- Morning Coffee Effects on Health
- Benefits and Drawbacks of Coffee Consumption
Sipping on coffee every day can affect your health, including your cholesterol, heart, gut, mood, appetite and more. Coffee contains antioxidants. The average American drinks over 3 cups of coffee per day.
Experts warn that coffee should not be consumed first thing in the morning as it can increase cortisol levels and disrupt sleep. Indeed, drinking coffee on an empty stomach right after waking up can interfere with cortisol levels and leave you feeling more tired later.
Healthy Alternatives to Coffee
Among healthy alternatives to drinking coffee every morning are herbal teas, kombucha, and green smoothies. Herbal teas contain antioxidants and can boost energy without caffeine side effects. Kombucha contains probiotics and supports digestion and immunity.
Caffeine Consumption
Caffeine from coffee can increase cortisol levels. Consuming too much caffeine can lead to anxiety, heart palpitations and exacerbated panic attacks. If you are sensitive to caffeine, you may want to avoid coffee altogether as it can disrupt sleep.
When you drink coffee every morning, you may be extending your life; improving your mood; increasing your alertness and focus; getting vitamins; warding off depression, type 2 diabetes, and dementia; helping your liver; and lowering your risks for Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease, and some cancers.
Best Time to Drink Coffee
The body’s natural cortisol levels are at their highest when you wake up in the morning. In terms of alertness, it would be best to drink coffee 1-1.5 hours after waking up. The body’s own cortisol production then has time to stabilize, and coffee has a stimulating effect.