This is a question I get asked on the regular. There is tons of opposing research out there about the health benefits or detriments of drinking coffee. I myself am an avid coffee drinker and rarely show up to a morning class without a cold brew in hand. I don’t think coffee is inherently bad, but over consumption of anything can lead to negative impacts on your health. If you are wondering if coffee is bad for you- what you should ask yourself instead is “Is my relationship with coffee bad for me?” (You could actually flip this and ask yourself this question about pretty much anything you consume- food, etc.). I would argue that the answer to this question might lean towards “yes” if…
- You have a physical dependency resulting in headaches or other physical discomfort in the absence of coffee
- You feel like you “need” coffee to get through your day or drink throughout your day as a crutch
- You get inadequate amounts of sleep (you average less than 7 hours of sleep per day) and also consume multiple cups of coffee per day (2+)
If your answer to any of the above questions is no, and you feel like you could forgo your daily caffeine fix and be OK with it, continue to enjoy coffee in moderation (1-2 cups daily). If you answered yes to most of these questions, you may want to reevaluate your relationship with coffee. Coffee is a diuretic and over consumption in place of water can lead to dehydration. Caffeine can also be an appetite suppressant, so if you are consuming coffee throughout the day, you may be preventing your body from signaling hunger to your brain effectively. For more food for thought, check out this article on the Whole 9 Blog about coffee consumption.