Should you consider that morning cup of Joe as a guilty pleasure or health drink?
Coffee used to get a bad wrap but suddenly everyone’s touting the benefits of drinking coffee. Are these health claims for real and what kind of coffee should we be consuming to get them?
Coffee: How much are we drinking?
As a country about 54% of us drink coffee and when we do it’s around three cups of Joe a day. Although it’s safe to drink up to six cups per day, the “sweet spot” for health benefits is around four to five cups of coffee (the plain black kind), per day. Because most coffee contains caffeine, it affects each of us differently, so how much you drink it and when you drink it is really a personal choice. But keep in mind, drinking more than six cups yields no additional benefit. That said, you cannot really “overdose” on coffee as it would take about 100 cups of coffee in a single day to do this.
As a country about 54% of us drink coffee and when we do it’s around three cups of Joe a day. Although it’s safe to drink up to six cups per day, the “sweet spot” for health benefits is around four to five cups of coffee (the plain black kind), per day. Because most coffee contains caffeine, it affects each of us differently, so how much you drink it and when you drink it is really a personal choice. But keep in mind, drinking more than six cups yields no additional benefit. That said, you cannot really “overdose” on coffee as it would take about 100 cups of coffee in a single day to do this.
Some surprising health benefits of coffee.
Coffee is very high in antioxidants and some B Vitamins; some say the single greatest concentrated source of antioxidants in our diets. That accounts for some of the recent science out correlating coffee to some pretty amazing health benefits. (Remember, the type of coffee we are talking about here is black with no cream and sugar- so forget counting that Vanilla Soy Latte or Frappucinno in this equation).
- For instance, drinking as little as 1 cup of black coffee per day has been shown to reduce mortality by 5-6% and consuming 4-5 cups per day as much as 12% in men and 16% in women. I’ll drink to that.
- In addition to living longer, drinking coffee has been shown to reduce your risk for heart disease and stroke, prevent gall stones, and reduce your chance of developing Type 2 Diabetes and Parkinsons.
- In an 18 year long study of 125,000 women, it was found that women who drank more than 4-5 cups of coffee per day reduced their risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes by 30%! Another study of 75,000 women found the same results whether the coffee was caffeinated or decaffeinated suggesting the effect is from the antioxidant content and not the caffeine.
- Coffee intake has also been shown to decrease your risk of depression, liver disease and cancer of the liver. Additionally, a study tracking 6710 men and women over a 22 year span found that coffee drinkers had a significantly lower risk for developing Parkinson’s disease.
Who might want to avoid Coffee?
If coffee doesn’t appeal to you, skip it. If you are pregnant or a nursing Mother, it’s probably best to skip the caffeine as your baby may not agree with it. Folks who are sensitive to caffeine, feel anxious, shakey or irritable after drinking coffee should avoid it. And if you have a hard time controlling your blood pressure, the stimulant effect of coffee may not be a healthy choice.
Bullet Proof Coffee- Healthy or Hype
Tech business man Dave Asprey discovered this coffee concept on a trip to Tibet where he was served butter yak tea. Although not yet popular in this country, versions of what has now come to be called “Bullet Proof” coffee has been popular around the world for decades- including the Himalayas, Singapore and Ethiopia.
It was Dave Asprey who made this a popular cultural in the states. In fact he has made a good business selling what he claims is an “upgraded” coffee bean (processed so it has no mycotoxins or mold) to use when making his recipe of Bullet Proof coffee. He also sells other ingredients he says are mandatory for getting this recipe correct.
And it’s important to him because he believes in the benefits. According to Asprey, drinking Bullet Proof coffee (his version) will change the quality and length of your life. For instance, he has stated that he is going to live to 180 years old. He also claims that the ingredients in this brew has increased his brain function and IQ by 20 points.
Other benefits …
- Increased energy and focus for the day
- Increased brain function and cognition
- Reduced hunger and satiety
- Weight loss due to the healthy fat included in this coffee. Grass Fed butter has Omega 3’s and 6’s and MCT contain medium chain triglycerides that some studies show may help increase fat metabolism and satiety.
The downside of Bullet Proof Coffee
It may taste delicious but there’s actually no scientific proof to support Asprey’s claims. The coffee is also high in calories so you should definitely consider it a meal replacement and not just an add on to your morning breakfast of bacon, eggs and toast. In fact you would probably get more protein and nutrition from having black coffee with an egg fried in MCT (coconut) oil.
How do you make Bullet Proof Coffee?- Boil filtered water. (Use 1 cup to make coffee- the other to warm blender)
- Use the water to brew strong black coffee (2-2.5 heaping Tablespoon)
- Add 1 teaspoon MCT oil. (You can add more fat as your body tolerates it up to 2 teaspoons)
- Add 1 Tablespoon grass fed butter or ghee (can increase as your body adapts to fat in your diet)
- Mix in a blender for at least 20 seconds until creamy and there is no oil on top
For more information on Bullet Proof coffee, click here. For more information our T School, our lifestyle transformation program where we address nutrition, fitness and practice, click here.
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