Coffee is an incredibly popular drink. It is well-loved and well-known throughout the world. Various studies released in the past few years have boisterously proclaimed that coffee is healthy. However, many of these studies are executed haphazardly or lack definitive evidence.

Unfortunately, there are several aspects of coffee that are proven to be detrimental to your health. To save your health and preserve your coffee devotion, there are several steps you can take to minimize any negative complications.

Dangers of Coffee

• The caffeine present in coffee increases catecholamines. Catecholamines increase your stress hormones.
• The caffeine present in coffee decreases insulin sensitivity. This puts you at risk for high blood sugar.
• Coffee has a high acidity. This can cause indigestion, heartburn, etc.
• Caffeine is addictive and any reliance upon it can make it difficult for your body to rely on its own energy sources.
• Coffee drinkers usually need to visit the restroom more frequently. Elevated urinary excretion can result in issues maintaining appropriate mineral levels within the body.

1) Use a Non-dairy Creamer

Many coffee lovers add milk or some type of dairy-based creamer to their drink. This is not always a healthy choice. Many creamers are high in calories and contain a staggering amount of sugar. Milk is often considered healthy due to its calcium content but is very high in calories and potassium. This is harmful to individuals who are trying to lose weight or suffer from low blood pressure. Using an alternative, nondairy creamer, such as an almond milk creamer or a coconut milk creamer, can make your coffee just a bit healthier.

2) Drink Decaf Coffee

Caffeine only makes up about two percent of a single coffee bean, but can still be destructive even in small quantities. Decaf coffee is a great alternative for those that want to avoid caffeine. Though still containing minimal levels of caffeine, decaf coffee retains much of the unique flavor that regular coffee roasts are known for.

3) Don’t Add Sugar

The amount of sugar added to some store-bought, blended coffee drinks is shocking. One of the best things you can do for your health is to pay attention to the amount of sugar in a coffee drink before you buy it. Whether you’re in a grocery store or restaurant, there is usually nutritional information available. Learning how to read and understand a nutritional label is a useful skill. This skill can prevent you from unknowingly drinking vast quantities of sugar and, subsequently, suffering from health complications. Additionally, curbing the amount of sugar you choose to add to your coffee at home is equally beneficial.

4) Get Your Coffee Without Whipped Cream

With the rapid growth of coffee shops, many people are choosing to order coffee instead of making it at home. Many of these coffee shops insist on adding whipped cream to a variety of drinks. Whipped cream is unhealthy and packed with calories, sugar, preservatives, etc. Your body will be forever grateful if you actively opt out of whipped cream every time you order a coffee drink.

5) Restrict Your Intake to Once a Day

Coffee is a cultural norm that can be seen all over the world. There are few people who won’t try coffee at least once in their lives. However, some people choose to drink coffee too often. This constant intake of caffeine, sugar, and other additives is extremely harmful to a body and overall health. Occasional coffee drinking is much less harmful than drinking coffee multiple times a day. Restricting your coffee intake to once a day or less is important when trying to mitigate the negative effects of coffee drinking.

Coffee is one of the world’s most popular beverages. Coffee beans are used to create a variety of coffee drinks. However, few of these coffee drinks are healthy. Many contain high levels caffeine, sugar, additives, and various preservatives. To reduce these unhealthy aspects of coffee you should restrict your coffee intake to one cup a day, avoid dairy creamers, avoid added sugars, restrain from adding whipped cream, and consider drinking decaffeinated coffee instead of caffeinated. These simple steps will help you avoid any potential negative health consequences, while still allowing you to experience the delicious taste of coffee.