I used to love my coffee. I couldnt imagine starting a day without that hot, fragrant cup of stimulation. Millions of people all over the world drink coffee like its water. But coffee is a drug, and like any other it has benefits and drawbacks.

The Good

Coffee is well loved for good reason. It relieves fatigue and can increase mental clarity and alertness. It can stop headaches and temporarily improve mood. It can also temporarily stimulate the metabolism and suppress appetite, hence its popularity as a weight loss drug.

Moderate coffee consumption may reduce the likelihood of developing dementia, type 2 diabetes, Parkinsons disease, gout, and gallstones. It can prevent the dizziness after meals that some elderly people experience.

Coffee is high in some anti-oxidants. These are most readily available in extracts of the skin of ripe coffee berries, but are in smaller amounts in brewed coffee. To get the anti-oxidants and other health benefits, the coffee should be organic, high-quality, fresh, light roast, and brewed as soon after grinding as possible. Brewing through a paper filter is better than metal. It is better to have coffee in the late morning, after your breakfast has digested but not with a meal.

The Bad

For the most part, coffee is more detrimental than helpful. While occasional consumption seems to be okay for most people, drinking it regularly and/or in large amounts can be dangerous. Coffee stimulates the central nervous system, brain, heart, and muscles. This is how it energizes the body, but it also stresses the body to be frequently stimulated this way.

Consuming coffee causes the adrenal glands to release cortisol and epinephrine, hormones that agitate the nervous system. This is the pumped up feeling that coffee gives us its actually preparing us to fight or run. This is fine occasionally, but artificial stimulation wears on the body over time. Constant stress can lead to anxiety, nervousness, insomnia, and restlessness, and contribute to many diseases. These stress hormones also interfere with blood sugar regulation and raise cholesterol levels.

Drinking coffee interferes with digestion, because when the sympathetic nervous system kicks up (that fight or flight response) digestion, fertility, and other non-essential systems are shut down. Coffee irritates the lining of the stomach, which can cause ulcers.

It also causes the stomach to release its contents before they are digested, which can lead to IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) and other intestinal disorders. Coffee triggers relaxation of the valve in the esophagus that keeps stomach acid from rising upward, causing acid reflux (heartburn).

Coffee acidifies the body, which when combined with the inflammatory effects of stress interferes with the immune system and the bodys ability to heal.

Coffee is especially bad for children, developing fetuses, and nursing babies. Pregnant women should completely avoid caffeine and other stimulants as much as possible. Drinking coffee regularly in pregnancy can cause miscarriages, premature birth, and low birth weight babies.

The Ugly

Long-term coffee consumption can lead to mineral loss and osteoporosis. Coffee interferes with the bodys ability to absorb nutrients, especially minerals like iron and magnesium. Calcium absorption is also affected, which weakens bones.

The most dangerous aspect of coffee is its addictive nature. Over time people develop a dependency on coffee, and find it more challenging to be mentally alert and focused without it. Cutting out caffeine when one is addicted can cause headaches, nausea, extreme fatigue, and mental fogginess. Higher brain functions become inaccessible without the coffee when one has become dependant on it.

Thankfully, there are many alternatives to coffee that can give you plenty of energy while supporting your long-term health. The most obvious is to get enough sleep every night. Drink plenty of water each day, and add lemon juice to help alkalinize the body. Teeccino and other nourishing coffee substitutes with herbs like chicory and ashwagandha can ease the withdrawal.

While it is not all bad, coffee has some dangerous potential side effects and should be treated like any other drug. If you are going to drink coffee, enjoy it occasionally as a treat, not as a daily staple.