5 coffee myths debunked
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The National Coffee Association estimates roughly 83 percent of adults in the U.S. drink coffee. Some people consider coffee drinking a bad habit, but here we debunk 5 myths about coffee that say otherwise:
Coffee is addictive
True and False. This depends on your interpretation of “addictive.” Coffee contains caffeine, which stimulates your nervous system. Although regular consumption is associated with a mild physical dependence experts agree it bears no similarity to dependency on drugs or alcohol.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Coffee can aid weight loss
True. The caffeine in coffee stimulates the metabolic rate by as much as 11 percent, and also serves as an appetite suppressant. Aside from burning calories coffee consumption is linked to fat oxidation, the process by which your body breaks down fat as a source of energy. For those of you who are watching what you eat, drinking coffee may give your weight loss efforts a nice extra boost.
Too much coffee may increase the risk of death
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}False. The Harvard School of Public Health has found no correlation between coffee consumption and an increased risk of death. Still, how much coffee is too much? Generally speaking, it’s safe to consume about 400 mg of caffeine daily, which is a lot considering the average American gets about 200 mg in the about 3 cups of coffee they drink every day.
Coffee during the day interferes with sleep at night
False. It takes about four to five hours for your body to flush out the caffeine from coffee. Unless you are highly sensitive to caffeine, a few cups during the day should not affect your sleep. However, it’s probably best to avoid coffee about six hours before bedtime.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Coffee helps fight certain diseases
True. Studies indicate that by drinking a certain amount of coffee daily you can cut your risk of colon and breast cancer, Type-2 Diabetes, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Additionally, coffee is proven to ease headaches, combat depression, and according to a recent Harvard Study it may lower the suicide risk in men and women by as much as 50 percent.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Tanya Zuckerbrot MS, RD, is a registered dietitian in New York City and the author of two bestselling diet books: The Miracle Carb Diet: Make Calories and Fat Disappear – with fiber and The F-Factor Diet. Follow Tanya on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, and subscribe to her free weekly weight loss newsletter.