Coffee's Effect On Mental Wellbeing Depends On You
So, depending on how your body works, coffee can make anxiety worse, improve your mental performance and energy, or do a combination of these things. The key is to evaluate the overall effect it has on you and make a call about whether it’s right for you.
The Science
Lu, S. (2015). Too much coffee? American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/gradpsych/2015/11/coffee
Queensland Government (2019, July 2). Does coffee really give you more energy? Queensland Health. https://www.health.qld.gov.au/news-events/news/coffee-caffeine-energy
Research on coffee (now outdated and just wrong) used to say that coffee was responsible for stunting growth and causing heart disease! More up to date research shows that coffee actually may have health benefits.
Coffee and Health
Cancer – recently a review of more than 1,000 studies published by the World Health Organisation’s International Agency for Research on Cancer found there was not enough evidence to show that drinking coffee causes cancer.
Type 2 Diabetes – long-term studies show that people who regularly drink coffee have a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared with non-coffee drinkers.
Heart Disease – evidence suggests that drinking coffee regularly may lower the risk for heart disease and stroke. One major study demonstrated drinking 4 or more cups of coffee daily was associated with a 20% lower risk of stroke compared with non-drinkers. There was no association with other caffeinated drinks such as tea or soda which suggests that coffee-specific components may be health protective.
Don’t drink your calories!
Coffee is low in calories when taken black – 8 ounces (one cup) only has 2 calories. But add sugar, cream and/or milk and your low-calorie drink can quickly become a meal. The worst ‘coffee’ choices in terms of high calories are the ones that contain syrup, cream, and milk and sugar.
The bottom line:
There is a large amount of evidence demonstrating that coffee does not increase the risk of heart disease or cancer. Furthermore, 3-5 cups of coffee a day has been associated with reduced risk of chronic disease. Some people who have high blood pressure might want to regulate their caffeine intake and others may not be able to tolerate large amounts of coffee which could result in anxiety and/or insomnia.
Women who are pregnant may want to moderate their caffeine intake to 2 cups per day as caffeine may affect the fetus and/or baby's weight. Always consult with your health professional if you have any medical conditions that you are concerned about.
The Science
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/food-features/coffee/
Ding M, Bhupathiraju SN, Chen M, van Dam RM, Hu FB. Caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and a dose-response meta-analysis. Diabetes Care. 2014 Feb;37(2):569-86.