Coffee: is it causing you more harm than good?

November 16, 8:58 AMPhiladelphia Health Care ExaminerStefanie Galeano-Zalutko

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Consider swapping your cup of java for a cup of tea.
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Millions of people around the world begin their morning with a strong cup of java to enhance their mood, increase alertness, and promote better mental performance. Sorry to say, but the candid truth is that coffee can have an overwhelmingly negative impact on your overall health.

• Coffee can raise your cholesterol by 10%: “Two cholesterol-raising substances—cafestol and kahweol—are found in coffee beans. Not only do they raise total cholesterol, but also “bad” LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides, too.” (Urgert R, Katan MB. The cholesterol-raising factor from coffee beans. Annu Rev Nutr. 1997;17:305-24.)
• Coffee can raise your blood pressure: Coffee causes your blood vessels to constrict and your heart beat to increase, which causes an elevated blood pressure in most people. One 5-ounce (150 ml) cup of regular coffee contains 150 mg of caffeine. That’s a lot! And since most people drink almost double that amount, the average coffee-lover consumes 300 mg of caffeine per cup of coffee. Are you decaf drinkers smirking, thinking you’re free from harm? Think again. Decaffeinated coffee also increases blood pressure; therefore, research concludes that ingredients found in the infamous coffee bean (other than caffeine) also have pressure-raising effects. (James JE Critical review of dietary caffeine and blood pressure: a relationship that should be taken more seriously. Psychosom Med. 2004 Jan-Feb;66(1):63-71.)
• Coffee causes stomach problems: Don’t forget your Tums! Both regular and decaffeinated coffees have a tendency to cause indigestion. Interestingly, the indigestion is not caused by caffeine itself; instead, other key ingredients in the coffee are causing heartburn and reflux.
• Some other reasons for cutting back on coffee consumption: Irregular heart beat (arrhythmias), nervous tremor, headaches, anxiety, teeth-grinding, jaw-clenching, insomnia, and frequent urination have all been linked to high coffee consumption.