I have an addiction - to coffee. I am often way to jittery for a 18 year old. However, on long school days, coffee really helps me. Coffee gives me a little jolt of energy, especially on an empty stomach. Along with the energy, coffee does have a lot of benefits. To be clear, I am not talking about the caramel macchiato from Starbucks. Although that is good for your soul, it is not really good for your body. I’m talking about the real coffee, black with a lil’ splash of almond milk (or black if you dare).

(If you want flavor in your coffee, I love to put a little Cinnamon, Cocoa Powder, Vanilla Extract or Protein Powder in my coffee.)

Within a certain amount… coffee is good for you. Me personally, I can not live without it. My mom and my friends all know, if I do not have coffee in my system… I am not a happy camper.

But believe it or not… I have to be doing something right with my addiction.

Caffeine is currently the most common drug. It is found in coffee, tea, chocolate, and sodas. But does not have any nutritional value. Except, it is a nervous stimulant, meaning it makes you more alert and energetic.

A cup of coffee contains about 1.8 grams of fiber, according to Keatley MNT, an in-office and telehealth medical nutrition therapy. That 1.8 grams of fiber helps you stay fuller for longer, and decreases risk of cancer as well.

I love coffee because I get happier, and more attentive. Coffee contributes to positive effects on your brain; including memory, reaction times, and mood. I do not take any pre-workout drinks, and coffee is pretty much my equivalent. Caffeinated coffee as been proven to increase performance during everyday activities as well as workouts.

With positive effects, you may have negative effects as well, when drinking too much, you may not be able to sleep, get extra gassy, and start to go to the bathroom more than usual. Your heart rate and blood pressure will increase as well. So if you have high heart rate or blood pressure to begin with, I suggest cutting your caffeine intake.

Your caffeine intake stays in your system for about an hour to six hours.

How many cups of coffee should you drink a day? We know too much of anything is not good. The suggested maximum amount of coffee is 3 to 4 cups a day. LOL I drink about ten. Not good.

But, I am not damaging my body as much as you think. Overtime, drinking coffee contributes to your long term health, by decreasing your risk in Parkinson’s disease, Diabetes, and Liver Disease. According to the JAMA Internal Medicine, people who intaked one cup of coffee per day had an 8 percent decreased risk of dying at an earlier age, as people who drank 6-7 cups of coffee per day had about a 16 percent lower risk.

Each person is different, however. My mom can not drink one cup of coffee or else she shakes. However, I drink 10. So when you say 3-4 cups, who are you referring too? To be safe, we can say no more than five, but the real answer, is listen to your body.

I do drink a lot of coffee, however, I have no negative effects until I do not drink coffee for a long period of time.

The short-term benefit of caffeine sometimes contributes to anxiety, and when the effects of coffee wear off, withdrawal symptoms tend to worsen. You start to feel tired and get headaches as well as low mood and problems concentrating.

If you are trying to break up with coffee, try drinking less, or drink tea. Right now, my body is fully dependant on my coffee intake. So by lowering your caffeine intake gradually, you will be able to minimize the negative effects of withdrawing.