Why we avoid it:

Caffeine is the world’s favourite legal drug, but it can become addictive, cause anxiety, restlessness, irritability, insomnia, headaches, heart palpitations and withdrawal symptoms. Some people just don’t feel normal without coffee, and that’s not normal. Former coffee drinkers often report that they have more energy, not less, when they eventually make it through the nightmare of kicking the habit.

Why we should eat it:

The key to keeping coffee healthy is to eschew the large triple latte and limit your coffee intake to 1-2 cups a day. Not everyone responds to coffee the same way. Some have one cup in the morning and can’t sleep for days, and others can have a triple espresso after dinner and fall asleep as soon as they hit the pillow. Figure out where you fit, drink sensibly and get ready to reap the benefits of the black gold. First, coffee can make you smarter. Caffeine blocks an inhibitor in the brain, causing an increase in the release of several neurotransmitters like dopamine and norepinephrine. Studies showed that caffeine improves mood, reaction time, memory, vigilance and general cognitive function. Secondly, coffee can help you burn fat by stimulating your central nervous system, boosting your metabolism and increasing the oxidation of fatty acids from your fat stores. Thirdly, coffee consumption has been associated with decrease risk of type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, depression, heart attacks and stroke. In fact, drinking coffee has even been suggested to increase your life span. Additionally, the benefits of java extend far beyond the abundance of studies that support its health benefits. For millions of people, coffee has an important psychological, societal and cultural significance that can make dragging yourself out of bed and commuting to work a little bit more bearable and, perhaps, a little more enjoyable.