Is Coffee Good for You?

July 8, 2019

Most of us begin every day with a cup of coffee.  The question is, is that beneficial or harmful?  The answer is, frustratingly, it depends.

There is a lot of research showing that caffeine can reduce the risk of diseases like cancer, Parkinson's, diabetes and more.  Coffee, in particular, is loaded with phytonutrients and antioxidants.  But caffeine can have the opposite effect -- increasing your risk of those diseases and others like them -- if you drink too much, have a chronic illness, are under a lot of stress, are not sleeping well, or do not have the genotype that metabolizes caffeine efficiently.  Surprisingly, 50% of us have a variant in this gene and are what's known as slow metabolizers of caffeine.

It can be helpful to know your genetic predisposition -- which you can find by doing a test like  23andMe.  But, as with determining your sensitivity to a certain food group, the best way to tell if caffeine is beneficial or harmful for YOU is to wean yourself off of it (slowly!), be without it for 3-4 weeks, then add it back in and see if you notice a negative reaction.

I get that most people don't want to do that, though, so here are a few ways to maximize the benefits of caffeine and limit the potential negative effects:

1.  Keep your consumption to 1 or 2 cups per day, ideally, but not more than 3 (keep this number as low as possible if you suffer from a chronic illness, are under a lot of stress or have sleep issues like difficulty falling asleep or waking up in the middle of the night).

2.  Try to finish up before 10am, or noon at the very latest.  Caffeine should not be consumed in the afternoon, especially if you don't sleep well.

3.  Cut out any sugary sources of caffeine like soda (including diet soda) or Red Bull in favor of coffee or tea.

4.  Find ways to reduce your stress so you can tolerate caffeine better.  This meditation app is great, as is taking a daily walk outside (even if it's only for 5 minutes) or doing yoga.

5.  Buy organic coffee or tea whenever possible.

Signs that caffeine may not be your friend include feeling that "slump" in energy in the afternoon or not feeling rested after a full night's sleep.  Find out more about whether or not coffee is good for you on this podcast.