Is coffee good for you? Does anyone really know for sure?
Coffee has long been controversial due to high levels of acidity, and, of course, because of the caffeine. The acidity can be harmful for some people with digestive problems, while caffeine is essentially an “upper” that can cause heart palpitations for some people when they drink large amounts. Some studies in fact show that drinking large amounts of java (some studies say more than five cups a day) can increase the risk of stroke, heart attacks, and other cardiac problems.
That said, other studies do show that it can help to prevent a large range of diseases and health problems. Studies have shown that it helps to prevent everything from Alzheimer’s Disease to some forms of cancer, as well as diabetes and Parkinson’s Disease. Some studies looked at decaf while others looked at caffeinated coffee; some studies involved ingesting large amounts of java….so it’s hard to draw any conclusive results from many of the studies.
I have to wonder if the effects of caffeine vary widely from person to person given that some people are up all night with tremors after only a cup, while other people drink it black, practically by the gallon, with no ill effects.
So, coffee…health food or foe? Is it, like many things, good in moderation? I hope so!
