I am a Coffeeholic! Isn’t Coffee (Caffeine) bad for you?


I love coffee. Drink it everyday here in Malaysia. Whether its Nescafe or Starbucks or kopitiam, there’s nothing like a freshly brewed cup of coffee with extra milk (low fat), a little gula and sometimes a hint of cinnamon and cocoa. Aaaah yes…its good!

Is coffee bad for you?

Following a typical discussion I have with people about coffee:
Person A: “Kevin, you drink coffee?”
Me: “Oh yeah….am a coffeeholic. At least two cups per day.”
Person A: “Isn’t coffee bad for you”
Me: “Hmmm….Why? Whats wrong with coffee?”
Person A: “errrr….it has caffeine. Like daaaa”
Me: “Yeah but whats wrong with caffeine?”
Person A: “errr…..I dunno”

…Consumers (you included) rarely know why coffee is bad for you. …

Well the point here is that more often than not, consumers (you included) rarely know why coffee is bad for you. So what is the problem or issue with caffeine. Afterall, its not only in coffee, but in teas, softdrinks etc.

Coffee: The Good and the bad

Ok lets break it down. I’ll share with you tentang kebaikan dan keburukan copi kesayangan kita :)

The Good! Lets start with the “good” things about coffee:(caffeine)

  • It tastes awesome! Well, probably a personal opinion here.
  • Keeps your awake. Its a stimulant.
  • Its a great source for antioxidants.
  • Used as a fat burning ingredient in most, if not all, thermo based supplements.
  • Coffee has a mild diuretic effect. means more trips to the bathroom.
  • Can increase your mental performance and ability to focus
The Bad! Now to the bad side of coffee:

  • Can cause irritable Bowel Syndrome.
  • It is a stimulant so obviously there are short term side effects such as restlessness, insomnia etc.
  • In the long term, coffee has been linked to Osteoporosis
  • Coffee is diuretic. Hence can increase dehydration.
  • Coffee is not addictive but can cause caffeine withdrawal syndrome (headaches, lethargy etc)
About Kevin Zahri :

I am a US certified personal trainer and nutritionist with over 10 years experience. Over the years, I have published over 10 books, written for Men's Health, other fitness and lifestyle magazines, hosted TV shows and appeared on various TV shows, programs and magazines. I am also an avid corporate wellness speaker and web entrepreneur. More about me here or follow me on Facebook or Twitter.

  • arch808

    Kev,
    Deviate a little bit. I luuuuv tea. Is drinking too much tea hazardous to our health? I drank like 3 cups of tea per day on average. Nothing special, just a normal everyday black tea (like Lipton yellow label tea).

  • http://kevinzahri.com kevin

    arch – well tea contains caffeine as well but typically less than coffee. I don’t think 3 cups per day is hazardous to your health. The susu pekat manis is more “harzardous” :D

  • dr smart

    hmm..
    kinda medical doc!!
    u r correct when listing down those good and bad features of coffee…..
    but yet,i reckon that u’ve shown that it’s more to negative side….
    huhu…juz commenting….great job!!

  • feez

    kev,

    how bout creamer? how bad is bad? :P

  • http://kevinzahri.com kevin

    feez – well cream is fat. fat or obesity is much more dangerous than coffee.

    dr smart – well yeah..i would say there are obvious negative effects…but what i feel is important is that we understand them. So that if you still decide to minum (like I do hahah), at least you know the pro n cons.

  • http://www.syafiqueshuib.com Syafique

    I prefer tea then coffee but sometimes it gives me headache!! don’t know y!

    great article. learnt something new about coffee!!

    =)

  • http://kevinzahri.com kevin

    did you guys know that coffee is calorie free!
    a cup of “kopi-kosong” has ZERO CALORIES :) Same goes for teh-kosong. So when you go to coffeebean or starbucks its the cream, sugar, chocolate etc that makes up all the calories.

  • http://www.syukspunyastyle.blogspot.com Syukur

    do you know that coffee can precipitate arrythmias like SVT’s ? I am a coffee-holics..quite a number of doctors are coffee-holics to make them awake during their night duty..mmmmm

  • Nad

    Hi Kevin,
    Thanks for the post.. =)
    I was once a coffee addict then I swerved to tea.. but i dont think tea works for me..
    N now, to gradually cut my coffee consumption, i only order tall sized low fat latte (no flavoured syrup and no sugar)dlm 3-4 times per week..part of bfast..
    Any good kevin?

  • RUGA

    Kev, I am addicted to coffee, really that part about
    ostoeporosis(right spelling?)scares me lah. Why must something so good be bad ya? You are such a health freak but lose out to coffee.hahaha.
    Like you said we only have one life…so live it up ya, no one is healthily perfect, so have a cuppa..
    yawn…i am so sleepy now, should i make kopi secewann??? hehe

  • Argentine_coffeeholic

    Hi, Kev. I am addicted to coffee, I love it more than anything, I can’t live without it. I’ve even stolen money from my mother sometimes to buy coffee. Is that so bad?? I mean I know stealing is bad but.. I don’t know.. Sometimes I’d do anything just to get some coffee.

  • Kayne

    Salam to you Kev..
    I found this article while browsing some website.

    Decaf do contain caffeine

    “My caffeine investigation found that decaf varieties contain between 8 and 32 milligrams of high-octane zip, depending on the cup size. Although this is significantly less than regular Joe (a typical 8-ounce cup provides 100-150 milligrams of caffeine), even a small amount may matter to caffeine-sensitive people. My advice: If you struggle with insomnia, stick with caffeine-free herbal tea starting late afternoon”

    Hope you are surviving this puasa, do take care ya.
    Have a nice day!

  • Munk_Son

    Save water, drink coffee!

  • aco

    coffee is great, but it stain teeth…
    is it?????

  • http://kevinzahri.com kevin

    yes tell me bout it ….. i did teeth whitenin not too long ago … painful experience I must say.

  • http://www.herbaljunky.com JACOB

    This is my first visit here, thanks

  • rozie

    Hi Kev..

    It is said that coffee alone (without sugar n milk/creamer etc) is 0 calorie, right..?

    but how come when i check at the nutrition facts behind each coffee packages, they say it has between 30-40 calories..? even the loose coffee, not the sachets one.. the sachets even when they say "kopi O tanpa gula" has about 32 calories..

    Is it because they processed it with margarine n sugar as according to the ingredients..? so where do i find this 0 calorie coffee..? do i need to buy the beans n ground it myself..?

    thanks kev..

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  • http://twitter.com/iamRazzee @iamRazzee

    coffee is not bad after all. unless u drink it more than usual. be moderate.

    • http://kevinzahri.com/blog/ Kevin Zahri

      well said!

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