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Do you start your day with coffee or tea? Tea may get all kinds of positive PR, but coffee has nutritional benefits too. In fact, it has powers we’re only beginning to understand. In the hopes of remedying any knowledge gaps, The Takeout spoke with Johannah Katz, RD. As the dietitian informed us, coffee may have a few drawbacks, but it can also do a lot of good for your body.
“Potential downsides include a temporary increase in blood pressure, shakiness, anxiety, restlessness, digestive symptoms, or palpitations, particularly with larger doses or in caffeine-sensitive people,” Katz stated, although she debunked the myth that coffee will dry you out. As she explained, “Coffee may mildly increase urine production, but moderate intake does not appear to cause dehydration in habitual coffee drinkers.” As for the positives, she told us, “In the short term, coffee can increase alertness, concentration, and reaction time … It may also improve endurance, muscular endurance, perceived effort, and other aspects of exercise performance, although responses vary.” Medical studies likewise seem to indicate that drinking coffee on a regular basis may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, liver disease, and Parkinson’s disease. Consumption of caffeinated coffee is also associated with lower rates of dementia.
Overall, it seems coffee can definitely be part of a healthy diet. As Katz put it, “Over the long term, moderate coffee consumption is associated more often with beneficial than harmful outcomes.” She did note that this doesn’t automatically make your venti Frappuccino a superfood, saying “Coffee’s potential benefits should not automatically be extended to large specialty drinks containing substantial added sugar, syrups, cream, or whipped toppings.”