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For most people it’s a daily fix, for some an outright obsession. And for others (like my husband Andy) he couldn’t care less for the dark stuff. He does lovingly drive me to the coffee shop as our first port of call whenever we have a day off together – and for that I am grateful.

But if you’re like me and thoroughly enjoy your daily espresso then you’ll be pleased to know that the scientific evidence around coffee tends to swing towards the health benefits. (YAY!)

Drinking coffee has been linked to

  • Lowered risk of all cause mortality (dying from anything)
  • Reduced risk of Parkinson’s disease, some cancers including breast cancer, depression and cardiovascular disease
  • Increased HDL cholesterol (“good” cholesterol) and reduced risk of stroke (up to 20% in fact!)
  • Less risk of type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome

The problems with drinking coffee seem to be related to caffeine. Did you know that there is a gene that dictates how we metabolise caffeine? And that up to 50% of the population has a variant in that gene? That means that there is every chance that if you seem to feel the effects of caffeine far more than other people do, it could be down to your genetics.

It’s important to pay attention to that because the people that metabolise caffeine slowly seem to have a slightly higher risk of heart disease, high blood pressure and high blood sugar.

And then there’s pregnancy. This is another time to be cautious as “high consumption” of coffee has been linked to an increased risk for pre-term and low birth weight babies. Australian guidelines recommend a maximum of 200mg caffeine per day, so about one cup or espresso or two cups of instant coffee.

So if you seem to be hyper-sensitive to the effects of coffee, chances are you might be and avoiding it may be your best bet. Watch your intake if you’re pregnant, tend to be an anxious, jittery person or have trouble sleeping. Otherwise you can now truly appreciate your daily cuppa as another part of your healthy diet.

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Kelly Moriarty is an online health & nutrition coach and founder of The Green Body Plan.

After 5 years as a veterinarian Kelly was unhealthy, stressed out and generally dissatisfied.

She now helps professional women make the same changes she did to beat burn out, lose weight, recover their energy and take back control of their health naturally. 

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