As a huge coffee lover, I’ve decided to take some time today to stand my ground and defend my favorite beverage – Coffee!
I like to think I’m a pretty healthy person and would think most agree. I’m also a firm believer that part of the health I have is somewhat due to coffee.
Yes, I said it… I am healthier because I consume coffee on a regular basis.
Now, I will admit… There are some sluggish days where I tend to have a few cups past the healthy amount, but the reason those days don’t necessarily contribute to my health has nothing to do with coffee as an ingredient, but more so due to caffeine consumption being too high.
So before I get into why coffee is beneficial and everyone should consume some, lets go over the past myths that tried to destroy the coffee industry throughout history.
Coffee Myths
“Coffee Causes Cancer”
There has been many studies done about coffee and many done while following different populations consuming coffee on a daily basis, yet NONE have shown to support this myth.
Where it came from, nobody truly knows. There is word that some of the very first studies performed with coffee suggested this, but the issue with the studies was there lack of external factors coming into play.
What I mean by this is they did not take in to account the participant’s activity level or current nutrition. Another great point to make with these studies is the realities of what coffee was back then…
Back in the day, when these studies were performed, you typically had a cigarette or a donut while you drank your coffee. Both things that are horrible for health and can absolutely be the reason for the increased risk of cancer. Ever notice how most coffee shops sell baked goods… It’s tradition.
“Coffee Stunts Your Growth”
Once again, a myth in which nobody knows where it came from but many can honestly say that their parents also told them this growing up. Maybe it was too save money or even more likely, just to keep you calm! Parents know a kid is already hyper as hell, give them some caffeine and they’re bouncing off the walls.
And again NEVER has there been a study to truly prove this theory. In fact, one study proved it wrong – I guess everyone just seems to overlook the studies that don’t cause scarcity.
“A study of 81 girls 12 to 18 years old researched the caffeine effect of total body bone mineral gain and hipbone density of a six-year period. The groups ranged from taking low to moderate amounts of caffeine every day. Conclusions of the study found no significant differences in the groups with respect to bone health or growth.”
On top of this study, caffeine is actually a common drug used in neonatal care when premature babies are cared for. It’s used to stimulate them and help with their breathing when their brains are immature. This doesn’t justify or claim to aid in growth, but if coffee or caffeine actually stunted growth then it would never be used in neonatal care.
“Coffee (or Caffeine) Increases Risk Of Heart Disease”
A study was done at Harvard University with 45, 859 men concluded that consumption of caffeine or coffee “Has no substantial risk or increase of coronary heart disease or strokes”.
If a study of 45,859 men isn’t enough for you… Stop reading.
But if you are still reading, another study was done in 1992 that actually showed improvements in HDL Cholesterol, which has been linked to protecting and lowering the risks of heart disease… So there, non-believers!
“Caffeine Is Addictive”
Debunked by many studies. Proven that you may feel fatigue, head aches, or other symptoms when cutting out caffeine completely, but it only lasts 1-3 days and usually comes from initial over consumption of caffeine – not moderate amounts.
“Coffee/Caffeine Increases Risk Of Osteoporosis”
Once again, debunked. Some studies showed that caffeine consumption can cause loss in calcium through urine, but in those studies the caffeine was above normal levels and can be supplemented by consuming more calcium dense foods and/or supplementation.
So other studies have been done to conclude this is false.
[Another great point to make, especially for women as you’re more susceptible to osteoporosis, is that resistance training is one of the number 1 ways to fight against and prevent this disease. Click HERE for a Discovery Call within the next 24 hours to find out specifically how you can decrease your risk and find a plan that fits YOU]
“Pregnant People Shouldn’t Drink Coffee, Causes Insomnia, Rabies…”
The list of bullshit myths can go on and on, but I believe I proved my point against them all and proved to you that it’s ok to drink coffee. So lets talk about how and why you should be drinking coffee, plus what kinds.
Truth and Benefits Of Coffee
“Coffee Burns More Body Fat and Calories”
“Coffee Burns More Body Fat and Calories”
“Wait, hold up… Isn’t that one a myth?”
Well, yes and no.
You will not burn more calories by drinking a cup of coffee and if you did, it would be the smallest minimal amount – merely because caffeine CAN increase metabolism slightly and that may have a small effect.
BUT many studies have proven that caffeine can increase performance output during training. This means consuming caffeine before training will jack you up a bit and you will train harder and when we train harder, we build more muscle and burn more fat.
This is a fact and the reason I always have a cup of coffee or caffeine pill before training. (Notice I didn’t say I was taking the “Nitric Oxide Extreme Fat Burning Pre Workout Propriety Formula” – Because all that is just bullshit advertising).
“Coffee Increases Your Metabolism”
This isn’t something to count on, by this I mean focus on your big habits like training, good nutrition, and living a healthy lifestyle to keep your metabolism in check. Don’t think because you drink coffee your metabolism is going to be fast enough to eat more donuts.
But there are studies don’t by Belza et al, showing that as little as 50mg of caffeine increases the resting energy expenditure. This means that without doing anything, one metabolizes more with caffeine. Through the sympathetic nervous system, caffeine promotes fat lipolysis and exercise associated fatty acid oxidation.
Another reason for a cup of Joe before training…
“Coffee Improves The Sympathetic Nervous System”
Studies show that coffee and caffeine can increase the strength of the transmission of neural signals in this system. This is part of our “Fight or Flight” system and having a fully functioning Nervous System is important for not only training and performance, but many other factors in life.
“Coffee Improves Mental and Cognitive Function”
“The cerebral blood flow is proportional to the amount of caffeine consumed. As a result, there is an increase in efficiency with neurotransmissions involved in the cerebral cortex. This results in improvements with alertness, concentration, decision-making, problem solving, and neuromuscular coordination.”
In simple terms, coffee is healthy for our brain and helps us think smarter.
Now this list can go on and on as well, so lets get to the sum of it all now…
Conclusion
Main take home point here is that coffee really is not bad for you, in fact it has many health benefits – and this doesn’t just go for coffee, caffeine as well.
That being said, over consuming caffeine can have its negative effects. But this is also hard to come about by purely drinking coffee, if so then try having every other cup be decaf.
The biggest way to over consume caffeine would be to not only drink coffee, but also drink soda and energy drinks on a regular basis as well because many of those have much more caffeine in them then real coffee does.
So what kind of coffee is best?
Well first of all, local and organic beans will always be best. Now between light and dark roast, it is mainly a taste preference but the most beneficial has been believed to be a lighter roast.
Why? Simple, dark roasting means that it has been roasted longer and this can burn off many of the great nutrients, which coffee beans contain. The lighter the roast, the less of a chance that the coffee bean had nutrients removed from it.
Remember, a coffee bean comes from the coffee fruit. So the bean is actually the pit or seed of the coffee fruit. The fruits are VERY beneficial and when originally found in earlier years, that’s what they ate before learning how to brew it into coffee.
In fact, coffee was originally brewed cold and that is by far the most beneficial way to consume coffee. Because once again, cold brewing removes far less if any of the nutrients that the coffee bean contains.
To sum it all up again, your best bet for the most beneficial coffee would be an organic coffee bean brewed cold.
Ever wonder why no matter what Starbucks you go to, it all tastes exactly the same?
Well, it’s because they burn all their beans. Burning the beans removes the flavor, lets them add their own to it, and creates a very memorable flavor you can associate to Starbucks. Don’t get me wrong, it tastes great and they’re very smart for that from a business stand point. But they also have one of the least nutrient dense coffee’s you can get.
At the end of the day, there are so many myths and so many truths about everything in life – but especially when it comes to fitness, training, nutrition, losing body fat, and/or gaining muscle mass.
The best way to weed through what is false and find out exactly what works, not only for results but also for YOU specifically.
Is to jump into a training program like my Online Coaching Program (Click HERE to see what’s included).
Learn what works, learn why it works, and learn how to implement it into your lifestyle so you can sustain results for the long run.
