According to researchers at the University of Scranton – in a study released in August 2005 – coffee is the No. 1 source of antioxidants in the American diet.  It seems that both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee appear to provide similar amounts of antioxidants.

Some experts believe that coffee is bad for your health because it can lead to heart disease, hypertension, cancer and addiction.  Other experts believe that coffee is a wonderful antioxidant, which can improve or repair cells in our bodies and can lower our bad cholesterol.

We researched countless studies as to whether or not coffee was good for you.  Most of these medical or scientific studies contradicted each other.  There is no overwhelming consensus whether or not it is good for us. 

What we do know about coffee is that chemicals and carcinogens occur naturally in the making of coffee.  They include acetaldehyde, acetic acid, acetone, atractylosides, butanol, cafestol, palmitate, chlorogenic acid, dimethyl sulfide, furan, furfural, guaiacol, hydrogen sulfide, isoprene, methyl, glyoxal, propionaldehyde, pyridine, and 1-3-7-trimethylxanthine.

Coffee:

Pros

• Coffee has antioxidants, which prevent free radicals from causing cell damage
• Coffee appears to reduce the risk of diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, heart, and diabetes, and may also reduce asthma attacks

Cons

• Coffee can cause a temporary increase in the stiffening of arterial walls
• Coffee can lead to a magnesium deficiency

Caffeine:

• Increases dopamine levels
• Sends a message to our brain, which our pituitary gland perceives as an alert, causing our adrenal glands to release adrenaline
• Is a diuretic
• Can make you feel nervous or uneasy
• Promotes headaches

There is a debate between filtered and non-filtered coffee and decaf and caffeinated coffee.  Most of the research is still inconclusive, but what we do know, based on the extensive research already done, is that coffee affects people differently; like everything else, what might be good for you might not be so good for someone else.

If you buy non-organic coffee, there is a good chance that you will also be drinking trace amounts of pesticides and other chemicals.  Consuming coffee moderately does not elevate a person’s risk of developing cancer, because our body detoxifies small doses of these chemicals found in food.  Buy organic coffee if you can.