If you are a coffee enthusiast, you probably need coffee when you wake up. This is certainly looked down upon, as serious complications can affect your health. Yes, coffee has the stimulant that can help you kick start your day with a bang, but to what extent? Are you benefitting from it, or are you overlooking the cons in the shadow of its benefits?
A recent study concluded that drinking bed tea or coffee can be dangerous for your health, so is it the morning elixir or morning poison? We will discuss this in today’s blog. We will have a detailed rundown of the benefits and disadvantages of bed coffee for you to understand.
So, if you have a habit of drinking bed tea or coffee first thing in the morning, or know someone who is, this blog is for you.
Benefits Of Having Coffee At Breakfast
Let’s get to the good part, coffee lovers love coffee because of its taste, and the boost that they get in their adrenaline. Many individuals depend on coffee because it helps them to stay alert of their surroundings and focus more clearly. This is helpful for many individuals working on the night shift or have an early start to the day, to keep the sleepiness out of their productivity.
Of course, the body needs time to adjust to the sleep schedule, but everyone is built differently and for some, it IS Morning Elixir. To understand the benefits more clearly, let’s have scientific facts to justify the points.
1. Coffee Enhances Your Mood
On a regular day, your mood does not depend on anything that you eat or drink, but when certain foods or beverages have a profound effect on your mood. Caffeine is one of those stimulants that help release dopamine and serotonin which positively affects your mood and makes you feel happy about it.
Studies have found that drinking regular coffee has been associated with lower risks of depression and suicidal ideation. A total of 8% of the risk of developing the symptoms of depression was decreased with just one cup of coffee per day.
2. Improves Physical Performance
You must have seen athletes drinking coffee before their morning workout or as part of their ritual. This is because caffeine adds an edge to physical endurance and improves energy levels. Many studies have reviewed the perceived exertion of individuals for their training session being decreased with one cup of coffee before their workout scenes. This creates an illusion of performing better and increases alertness along with muscle endurance.
3. Reduces The Risk Of Type 2 Diabetes
Caffeine is rich in antioxidants and can be a major element in reducing the risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the long run. Studies have found that individuals who drink coffee regularly are at a low risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 6%. The reason behind that is coffee preserves the function of insulin production, reduces inflammation, and increases metabolism. These factors are beneficial to promote overall health as well as keep the blood sugar levels in check.
4. Helps In Weight Loss Goals
What more of a benefit to look for, when caffeine helps you to manage your weight effectively? Studies have shown that drinking regular coffee can help with decreasing body fat for men and women. It improves gut health and alters the fat storage in our body, which is ideal when you are looking to shed some inches of your body. Although, women need a higher consumption compared to men to lose that extra weight.
Drawbacks For Having Bed Coffee
Coffee is beneficial to health, but the time you consume coffee can also affect your body. Bed coffee is a morning ritual for many individuals and recent studies have stated facts against it. Here is how:
1. Caffeine Triggers Overeating
When caffeine enters your body, it stimulates all the senses which keeps you alert and helps you stay awake even when your body is in dire need of sleep. But it also stimulates feelings of hunger which makes you wanna eat, even when you are not hungry. Drinking coffee on an empty stomach makes your body want to eat more than it needs. Try having coffee with breakfast to reap the benefits.
2. It Causes Gastric Issues
Drinking coffee on an empty stomach can also affect your gastrointestinal tract as it can irritate the lining of your stomach or esophagus. This leads to increased acid production in the stomach leading to indigestion or stomach discomfort. It can also cause a diuretic effect where you pee more than necessary and increase the risk of dehydration. It is always recommended to have coffee with a small breakfast to avoid discomfort.
3. Disrupts Your Sleep Schedule
It is no surprise that coffee can wake up your senses instantly and increase your energy levels. But in hindsight, it is also disturbing your sleep cycle, especially if you are drinking coffee before bedtime. Studies have shown that drinking coffee at night can cause insomnia and decrease sleep quality. It also affects the natural cortisol awakening response which can potentially affect the circadian rhythms.
4. Caffeine Dependency And Increased Tolerance
It is a simple concept when you see the benefits of coffee working in your favor, you tend to depend on it. It means your brain will think that your body will need coffee every day to wake up, and when that amount does not work, you increase your caffeine intake. This will lead to higher consumption of coffee and dependency which can affect your health negatively.
Conclusion
Drinking coffee at a recommended portion is always welcome and beneficial, as long as your body is getting all the essential nutrients. Coffee can surely warm up your senses when consumed with a healthy breakfast and keep you energized for the entire day. It is not a bad thing unless consumed on an empty stomach and without anything to munch on the side. So drink up your cup of coffee with a soul-filling breakfast.
References
- Mccusker RR, Goldberger BA, Cone EJ. Caffeine content of energy drinks, carbonated sodas, and other beverages. J Anal Toxicol. 2006;30(2):112–114. [PubMed]
- Ramakrishnan S, Wesensten NJ, Kamimori GH, Moon JE, Balkin TJ, Reifman J. A unified model of performance for predicting the effects of sleep and caffeine. Sleep. 2016;39(10):1827–1841. [PMC free article]
