COFFEE IS AMAZING
No Coffee Shops
Currently, I’m studying at a Seventh Day Adventist University and coffee shops don’t exist on campus. It’s a little strange for a place where students are studying 24/7.
Well, the school’s founding principles advocate to avoid stimulants of any kind~ coffee included.
Since I’m a nutrition student bringing a cup of coffee to an Adventist university every day, I got a little curious. Am I a blasphemous nutrition student? Should I be staying away from coffee?
At this point, I’ve been drinking coffee on campus for a year and no one has refuted it yet. And I doubt anyone will. The environment here is inclusive and open to discussion. With this in mind, I did my research and gave an in class lecture concerning the benefits of coffee on cardiovascular disease.
Ironically, the presentation after me was on the benefits coffee had on weight loss…
Inside Scoop on Coffee
Let me give you the inside scoop on poor, misunderstood coffee.
In the short term, like hours, coffee raises your blood pressure. This concerns doctors since high blood pressure is associated with strokes, heart attacks, etc.
High blood pressure is spreading like wildfire. In fact it impacts 1/3 of adults in the US (1) and it was the primary cause of death for 61,762 Americans in 2009 (1).
But according to several research studies, coffee isn’t causing it. Coffee has actually been shown to lower blood pressure over the long term (months to years).
Here’s the theory.
During and after consumption, coffee raises our blood pressure. However, when we consume coffee every day for 3 months or more, our body starts to fight back by lowering our overall resting blood pressure.
For example: If your blood pressure is 145/85, it may lower to 130/75 after 3 months of consistent coffee consumption.
This is your body’s built-in safety mechanism, activated by drinking coffee.
Pretty amazing right? I thought so…
Research has also suggested that coffee contributes to weight loss, lowering the risk of type 2 diabetes, lowering the risk of Alzheimer’s Disease, improving physical performance, etc.
Based on research the most effective intake ranged from 2-4 cups of coffee a day. Because like most things, moderation is key.
