Did you know there are health benefits of drinking coffee and tea? I drink coffee and tea nearly every day, amongst other things of course, but I’ve noticed there is a lot of discussion going on about coffee addiction and people feeling like they need to give up coffee altogether. Don’t drink coffee? Why?

Why should I give up coffee and tea just because there is caffeine in tea and coffee? I don’t believe I drink too much caffeine type drinks at all, and I don’t experience any of the caffeine withdrawal symptoms or side effects others have been talking about, so what is the problem with coffee?

Almost every morning, the first thing I do is start up the ol coffee maker and enjoy a nice hot cup of coffee or two, and it doesn’t matter one bit if the weather is hot or cold outside. I like hot coffee in the summer months just as much as I like my coffee in the cold winter months, and every cup of coffee I drink tastes good to the very last drop. I don’t need coffee – I want coffee because it tastes good to me.

Why Give Up Coffee?

Sometimes after dinner at night, we will make coffee to drink with dessert like a piece of cake or cookies, and on rare occasions while eating popcorn during movie time. It doesn’t matter to me if the coffee is made by Folgers, Maxwell, 100% Columbian coffee or a generic brand of coffee from the grocery store, but home-brewed coffee is by far the best in my opinion.

Don’t get me started talking about Starbucks coffee or espresso beverages because I don’t like how much it costs to buy a cup of coffee at Starbucks these days, and I haven’t been to a Starbucks in years because of their high prices. Brewing my own pot of coffee at home is just fine for me, plus it’s a heck of a lot cheaper, and that includes the coffee creamer we use.

There are a lot of myths about coffee consumption, to the point where people worry if coffee addiction is a real addiction or not, but I know for a fact that I am not addicted to caffeine. No way, no how. If someone could give me some really good reasons to give up coffee, such as drinking coffee is harmful to my health and exactly how caffeine is harmful, I would be more than happy to consider switching to decaf but that’s about it.

If you have been wondering if you should give up your favorite latte or coffee grande at the local coffee shop, or give up tea, join the club. It seems like everyone and their brother is saying that if you drink coffee, you should give it up and start drinking non-caffeinated beverages. That means giving up caffeine foods and beverages like sodas, tea, coffee, Dannon’s coffee yogurt, chocolate and sports drinks. Give up chocolate?!

Health Benefits of Coffee, Tea and Caffeine

Do you know how much caffeine is in a cup of coffee? An 8 oz cup of plain, brewed coffee has 95 mgs of caffeine, compared to a 16 oz cup of Starbucks Coffee Grande with 330 mgs of caffeine, but I’m sure health experts agree that the amount of caffeine in coffee and tea depends on the size of the cup and other factors. Myths about coffee include such things as drinking coffee is bad for your health. While it may be true that the caffeine content of coffee may have adverse effects on some people, there are many health benefits of coffee that make drinking coffee good for you.

At least six research studies have found that coffee drinkers are less likely to develop type 2 diabetes due to antioxidants and chlorogenic acid in coffee. Coffee drinkers are 80% less likely to develop Parkinson’s Disease or liver cirrhosis, and 25% less likely to be diagnosed with colon cancer. Three of those studies found the more coffee you drink, the better health benefits received. People who smoke and are heavy drinkers have less heart disease and liver damage when they regularly consume large amounts of coffee compared to those who don’t. There is also evidence that coffee can help prevent cavities, lift moods, cure headaches, and even stop asthma attacks!

I have also read that people can develop caffeine tolerance, where regular coffee drinkers like myself might not experience withdrawal symptoms like headache, irritability, drowsiness, insomnia, inability to concentrate, nervousness, anxiety, heart palpitations, and like symptoms defined as caffeine intoxication. It figures – the caffeine myths vs. facts about caffeine, coffee and tea just won’t quit. Excuse me while I go pour another cup of coffee from the fresh pot I just brewed with our brand new coffee maker, because the smell those delicious coffee beans are calling my name. “Oh, Grandma!!…..coffee is ready!”

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