Is Coffee Bad For You? (blood pressure, teeth, migraines, treat)

[Cool85]

I've read articles that say perhaps coffee is good for you, but more often I read that coffee is bad for you.

Normally, I would think that drinking over 2 cups of coffee, with so much caffeine, is bad for you.

Which is it? (Don't hold back, I hate coffee)

[AnonChick]

It's neither good nor bad, in general. People who suffer from migraines should avoid coffee. So then, it's bad for them. However, once they -get- a migraine, they can treat it -with- coffee. So then, it's good for them.

People with high blood pressure should avoid caffeinated coffee. People with diabetes should avoid putting sugar in their coffee.

A couple cups of coffee before noon is mostly not harmful to most people. A lot of coffee can, and usually will, stain the teeth. A couple of cups of coffee after supper, is going to interrupt sleep.

So as you can see, it's neither good nor bad. It depends on who's drinking it, what time of day they're drinking it, how much of it they're drinking, and what they're adding to it.

[cb at sea]

Many medicines add caffeine to make their product work better. Tea has caffeine, as does soda!

Caffeine isn't harmful in "normal" quantities. You can over-do anything...even plain water!

[Severs]

Depends on what year it currently is. Coffee is like eggs, they can't make up their minds whether its good or bad. I say, have a cup or two a day, you'll be fine. Drink one or two pots worth, you're just asking for trouble.

[villageidiot1]

Here is a link to a good article on the health effects of coffee.

Ask the Expert: Coffee and Health - Your Nutrition Questions Answered - The Nutrition Source - Harvard School of Public Health

It appears the long term effects are mostly positive.

People who drank up to six cups of coffee per day were at no higher risk of death based on people they followed for 18-24 years.

Drinking coffee made with a paper filter is healthier than drinking boiled coffee or other types of coffee since coffee contains a substance called cafestol that is a potent stimulator of LDL cholesterol levels.

[AnonChick]

Originally Posted by villageidiot1

Here is a link to a good article on the health effects of coffee.

Ask the Expert: Coffee and Health - Your Nutrition Questions Answered - The Nutrition Source - Harvard School of Public Health

It appears the long term effects are mostly positive.

People who drank up to six cups of coffee per day were at no higher risk of death based on people they followed for 18-24 years.

Drinking coffee made with a paper filter is healthier than drinking boiled coffee or other types of coffee since coffee contains a substance called cafestol that is a potent stimulator of LDL cholesterol levels.

From that article, I think this is important to point out (the ... mean I edited for brevity, but didn't edit the context)

Keep in mind...a "cup" of coffee is an 8-ounce cup...100 mg of caffeine...not the 16 ounces you would get in a grande coffee at a Starbucks...about 330 mg of caffeine. ...the research is typically based on coffee that's black or with a little milk or sugar, but not with the kind of high-calorie coffeehouse beverages that have become popular over the past few years.

To compare: the average coffee mug you buy at Hallmark with "Happy Mother's Day" on it is either 15 or 16 ounces. You can get 11 and 12 ounce mugs on Zazzle. The average old-fashioned teacup that you'd buy in a shop that sells porcelain and fine china is 8 ounces.

So the study is assuming that you're drinking 6 of the teacup-sized cups of coffee, either black or with just a little milk and a teaspoon of sugar. That would be equal to 3 coffee*mugs* of coffee, black or a little milk with up to 2 teaspoons of sugar.

[hoffdano]

Originally Posted by villageidiot1

Here is a link to a good article on the health effects of coffee.

Ask the Expert: Coffee and Health - Your Nutrition Questions Answered - The Nutrition Source - Harvard School of Public Health

It appears the long term effects are mostly positive.

People who drank up to six cups of coffee per day were at no higher risk of death based on people they followed for 18-24 years.

Drinking coffee made with a paper filter is healthier than drinking boiled coffee or other types of coffee since coffee contains a substance called cafestol that is a potent stimulator of LDL cholesterol levels.

I think the preponderance of data today shows that neither caffeine or coffee itself is harmful in surprisingly large quantities. Caffeine's impact on blood pressure is short-lived and not associated with any long term impact on blood pressure.

I drink about 48 oz of black coffee every day before noon. I rarely drink coffee in the afternoon. I am not worried in the least about my coffee or caffeine intake.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by Cool85

I've read articles that say perhaps coffee is good for you, but more often I read that coffee is bad for you.

Normally, I would think that drinking over 2 cups of coffee, with so much caffeine, is bad for you.

Which is it? (Don't hold back, I hate coffee)

there have been studies done on this for as long as I can remember and none are conclusive. One says no coffee, another says a couple of cups won't hurt you and still another says drink coffee, it is good for you. My feeling, like anything else, too much is a bad thing, a little certainly isn't going to cause any serious problems.

[gypsychic]

Originally Posted by nmnita

there have been studies done on this for as long as I can remember and none are conclusive. One says no coffee, another says a couple of cups won't hurt you and still another says drink coffee, it is good for you. My feeling, like anything else, too much is a bad thing, a little certainly isn't going to cause any serious problems.

I'm with you^^^. Coffee, whether decaf or regular is a very acid beverage, so one should not go overboard. Also, I personally buy organic, because I am sensitive to the high amounts of pesticides used on coffee crops.

Like anything, moderation is key.

[Townandcountrygal]

To the OP: you said you don't like coffee so don't drink it--there are not that many benefits from it. Green tea would be more beneficial due to its anti-oxidants.