Wake Up And Smell The Coffee

Savour your morning cup of coffee – the benefits far outweigh the risks.

- Nicky Pellegrino

For many of us, a day hasn’t properly started until we’ve had our first cup of coffee. However, many think of caffeine as an addictive substance. Many integrative health practitioners view it as a toxin that ought to be eliminated from diets. They argue that it is nutrient-depleting, promotes inflammation and contributes to everything from mood disorders to poor digestive health.

In April, pregnant women were warned off coffee altogether by Norwegian researchers who linked consumption of medium to high levels of caffeine during pregnancy with infant weight gain. This led to numerous clickbait newspaper headlines, but it hasn’t resulted in changes to existing guidelines.

Why? A major limitation of the study is that it failed to adjust for bottle-feeding or breastfeeding, which can affect growth rates, says Tom Sanders, professor of nutrition and dietetics at King’s College London. “Also, the women with the highest caffeine intakes were older, more likely to be poorly educated or obese prior to pregnancy, and to smoke during pregnancy.” Pregnant women are still advised to limit their caffeine intake to two small cups a day, but for healthy, non-pregnant adults, drinking moderate amounts of coffee can be good.