Heather Bedard, C.H.E.
Coffee – the water of the gods. It’s extremely controversial in the health world. The main reasons behind this is its diuretic properties, caffeine, and addiction. I find that most of these reasons are due to a misunderstanding of the effects of coffee. While this won’t be an exhaustive study, let’s look at a few of the biggest concerns.
Many people are concerned that coffee is a diuretic and will dehydrate you. Coffee contains caffeine which blocks the release of anti-diuretic hormone, which is the chemical that tells the kidneys to retain urine.[1] This results in the body reabsorbing less water and more being converted to urine. While this could be a mechanism for dehydration eventually, it would take 3-5 cups of coffee to begin to dehydrate you.[2] You can use your discretion on how hydrated you are and how much of this substance you would consume.
Caffeine is another component of coffee that raises a concern. Like salt, if you are sensitive to caffeine, you should avoid it, but this is not the rule for everyone. It can also spike blood pressure so if you have trouble with that, then avoiding it would be a good thing. Otherwise, there is no literature proving that you should eliminate it completely if you enjoy it from time to time. The key with things like this is to not start consuming it if you don’t like it, and if you do, then enjoy a cup a day. When information is taken to extremes or stated without context, you can make any component of food seem unhealthy. I think the biggest rub for me comes when coffee, and in extension caffeine, is used as a supplement for good quality sleep. In that case, it is a great idea to get to the root of your sleep problems, rather than cover it up with caffeine.
You’ll hear many claim that caffeine is addictive because when you stop drinking it, it causes symptoms such as headaches. Again, this isn’t what it seems. You don’t get headaches because you are addicted. You get headaches because caffeine constricts the blood vessels in your brain. Over time, as the caffeine wears off, the blood vessels begin to relax and voila… a headache. There are no good studies that show that it is addictive.[3] I think it would be more truthful to say that people like the routine and the feeling of being less drowsy due to adenosine being blocked than that they are actually being addicted to it.
Coffee has been shown to reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes regardless of the amount of caffeine.[4] This is one of many studies that seem to point to other components of coffee, besides the caffeine, that have helpful properties. It may also reduce the risk of some cancers such as liver, prostate, oral, and colon.[5],[6],[7] If you’re looking for a substitute for coffee then moving to another hot drink such as tea would be a good way to transition. You can find more info on caffeine, and its effects on the body, in our article library.
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[1] Marx B, Scuvée É, Scuvée-Moreau J, Seutin V, Jouret F. Mécanismes de l'effet diurétique de la caféine [Mechanisms of caffeine-induced diuresis]. Med Sci (Paris). 2016;32(5):485-490. doi:10.1051/medsci/20163205015 [2] Maughan RJ, Griffin J. Caffeine ingestion and fluid balance: a review. J Hum Nutr Diet. 2003;16(6):411-420. doi:10.1046/j.1365-277x.2003.00477.x [3] Satel S. “Is caffeine addictive? A review of the literature.” Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse. 2006; 32(4): 493-502 [4] Ding M, Bhupathiraju SN, Chen M, Van Dam RM, Hu FB. “Caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and a dose-response meta-analysis.” Diabetes Care. 2014 Feb; 37(2): 569-586. [5] Larsson SC, Wolk A. “Coffee consumption and risk of liver cancer: a meta-analysis.” Gastroenterology. 2007 May; 132(5): 1740-1745. [6][6] Discacciati A, Orsini N, Wolk A. Coffee consumption and risk of nonaggressive, aggressive and fatal prostate cancer—a dose–response meta-analysis. Ann Oncol. 2014 Mar; 25(3): 1635-1641. [7] Wang A, Wang S, Zhu C, et al. Coffee and cancer risk: A meta-analysis of prospective observational studies. Sci Rep. 2016 Sep; 6(33711): 1-13.