Everyone knows how much we love our coffee, an Almond Milk Latte certainly brings a smile to our faces each morning when consumed. But really what are the benefits?  Is coffee good for you?  Well, according to Paul Gow, the author of ‘Liver Better life’, he says YES!! Read on as we explain more, did you know that 1.4 billion cups of coffee are consumed everyday worldwide!  Interestingly, caffeine makes up only 1-2% of the weight of the actual coffee bean, this makes caffeine levels vary greatly. But more importantly, caffeine contains proteins, amino acids, carbohydrates and fibre, fats, minerals, acids and numerous polyphenols (micro nutrients from plants), all which have incredible health benefits when consumed in moderation- aka 2 cups a day!

The biggest beneficiary of moderate coffee consumption is in fact the Liver.  Caffeine reduces liver fat, inflammation and damage, “There is no medicine out there that your doctor can prescribe that benefits your liver like a cup of coffee” It is however also good for your heart, and despite what you may have heard, coffee does not increase your blood pressure, but it does reduce the risk of Diabetes.  But how does this cup of goodness help the liver and heart so much?  In a nut shell and on a very basic level, coffee reduces insulin.  Insulin drives many of the common diseases in the Western World, such as heart disease, respiratory disease and strokes to name a few.

So what are the negatives?  Caffeine can contribute to anxiety and disrupted sleep if consumed in high doses, Cyndi O’Meara in her book ‘Lab to Table” explains the addictive nature of caffeine, stating that when you feel like ‘you lack focus and are fatigued’ if you have not consumed coffee aka caffeine then you may be in fact be addicted! But like Paul Gow, she also mentions that if consumed in moderation, coffee won’t be harmful to your health.  As a side note, Caffeine base energy drinks are no good, this is usually due to the high sugar levels, the caffeine content is not an issue if they are consumed like everything, once again …..in moderation!

So to sum this all up, we are happy to report that Coffee is great!  It is a wonder drug when it comes to liver health, if you have good liver health it makes it better, if you don’t it makes it better.  And with beneficial effects against lung disease, heart disease, stroke diabetes and infections we can look forward to our morning coffee knowing we are looking after ourselves each day, sometimes twice!  If you would like to read more on the Benefits of Coffee, we have the Liver Better Life (Paul Gow) and Lab to Table (Cyndi O’Meara) in our ALTA Library which we are happy for you to borrow and have a read, or alternative have a chat to us!