Coffee good for seniorsI admit it: I am a coffee lover. Okay, I’m a coffee addict, according to the man I live with. When I read about all the benefits of caffeine to my aging body and brain, I justify my three to four cups a day. I ignore things like poor sleep, discolored teeth, and how it irritates my gut.

In the debates over healthy and unhealthy habits, some seniors vigorously defend the benefits of drinking coffee. Caffeine is stimulating, socially acceptable, and good for us. Just how good is caffeine for seniors? Here’s what the Caffeine Informer website reports:

Benefits of Caffeine for Senior Health
  • Caffeinated coffee cuts mouth and throat cancer risk by 50%.
  • Coffee can reduce the risk of stroke as much as 22%.
  • Shown to reduce the risk of several types of cancer.
  • Heart rhythm disturbance hospitalizations decrease with coffee drinkers.
  • Coffee decreases the risk of type 2 diabetes.
  • People who drink at least 4 coffees or teas have lower blood pressure according to a new study out of Paris. Tea drinkers had the most blood pressure benefit, while coffee drinkers had just slightly less.
  • Research out of Greece shows that Greek boiled coffee may increase longevity and heart health.

Some medical sites say than caffeine can help with hair loss, alertness, muscle strength, and endurance.

Now, like anything, too much caffeine can be harmful to health, bringing on hypertension, insomnia, indigestion, and headaches. There’s even some research that says more than 4 cups a day is a risk for serious things like strokes and heart attacks.

Am I a Coffee-holic?

Of course, as a coffee addict, I would never drink that much. And I never drink past noon. (Recently my doctor told me no coffee at all because of my stomach problems, but I’m just going to cut down gradually.)

One of my biggest temptations is a little coffee with friends in the afternoons. Unfortunately, this turns into fewer hours of sleep and foggy brain in the morning. Fortunately, I can always compensate with an extra cup to wake me up!

The phrase “hair of the dog” comes to mind. Hmmm, I’m sounding more like a coffee-holic, aren’t I? Not a good thing for healthy seniors, or anyone!

I know that too much caffeine elevates levels of cortisol, the stress hormone. As if life isn’t stressful enough. So how much is too much?

Caffeine Levels for Seniors

According to the Mayo Clinic, the recommended amount of caffeine is 400 milligrams per day for healthy adults. That translates to one 12 oz. serving of black coffee with 240 mg. Additionally chocolate, soft drinks, some medicines, some chewing gums have caffeine in them. Red Bull contains 80 mg caffeine.

If you are over indulging in holiday treats, not getting quality energy from real food, not sleeping well, and using caffeine and energy drinks to compensate, you are on the risky side of health. Some people drink a large Starbucks coffee, plus five Red Bulls and six diet sodas in a day. The other problem is when you use coffee as a vessel for sugar and cream: consider that you don’t really like coffee―you like sugar and cream.

An Alternative?

So for this holiday season, I asked my friend Kris what to do. Here’s what she said:

I’m going on the offensive. Instead of succumbing to that delicious aroma tempting me at the next evening celebration, I’ll BYOB: I’ll bring my own brew of peppermint tea. Not only will it help me avoid caffeine, peppermint, along with eucalyptus, cilantro, wormwood, black walnut and dandelion, are naturally detoxifying.

If you want to step up your detoxing during the holidays, consider a little wormwood tea. It can be consumed many different ways, but the most typical and effective way to get results is by drinking it in a tea or consuming it by tincture; but for no longer than four weeks at a time.

Thanks Kris. I never knew about wormwood. Sounds ghastly, but what do I know? Cheers!