Coffee: good, bad or ugly?

Janet Marshall, naturopath from Elevate Performance & Health Centre, spills the beans on our coffee obsession.

As a general rule, caffeine is not perceived as healthy and is something that is typically limited or avoided. It's true that caffeine should be avoided by pregnant women as it can cause complications in pregnancy. But there appears to be instances where coffee may be of therapeutic benefit!

The good

• Natural sources of caffeine include tea, coffee, and chocolate. These whole caffeinated foods can be highly beneficial and provide multiple nutrients and antioxidants.
• Research has shown that both whole cocoa beans and coffee have remarkable brain-protective properties. Emerging evidence suggest that South American societies who drink freshly ground coffee from whole coffee beans have the lowest rates of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.
• Coffee increases your metabolism by up to 20 percent, according to research. Plus it can such as trigger mechanisms that rejuvenate your muscle tissue.
• According to one study, consuming the equivalent of two cups of coffee an hour before exercise can also help reduce post-work-out muscle soreness by up to 48 percent. Before exercise, coffee will stimulate energy production and fat burning.
• Caffeine causes glutamate re-uptake inhibition in your brain. This means it inhibits the cellular re-uptake of glutamate (a neurotransmitter that excites the brain) — keeping you alert and ready for action.

The bad

• Isolated caffeine does not confer any of the health benefits of the whole coffee bean and can be toxic.
• Drying and roasting of coffee beans negatively impacts the health benefits. You can detect the quality of the coffee by taste and smell — rancidity can be detected immediately. A coffee that doesn't have a good aroma or taste is most likely stale and useless.
• Drink your coffee black, without sugar. Add sugar and you'll certainly ruin any of the benefits by elevating your insulin and causing insulin resistance.
• Coffee is an acid-forming substance in your body. Over acidification of your body causes muscle and bone wasting, and increased vulnerability to degenerative disease. So if you drink coffee, make sure your intake of raw fruits and vegetables is high as these are alkaline foods that counteract the acidity of coffee.
• Coffee, similar to exercise, actually inhibits the inherent mechanism that builds your muscle. You do not build muscle while exercising  muscle building occurs afterwards.
• After exercise, it's the wrong time for having coffee — that's the time for a recovery meal, containing good quality protein.

The ugly

• Most coffee produced today is heavily contaminated with pesticides. It's one of the most heavily sprayed crops grown. It's best to buy organic, pesticide-free coffee.
• The rate of rancidity of coffee increases dramatically once the beans have been ground. While you will still get the caffeine, this won't provide you with healthful nutritional antioxidants.
• Coffee is a potent substance, and can affect your adrenal glands. If you have decreased adrenal function, drink coffee with care.
• If you use a "drip" coffee maker, be sure to use non-bleached filters. The bright white ones, which most people use, are chlorine bleached and some of this chlorine will be extracted from the filter during the brewing process.
• Also be careful about the container you use. Avoid plastic cups as the BPA from the plastic will migrate into your blood. Avoid the use of styrofoam cups as that will leach polystyrene molecules. Use glass and ceramic mugs.