Is coffee good or bad for us?

Coffee has some health benefits for many people. Coffee can protect against type II diabetes, Parkinson's disease, liver disease, liver cancer, and can promote a healthy heart. It can improve energy and physical performance. It has several essential nutrients - riboflavin, pantothenic acid, potassium, manganese, magnesium, and niacin, can protect from Alzheimers disease and dementia, can help fight depression and help you feel happier, and can help you live longer. It is the biggest source of antioxidants in the typical western diet.

However, for some people it can cause a slight increase in blood pressure, and for some people it can cause digestive discomfort. If you add cream and sugar it adds a lot of unnecessary calories to your diet. For some people it can disrupt sleep and promote anxiety. It can increase the excretion of some important minerals in your urine and so could cause an electrolyte imbalance. It can negatively affect the absorption of some important medications such as thyroid hormone and antidepressants. It can stain your teeth and it can make you jittery.

Bottom line is that you have to decide. The FDA says that about 400 mg per day of caffeine (that's about four small cups of coffee - 8 ounces) is a safe amount of caffeine for healthy adults. But too much caffeine—500 to 600 mg—can be dangerous, causing restlessness, tremors, irritability, insomnia and stomach upset.