There's a stigma against coffee on the media these days. You'll hear lots of people saying how it is unhealthy or how you shouldn't drink it if you are trying to lose weight. Many tea connoisseurs dismiss coffee altogether thinking tea to be the only thing to drink. While I am personally a major supporter of tea, I have done my research and added a small amount of coffee to my daily diet. Coffee receives a lot of undeserved bad reputation, and I'm here to tell you that coffee is indeed a healthy alternative to several sugary beverages!
The negative 'buzz' regarding coffee comes from the recent appearance of coffee chains appearing on nearly every street corner. You'd find it a hard chore to try to drive one mile without seeing its steamy beverages advertised or smelling its over-roasted coffee beans. The bad vibe comes from not the coffee itself, but the large amount of unhealthy additives!
Such coffee shops love to subdue the robust flavor of brewed beans with massive amounts of high fat creams and milks, stirred with sugary flavor syrups. On top of that, whipped cream is dolloped on top of an iced and blended mixture. The end result resembles nothing like coffee. Even the non-blended hot beverages may still contain significant portions of milks and sugars.
What is becoming a more rare sight is someone ordering a straight black coffee. That's quite unfortunate because the black coffee is the very thing that gives coffee its health benefits.
Recent studies have concluded that black, unsweetened coffee contains a healthy portion of antioxidants! Coffee in its purest form contains antioxidants and polyphenols, healthy components of mother nature. So should we relish the steamy cup of brew instead of our highly esteemed teas? Absolutely not. There is no scientific proof that coffee offers more health benefits than tea. However, coffee is not bad and should be considered for those trying to replace more unhealthy beverages such as sugary sodas and harmful energy drinks.
Because coffee offers a higher concentration of caffeine, it can effectively replace someone's consumption of energy drinks. And because black coffee's calorie content is close to nothing, it makes a perfect alternative to someone trying to lose weight.
Coffee helps in other areas as well. For those who have a hard time waking up in the morning, its caffeinated surge can peer any eye open. For those whom are forced to drive long distances or overnight, coffee can keep someone alert and attentive at the wheel. In essence, this aspect of coffee can potentially save hundreds or thousands of lives per year in automobile collisions due to sleepiness.
Coffee is indeed a hero of its own! But over-consumption does offer an array of negative effects such as hypertension, jitters, anxiety, diarrhea, stomach aches, and the like. Like with anything, moderation is the healthiest spice. Decaffeinated coffee should also be considered for those with caffeine sensitivities.
Coffee supplements a regular diet of green tea quite nicely and in its black, un-altered form, can help you with its small portion of health benefits. Raise your mug to that!
Michael Tennis owns and operates Green Tea Weight Loss, an informative resource guide committed to weight loss, health and well being. (And yes, Michael drinks coffee, too.)
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