[Vinny G]

Ok so ever since I started my full-time office job (I'm fresh out of university) I've been drinking a coffee every work day... never realized how hard it is to stay awake when you sit in front of a computer all day and do nothing active. I don't think I'm addicted to it yet cause I don't really have any urge to drink coffee on weekends.

Anyways, I was wondering how bad is it really for your health to be drinking a cup of coffee everyday? I usually drink a medium double double from Tim Hortons (really weak coffee) and occasionally go to starbucks. I'm thinking the sugar content is probably the worst part in it. I googled some stuff and found a lot of articles saying that coffee can actually be good for you (although I'm skeptical). Any thoughts?

edit: also want to make it clear that i'm mainly concerned with the detriments to health, not benefits.

[sonick]

SOoooo much sugar and fat in a double double. I would be more concerned about the sugar than the caffiene content.

Articles saying coffee is good is moreso the effect of caffiene and any potential antioxidants in coffee. There is nothing beneficial about drinking two shots of cream and sugar daily.

Learn to drink it black if you are that concerned.

[Vinny G]

that's what i figured. i will most likely tone down the amount of sugar and cream from now on, especially since i'm drinking it almost daily now (compared to once or twice a week in university).

[TOS'd]

The only coffee that could be good for you has got to be straight black no cream or sugar. None of that extra sweetener stuff.

I used to drink coffee everyday during school. But I stopped because I was at the point where it no longer did anything for me. Now I rarely drink coffee, maybe once every two weeks if I'm lucky.
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[waddy41]

If you don't like dark coffee, I'd add milk or cream. I would definitely avoid sugar

[StealthFighter]

can probably be good in small doses. just be wary of your teeth becoming stained.

if you gotta use sugar, use honey.

[Phil@rise]

An ounce of coffee cream and a table spoon of sugar daily isn't gonna turn you into Jabba the hut. Remember caffeine raises your metabolism and helps burn off that guilty pleasure.
Now if you were drinking multiples of that, that would be cause for worry. Do you drink soft drinks daily, eat fast food or have a breakfast sandwich every morning with your double double. If your answer is yes to any of that and if your really worried about your health, tone down on some of that. A cushy office job in a seat behind a desk all day is no way of burning those extra calories.

[Marioo1991]

Not drinking with cream/sugar will be better, but a detriment of that is your teeth become more stained. If you go to starbucks, why not try no sugar and non-fat milk?

[Fafine]

try it with just two creams and no sugar.

[waddy41]

that's how i drink it....LOTS OF CREAM and no sugar

coffee and skim milk just tastes bad..the skim milk doesn't add a lot of taste unless you add a lot...

[bcrdukes]

I've been drinking coffee every single day since the day I went to college. At first, I thought I was addicted to it and "needed" that cup in the morning because I was tired.

Nope. I was wrong. I learned that proper eating habits, sleep and good healthy excercise is what helps. You need to figure out that medium where to properly balance your work and personal life. I learned that I didn't "need" that cup of coffee in the morning if/when I slept early or if I went for a walk around the seawalk with my lady friend. I have a cup of coffee simply because I enjoy it and if you didn't know, coffee is best when consumed without cream/milk and/or sugar (aka have it black.) I don't need to have a cup every day. I only drink black coffee now and only occassionaly. If and when I do have coffee, it's alawys in small portions, usually a small cup will do. All the cream and sugar doesn't really help your situation. My great grandmother (who is 97 and super healthy btw) has been drinking French roast coffee (black) every day since she was 16.

[Marioo1991]

I've been drinking coffee every single day since the day I went to college. At first, I thought I was addicted to it and "needed" that cup in the morning because I was tired.

Nope. I was wrong. I learned that proper eating habits, sleep and good healthy excercise is what helps. You need to figure out that medium where to properly balance your work and personal life. I learned that I didn't "need" that cup of coffee in the morning if/when I slept early or if I went for a walk around the seawalk with my lady friend. I have a cup of coffee simply because I enjoy it and if you didn't know, coffee is best when consumed without cream/milk and/or sugar (aka have it black.) I don't need to have a cup every day. I only drink black coffee now and only occassionaly. If and when I do have coffee, it's alawys in small portions, usually a small cup will do. All the cream and sugar doesn't really help your situation. My great grandmother (who is 97 and super healthy btw) has been drinking French roast coffee (black) every day since she was 16.

For most people caffeine is addictive and ppl generally become accustomed to having a certain amount in their system, and can suffer from withdrawl if they go from say, 2 cups a day to none..
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[hirevtuner]

always in moderation, i tend to limit myself at most 2 cups a day and no coffee after 2pm
-coffeemate and little milk and only 1 tsp sugar (or brown sugar, even better option)

[jnesss]

For most people caffeine is addictive and ppl generally become accustomed to having a certain amount in their system, and can suffer from withdrawl if they go from say, 2 cups a day to none..
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in highschool, my science prof told us that without his morning coffee, he'd get headaches.

i have about 2 cups a day, delicious :thumbsup:.

[twitchyzero]

from the dental perspective,

if you're sipping it throughout the day it can be quite detrimental to your teeth.

if you finish it with in the hour then not so much.

[wuuhoo]

I used to have coffee everyday due to school. But I get so jumpy, and my body shakes randomly.

Now i switched over to tea. Less caffiene but it does the job. I am afraid im addicted to tea.. If i dont have it in the morning, i get really cranky.

If you ever meet me, I am constantly holding a cup of tea in my hands. Addicted to badly. =(



btw, straight up black coffee without cream or sugar is the best !!

[SpartanAir]

Or try alternative sweeteners and lighteners. I drink coffee with maple syrup and soy milk. May sound gross to the "Timmy ho" coffee goer, but it actually tastes good. If you buy the right maple syrup, you don't taste any maple flavour, and it's an excellent natural sweetener with vitamins and minerals. And get unsweetened soy milk, I got used to the flavour difference pretty quick; not that bad.

For what it's worth I also only drink decaf. Doc said to cut out caffeine, but i still like the flavour of coffee, and I have it every morning. Helps me wake up too, just having a yummy hot drink.

[Phil@rise]

I used to have coffee everyday due to school. But I get so jumpy, and my body shakes randomly.

Now i switched over to tea. Less caffiene but it does the job. I am afraid im addicted to tea.. If i dont have it in the morning, i get really cranky.

If you ever meet me, I am constantly holding a cup of tea in my hands. Addicted to badly. =(



btw, straight up black coffee without cream or sugar is the best !!

One 20oz coffee makes me shake if I don't eat within a couple hours of drinking it.

[LiquidTurbo]

Try getting off the coffee and getting more sleep + water instead.

[subordinate]

Dang coffee,

I've tried quitting, not successful.

Anyways, Black coffee with honey/maple syrup to sweeten it is good. And drinking water after the coffee is a good way to reduce the staining of the teeth.

I say, enjoy coffee.

[wuuhoo]

Try getting off the coffee and getting more sleep + water instead.

hmm would be a good idea. But after getting used to drinking coffee every morning, you probably just drink it for fun. Like a habit, even if you dont need it

[Amaru]

Of all the vices you could possible choose, coffee is probably one of the least harmful. Everything I have read suggests that a cup or two every day will have no negative health effects. If you enjoy it, and if it keeps you awake and more productive, then why not indulge? Just don't drink it within 6 hours of bedtime if you have any trouble sleeping (ie. last cup of the day should be no later than mid-afternoon).

Contrary to popular belief, btw, coffee itself does not dehydrate you (nor does diet soda, for that matter). Caffeine is a diuretic, so it makes you pee more... but coffee is also 99% water, so the diuretic affect is mostly offset by the water intake. Of course I'm not suggesting it is a replacement for water, but it is mostly sodium-free and won't actively dehydrate you the way alcohol or a sodium-filled snack would. Still, plenty of water is always a good plan.

When I drink coffee, I have found that homo milk is sufficient in place of cream, while anything with less fat (ie. 2% milk or lower) is too watery. Frankly, I find it hilarious when people use skim or low-fat milk in their coffee for weight loss reasons. When you're talking about a couple of tablespoons of milk, the difference between homo and skim is miniscule. It's hardly worth ruining your daily coffee just to avoid a half gram of fat. (Usually, the people that put skim milk in their coffee because it's "fat-free" are the same people whose "afternoon snack" includes thick slices of cheese and sodium-packed table crackers. Pretty laughable how ignorant most people are when it comes to fat/calorie content.)

Anyway, I digress... when it comes to my daily coffee(s), I've long since cut out sugar... mostly because I can't taste the difference. Most people can't.

In fact, if you know someone who swears they need sugar in their coffee to enjoy it, challenge them to a taste test: Ask them to leave the room while you pour two small cups of coffee from the same pot. Add identical amounts of cream to each cup, but don't put any sugar in either cup. When the person returns to the room, tell them one cup has sugar in it and the other does not. Ask them to take a sip of both and identify the one that contains sugar. I guarantee you they'll choose one of the cups and claim - with great certainty - that it's the one with sugar in it. They'll feel like a moron when you tell them neither cup contains sugar, and probably won't ever put sugar in their coffee again...

[StealthFighter]

I've been drinking coffee every single day since the day I went to college. At first, I thought I was addicted to it and "needed" that cup in the morning because I was tired.

Nope. I was wrong. I learned that proper eating habits, sleep and good healthy excercise is what helps. You need to figure out that medium where to properly balance your work and personal life. I learned that I didn't "need" that cup of coffee in the morning if/when I slept early or if I went for a walk around the seawalk with my lady friend. I have a cup of coffee simply because I enjoy it and if you didn't know, coffee is best when consumed without cream/milk and/or sugar (aka have it black.) I don't need to have a cup every day. I only drink black coffee now and only occassionaly. If and when I do have coffee, it's alawys in small portions, usually a small cup will do. All the cream and sugar doesn't really help your situation. My great grandmother (who is 97 and super healthy btw) has been drinking French roast coffee (black) every day since she was 16.

+1. i don't need coffee ever since i've been getting 8 hours of sleep most of the time, eating properly and a lot of exercise.

Dang coffee,

I've tried quitting, not successful.

Anyways, Black coffee with honey/maple syrup to sweeten it is good. And drinking water after the coffee is a good way to reduce the staining of the teeth.

I say, enjoy coffee.

how is it enjoying it, when you're gulping down 4 cups a day? pal. you caffeine addict.

[Amaru]

how is it enjoying it, when you're gulping down 4 cups a day? pal. you caffeine addict.

Contrary to popular opinion it's normal to enjoy something you're addicted to. Just ask smokers who choose not to quit. Or coffee drinkers who enjoy the buzz they get from each cup.

Four is at the high end of "reasonable", but it's still probably not harmful if you're talking about small coffee mugs. If you're hammering back 4 Venti coffees from Starbucks, that might be a different story.

I like caffeine very much.

[quasi]

I've been drinking it pretty much everyday since I was 9 or 10 years old, I'm 34 now. I drink a cup in the morning and a cup at night after dinner. I'll have a cup during the day a couple times a week as well.

Personally the enjoyment of drinking it far outweighs any health negatives. There are a lot of things that aren't great for you but coffee with cream and a bit of sugar has to be pretty far down the list. I don't smoke, I drink alcohol maybe 3 or 4 times a year so in the grand scheme of things I can't really see it being that bad.

[hotjoint]

I guess I'm one of the rare people that never drink coffee on a weekday. I may have a cup here or there on the weekend if I'm eating timmy's but I don't depend on it like others.

[kokanee_vtec]

What about black coffee with brown sugar?

[way2quik]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/10202553.stm

An interesting read. I try to drink coffee almost everyday or at least once a week, but I usually just forget. A shame I'm one of the people who is immune to coffee and its effect. Good or bad, drinking four or five cups per day is safe and could be beneficial.

[Alphamale]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/10202553.stm

An interesting read. I try to drink coffee almost everyday or at least once a week, but I usually just forget. A shame I'm one of the people who is immune to coffee and its effect. Good or bad, drinking four or five cups per day is safe and could be beneficial.

He recommended more research, adding: "Coffee when consumed in moderation, four to five cups per day, is safe and may confer certain health benefits, including contributing to your daily fluid intake."

C affine is a diuretic. Unless he's making the bold assumption that people who drink coffee, pee a lot, and thus drink more water...all I gotta say to this guy is :troll:

[sunny_j]

Of all the vices you could possible choose, coffee is probably one of the least harmful. Everything I have read suggests that a cup or two every day will have no negative health effects. If you enjoy it, and if it keeps you awake and more productive, then why not indulge? Just don't drink it within 6 hours of bedtime if you have any trouble sleeping (ie. last cup of the day should be no later than mid-afternoon).

Contrary to popular belief, btw, coffee itself does not dehydrate you (nor does diet soda, for that matter). Caffeine is a diuretic, so it makes you pee more... but coffee is also 99% water, so the diuretic affect is mostly offset by the water intake. Of course I'm not suggesting it is a replacement for water, but it is mostly sodium-free and won't actively dehydrate you the way alcohol or a sodium-filled snack would. Still, plenty of water is always a good plan.

When I drink coffee, I have found that homo milk is sufficient in place of cream, while anything with less fat (ie. 2% milk or lower) is too watery. Frankly, I find it hilarious when people use skim or low-fat milk in their coffee for weight loss reasons. When you're talking about a couple of tablespoons of milk, the difference between homo and skim is miniscule. It's hardly worth ruining your daily coffee just to avoid a half gram of fat. (Usually, the people that put skim milk in their coffee because it's "fat-free" are the same people whose "afternoon snack" includes thick slices of cheese and sodium-packed table crackers. Pretty laughable how ignorant most people are when it comes to fat/calorie content.)

Anyway, I digress... when it comes to my daily coffee(s), I've long since cut out sugar... mostly because I can't taste the difference. Most people can't.

In fact, if you know someone who swears they need sugar in their coffee to enjoy it, challenge them to a taste test: Ask them to leave the room while you pour two small cups of coffee from the same pot. Add identical amounts of cream to each cup, but don't put any sugar in either cup. When the person returns to the room, tell them one cup has sugar in it and the other does not. Ask them to take a sip of both and identify the one that contains sugar. I guarantee you they'll choose one of the cups and claim - with great certainty - that it's the one with sugar in it. They'll feel like a moron when you tell them neither cup contains sugar, and probably won't ever put sugar in their coffee again...

i usually get a double double from timmys and today just got 2 creams and it tasted fine without the sugar

[SkippyLang]

http://www.theness.com/neurologicablog/?p=2023

It appears that caffeine doesn't make anyone more alert or energetic than they normally would be. Though, if you've developed a dependency, each precious drop does stave off the numerous ill effects of withdrawal.

[goo3]

^ you mean regular caffeine use.. i'm still jumping off the wall from the two coffees i had earlier

[AzNightmare]

I dunno.. I love coffee.
And sometimes I just drink it because I need something warm in the morning,
and coffee does it.

I find it nearly impossible to get 8 hrs of sleep.
I just find it a waste of time to sleep that long.
I can't get as much done each day if I allocated that much time for sleep.

I use quite a bit of sugar in my coffee. I never had to worry
about my weight since I'm underweight and my metabolism is insane,
in a bad way.

[waddy41]

I find it nearly impossible to get 8 hrs of sleep.
I just find it a waste of time to sleep that long.
I can't get as much done each day if I allocated that much time for sleep.

That is just wrong
You need to rest and repair you mind and body with sleep

[Marioo1991]

I dunno.. I love coffee.
And sometimes I just drink it because I need something warm in the morning,
and coffee does it.

I find it nearly impossible to get 8 hrs of sleep.
I just find it a waste of time to sleep that long.
I can't get as much done each day if I allocated that much time for sleep.

I use quite a bit of sugar in my coffee. I never had to worry
about my weight since I'm underweight and my metabolism is insane,
in a bad way.

how much coffee do you drink?

If you're finding it impossible to get 8 hrs of sleep and having an insane metabolism, maybe you're drinking too much