol levels.
With thanks to Eastern Mangroves Hotel & Spa by Anantara Hotels, www.anantara.com (02 656 1000).
