Is Coffee Healthy? Health Impact Of Caffeine, Decaf, Organic and Organic Decaf Coffee

Coffee has emerged to be the most popular beverage in North America and the entire world. Most people enjoy the taste of regular coffee and find that a dose of coffee with naturally occurring caffeine in the morning is a great way to kick start mental alertness and energy. Unfortunately, caffeine is an addictive drug and many through overuse have become caffeine sensitive, and have experienced unhealthy side effects such as the jitters and insomnia. Habitual coffee drinkers also find that the stimulating effect of caffeine doesn’t last long. Soon an energy crash occurs and more coffee is needed to get going again.

Replacing breakfast with a cup of coffee in attempt to boost energy and lose weight will have the opposite effect. Caffeine is a stimulant. Real energy comes from a healthy diet. Missing breakfast in the morning will rob the body of needed calories required for energy and cause it to hold onto stored fat making it even more difficult to lose weight.

Recent research has found that caffeine in soda pop causes rises in blood pressure. However, this evidence has not yet been found with coffee, which may be due to the presence of several healthy compounds counterbalancing the effects of caffeine.

Drinking too much caffeinated coffee isn’t healthy, but in moderation research suggests it may be good for you. Studies show that antioxidants and other nutrients found in coffee may work with caffeine to promote good health and protect against a number of diseases including cancer and diabetes.

Although coffee contains health promoting nutrients it should never be used as a substitute for fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes which contain a wide range of vitamins, minerals and fiber that all work together to promote good health.

Coffee lovers who can not tolerate any amount of caffeine, usually turn to decaffeinated coffee. Research shows that decaffeinated coffee has the same health benefits as regular coffee but many are concerned about the decaffeination process involving the use of synthetic chemicals known to be harmful to health. The chemicals are used before the roasting process and evaporate during heating. The health concern involves the unknown impact of trace amounts of chemicals that remain in the coffee.

For the health conscious individual trying to avoid caffeine and decaffeinating chemicals, organic decaffeinated coffee may be the way to go. A natural decaffeinating process known as the swiss water process is used. An all natural process where only heated water is used to separate caffeine from the coffee bean. Tests show that this process removes 99 percent of the caffeine. Another benefit to choosing organic coffee is the absence of pesticides and genetically modified organisms used in conventional farming.

People who do not suffer from moderate amounts of caffeine but are concerned about toxins in regular coffee may want to consider organic coffee. This option will be preferable to the coffee lover who is primarily concerned with taste and flavor. Decaffeinated organic coffee may lose some of the taste and flavor in the separation process.

People who suffer from heartburn or acid reflux disease may need to avoid coffee. All types of coffee tend to relax muscles that prevent acid from rising into the throat causing the condition to worsen.