Coffee might be better for you than you think

To my fellow sleep-deprived students who walk around school half-asleep and drink coffee like it’s a path to salvation, you’ll be glad to know that your favorite drink isn’t actually as unhealthy as your early-bird friends like to tell you. In fact, as long as you hold off on the spoonfuls of sugar that help the caffeine go down, coffee can actually be quite healthy.

According to some studies, coffee can help prevent Type II Diabetes and Parkinson’s disease, and it can even work as an antidepressant. Emerging studies show common trends that people who drink two 8 oz cups of coffee a day have a lower risk of developing heart failure or liver cancer.

Why does coffee have such a bad reputation, in the first place? This was largely due to a study published in the 1980s that connected coffee to pancreatic cancer. However, according to the American Cancer Society, recent studies do not support the findings of the 1980s study, and many often draw opposite conclusions.

This is not to say that any of these studies are definitive. While coffee is associated with these positive trends, there is no substantial evidence to demonstrate that coffee is the direct cause. New studies on coffee and its effects on the body are still developing, and many scientists only have a vague idea of what qualities of coffee are potentially beneficial.

But before you go crazy and down four Grandes of your favorite Starbucks drink, it is important to remember that everyone’s body is different. It is possible for some people to have very negative reactions to coffee.

While some are highly energized by coffee, others become jittery or have upset stomachs. Some people break down caffeine very slowly and this is commonly associated with a higher risk of heart disease and high blood pressure.

Also, coffee has sometimes been shown to heighten the effects of high blood pressure, digestive disorders, and anxiety disorders. Common side effects of people who react negatively to coffee include heartburn, headaches, insomnia, and palpitations. No one knows your body better than you do. If you feel sick every time you drink coffee, listen to your body and stop drinking it, no matter how trendy you think you look with your new Anthropologie mug.

The bottom line is, as long as coffee makes you feel good when you drink it, there is no real harm in indulging in it daily .

Information for this article was taken from: CNN, The Atlantic, and TIME