There seems to be mixed opinion on this online so I'm directing this question to fellow Interlanders. Do you think drinking a cup of coffee every morning is in any way harmful to health, short or long term?
First of all...
I'm not a doctor, I have no idea.
As Cori says, moderation is probably key. Everything in excess will likely do bad things to you, including coffee. Coffee does raise cortisol, the stress hormone, so some will say that's not a good thing. However, exercise does the same, as you're doing it. From what I've read and experienced, coffee, like exercise, can actually give you a both a mental and physical boost if you time it right. Extending those activities for hours at a time will likely drain you, and
potentially harm you, instead of giving you the boost you're aiming for.
There are experts who claim coffee can actually help ward off certain diseases and conditions, such as Parkinson's and cancer. The jury is likely still out on that, however. What is clear, is that coffee is filled with antioxidants...the good things found in fruits and vegetables.
Switching to green tea is something I've made a stab at, without much success. I just prefer coffee, but sometimes I do go in tea-mode...usually when I'm fighting a cold, or reading on a rainy day. Health-wise, I think the evidence leads to green tea being the healthier choice. There are actually clinical studies that point to one of its key ingredients, ECGC, being a potent anti-tumour substance. As well, it contains theanine, which is a natural relaxant. Like coffee, green tea does contain caffeine, but at a much lower level (so my people tell me...different people than GibsonGirl's people.
She could be right, however.) If my people are correct, you'd have to drink about 3 cups of green tea to get the same amount in a large coffee.
My advice: coffee can do wonders, in moderation. Taking 4 or 5 a day probably won't kill you, but it will likely numb the jump-start effect of 1 or 2...your body gets used to it. Also, if you're having trouble sleeping, I'd stop taking it after 5pm, or even earlier. Furthermore, Zoots, look for a good bean...like Arabica. Many of the big chains use the inferior Robusta. Inferior beans just let you down. They're also higher in caffeine. A good Arabica coffee can actually be found at McDonald's...at least that's the case here in Canada.