Some of our days don’t even start without a freshly brewed cup of coffee. We need coffee in work breaks, we need coffee to feel alive again. For some, it has gone to the point where it is almost an addiction. Caffeine keeps them going.
But did you ever ask yourself, is coffee bad for your immune system? You didn’t? Well, not just coffee though, before having any food or drink, you need to know whether it’s good for you or not.
However, since we’re talking about coffee specifically, let’s see if it boosts your immune system or not.
Let’s Get to Know Our Favorite Drink First
Just like you and me, there are billions of other coffee drinkers worldwide, and together we consume about 2.25 billion cups of coffee a day. Can you even imagine?
The intoxicating nutty aroma, thefeelings in our mouth, and the smoothness. Ahh! No wonder it is the most popular drink in the world.
When we think coffee, we think of coffee beans, but in reality, coffee comes from coffee berries. Decaf, latte, mocha, Americano, espresso,and many more different types of coffee are consumed every day. Amongst these, the caffeine concertation is on different levels. It mostly depends on the roast of the bean, really.
The way you prepare coffee affects how it tastes, as well as the caffeine amount.
Caffeine!
Caffeine is one of the most used and most common stimulants. Coffee is mostly caffeine. In an average cup of espresso,you would find 212mg of caffeine. It is addictive, and it gets you hooked to the point of no return!
Sometimes people build literal addiction around coffee and without it, man! Do they get agitated! If you have no idea what I’m talking about, take a stroll around your neighborhood Starbucks at the office hour and see for yourself!
Caffeine is literally classified as a psychoactive drug. It keeps you stimulated, active, and awake.
How Does Coffee Work in Our Body?
Well, drinking coffee would mean accepting caffeine. What really happens when we drink it? First of all, caffeine gets to play directly in our bloodstream. Just as quick we are to grab that cup of coffee, it enters as fast in our bloodstream.
From our bloodstream, it travels down to our largest organ of the body, which is the liver. And there it can break down into smaller particles that actually affect in both positive and negative ways for our body. It mainly affects our brains.
When the coffee starts to do its magic, it’s not actually magic. What it does is, block the effects of adenosine in our brain. It is that secretion that makes us feel tired thought-out the day. And its secretes more dopamine and norepinephrine that are the feel-good hormones.
These keep us awake and make us feel more energetic. Sometimes they leave us feeling a bit aggravated, but it’s okay! Or is it?
Let’s Get the Bad News First
You love this beverage, but like everything else it has got lots of pros, it also has some drawbacks as well. Let’s see the common ones.
Insomnia and Stress Hormone
Having way too much coffee can trigger the release of stress hormones. What is too much? More than 3 to 4 cups of coffee are too much. But I would say even 3 cups a day can be too much depending on each individual.
When you drink too much coffee, a stress hormone named cortisol gets triggered and released in an excessive amount, which can eventually harm your immune system. It can lead to heart diseases, increased blood sugar levels, increased triglycerides, and so on.
Remember that it blocks adenosine hormones? That can make you hyper, although for a short amount of time. Your brain is smart, but this event can, in the long run, turn you into an insomniac.
Weakens the Fighting Ability of Your Immune System
No matter how amazing coffee might taste, it can sometimes lead to our doom.
Ingesting a huge amount of coffee compromises the fighting ability of our immune system. Infections, abnormal cells, and damaged cells can take a significantly long time to heal when the person with diseases is a regular coffee drinker.
When you drink coffee with added sugar and dairy, you’re basically adding an entire league of problems to the existing ones. Sugar is another psychoactive drug. And the negative side of that needs no introduction.
Time for the Good Part
Let’s face it, you didn’t love all the things I said above since you’re a coffee lover. Well, it’s time for some good news.
Polyphenol Antioxidants
In coffee, there is a significant amount of caffeine which contains plenty of antioxidants. Antioxidants help boost your immune system. It prevents awful diseases such as osteoporosis, neurological disease, heart disease, inflammation, etc.
The antioxidants properties are really good for a regular bloodstream. They can help in case of having that dewy and glowing skin, which is desired by all. But mostly, the health benefits are amazing.
In some cases, coffee is known to prevent cancer, as well!
Natural Laxative?
Coffee can act as a natural laxative. Some of us have trouble going to the bathroom early in the morning. You might be laughing now, but when your metabolism rate goes down, you’d feel the tension in your gut and upper body. Wouldn’t be that fun when it happens to you.
An early morning cup of coffee can be a kickstart for the day. It can help you defecate. This has proven to be good for the gut.
Metabolic Boost and Fat Burning
It gives your metabolism a boost, exactly by 11 to 13 percent. Just what I was saying about the natural laxative point. Quantitatively, 300mg of coffee a day can give you that extra push to lose up to 79 extra calories. Who wouldn’t want that?
In a study, it was found that regular coffee drinker loses weight too. That particular research shows that at the end of the whole process, participants had lost 0.4 to 0.5kgs. Astonishing truly!
Final Words
Is coffee bad for your immune system? I think you have the answer now. As sweet as it seems, coffee must be consumed in moderation. In fact, anything and everything in life must be done within limits. When we go beyond that line, there’s usually not a very good scenario to be seen on the other side.
If you choose to keep this habit in control, then coffee can actually be good for you. You get to keep the taste, you get to reap the benefits, what else do you need? Coffee is not the bad guy in the story; our uncontrollable habits are. Keep that in check, and you’re good to go.
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