A guide to drinking coffee

It's a well known fact that coffee isn't for everyone. As caffeine is a stimulant it can trigger feelings of anxiety, increase cortisol levels (stress hormone) and place strain on our adrenal glands (walnut sized glands that sit above our kidneys responsible for secreting hormones).

However, many people love their daily cup of liquid gold. It is just the best thing ever. So the good news is, in some cases if you implement some of these strategies you can have your daily dose and feel good doing so. Here's how to drink coffee and not dysregulate your nervous system & hormones.

1. Eat food first

Eating food first helps with blood sugar regulation and cortisol regulation, aswell as protecting gut health. So first in regard to cortisol, this is our main stress hormone and it is highest in the morning. Consuming caffeine heightens this, and can potentially lead to a bigger drop throughout the day. Cortisol and insulin (a hormone allowing glucose into cells) is also heightened in this response and having food first can enable blood sugar regulation.

Then in regard to gut health, caffeine has been shown to induce activity of gastric secretions that overstimulation which may increase heartburn and indigestion in some people (1). So consuming food first can protect against this.

2. Become aware of your coffee order

Becoming aware of your coffee order is an essential aspect of nutrition aswell. Ordering black coffee is ideal because there is no added milk, however if you do enjoy milk based it's important to be aware of a couple of things first;

1. Dairy consumption. Some people cannot tolerate dairy due to lactose intolerance, however dairy has also been linked to inflammatory conditions such as acne due to its effect on increasing IGF-1 and insulin in some people (2). However, this is dependant on other factors aswell and if you enjoy a small amount and can tolerate it well, enjoy it.

2. Alternative milks. So, many people opt for dairy alternatives, however they're not too good to be true. Due to poor stability due to heating aswell as the pH (acidity) of the coffee itself, there are many extras added such as processed seed oils and stabilisers to keep the milk stable when texturing. Bonsoy is your best option possible with no numbers of seed oils, and is also high in protein to assist again with blood sugar stabilisation.

Also be mindful of sugar consumption

Refined sugar spikes our blood glucose dramatically, and sweeteners also aren't often ideal because they can lead to insulin resistance through taste receptors believing there if glucose incoming (3). Some poor quality sweeteners and sugar alcohols can trigger IBS and influence poor gut health aswell as sweeteners such as aspartame, are said to contribute to other disease risks (4).

So opt for a lower glycemic index sugar such as coconut sugar or honey, or natural sweetener such as stevia.

3. Enjoy it. Thoroughly.

The good news is, coffee does have some benefits ! It is rich in phenolic acids caffeic acid and chlorogenic acid, which are antioxidants that can protect our cells and prevent diseases such as metabolic syndrome (5). It also potentially might improve cognitive functioning and prevent progression of conditions such as Parkinson's disease (6).

References

1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20070100/

2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35373155/

3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7014832/

4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8227014/

5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8469788/

6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7353179/