Pros and Cons of Morning Coffee

It’s a billion dollar industry that millions of people partake in every morning. Coffee has become a breakfast staple and there seems to be one café per ten people living in Australia. It’s often associated with healthy, fit people who lead in active lifestyle and has become a social staple. But is coffee good for you? It’s well known that caffeine is a drug, like alcohol but with different effects. Over consumption can lead to jittery behaviour and poor sleep, but many people claim to not be able to function without their morning cup or two (or three). Here are a few pros and cons of coffee drinking to help you make your own decision.  

Caffeine Can Boost Athletic Performance

Having a cup of coffee or a pre-workout drink with caffeine in it can boost the adrenaline levels in your blood. The extra adrenaline and focus from the caffeine can help you work out harder and longer in the early mornings. The ritual of drinking a cup of coffee in the morning before a workout can also prove to be a great way to focus your mind on your day’s activities. It’s hard to find the motivation to work out first thing in the morning, but having that cup of coffee can be a great way to set out your goals for the day and focus in on what you’re wanting to accomplish.  

Coffee Beans Contains Antioxidants

The coffee bean has been studied extensively and proven to contain antioxidants that fight against free radicals and help to protect your cells. Drinking tea has similar benefits, and have a daily intake is proven to be beneficial to your health.  

Dehydration

Even though coffee contains antioxidants that have health benefits for your cells and skin, coffee also causes dehydration which in turn affects your skin and can cause damage if not balanced out with water and other foods. Most good cafés pair your morning cup of coffee with a bottle of water, so make sure you drink it. People who roll out of bed and go straight for the coffee are most at risk because your body is already dehydrated after a long sleep. So instead, try drinking a litre of water in the morning before consuming your coffee.  

Conventional Coffee is Covered in Pesticides

The coffee plant is one of the most heavily sprayed crops. It’s coated with all sorts of chemicals, pesticides, and herbicides that are then absorbed by the plant and eventually consumed by coffee drinkers. So, go for organic and save your liver the stress of battling the excess chemicals.  

Drinking Coffee Can Cause Restlessness

Everyone is affected differently by coffee and the caffeine in it. Some people can’t drink coffee after midday, without suffering a sleepless night. Others can drink a cup and go straight to bed. It’s recommended to not drink more than 4 cups of coffee per day and to not drink any after 5 pm. These are good rules to follow to ensure you don’t end up with ants in your pants while you’re trying to get some much needed sleep.  

Improve Your Mood

Just the smell of coffee is enough to brighten many people’s days and there is a link between coffee drinkers and lower rates of depression and suicide. Coffee can help brighten your mood and increase your activity levels. Starting your day with a hot cup of coffee and lead to a more positive outlook for the day and increased productivity. Many people claim to not be able to make it through a day without their morning cup of coffee. This is a sentiment popularised by Garfield the Cat. If you’re one of those people, there’s no reason to stop, unless you are noticing some issues arising as a result. Dry skin can be evidence of excessive coffee consumption. If you drink a lot of coffee, try to stick to just a cup or two in the mornings, after drinking a good amount of water. There is definitely such a thing as too much of a good thing.