Coffee: Is the Temporary Boost Worth the Long-Term Cost?

Coffee is one of the most consumed beverages in the world, and for many people it's part of their daily routine. I LOVE coffee, those of you that have known me for many, many years (well over a decade), I was probably THE MOST addicted to coffee person you have met. Seriously. I started drinking coffee before I started kindergarten. With cream and sugar. I thought that’s what people did, so I started my daughter drinking coffee before she started school as well. With cream and sugar. Oh boy!

Ask someone why they drink it and you'll hear things like:

• "It helps me wake up."

• "I can't function without it."

• "It helps me focus."

• "It's full of antioxidants."

But I like to look at health through a different lens:

Risk vs. Reward.

Whenever someone tells me a food, drink, or supplement has benefits, my next question is:

What are the risks?

Because almost everything has both.

I'll give you a real-life example … last year in Alaska, Tom and I drank coffee everyday for 2 weeks straight! 

We don't drink alcohol, so breweries weren't really our thing. I also don't eat desserts, and Tom has been joining me in that over the past year, so ice cream and candy shops weren't really our thing either. Coffee became our thing in Alaska. It was often chilly and that warm cup of cozy felt so good. After 2 weeks we could feel the effects so I had a cup of mushroom coffee.

This first sip of organo….Oh my goodness!!! Dopamine affects serotonin. I could literally feel the difference. I genuinely hadn't realized how good my normal actually felt until I'd spent two weeks feeling...not quite myself. I didn’t realize it until I was in a constant daze

It’s been over a decade since I’ve drank that much coffee in that amount of time. Nothing crazy, just daily.

Mushroom "coffee" for the win!

I talk about the effects of coffee with almost every person I work with, but it’s been a long time since I felt it myself. Coffee is hard on the adrenals, hard on digestion, it’s a diuretic leading to dehydration. Anyone that has afternoon fatigue… It’s the coffee! 

I think the biggest realization that I had… It wasn’t just tiredness. Because if you’re tired, you take a nap and then you feel better. It was a constant low-grade/low vibration daze. 

Most of my days, I feel like I am thriving! It feels good

People don’t even realize how much better they feel until they do, until they actually feel better they realize they didn’t feel all that great . Ho hum has become their norm, Tiredness has become their norm. I even had a patient. Tell me that they quit coffee and out of habit they went to take an afternoon nap and realized, “but I’m not even tired”

I was working with a mom, referred by her daughter, as I was talking to the mom about coffee the daughter explained it to her mom this way: “I used to feel my energy level was here (holding up her hand about chin level) but once I quit coffee I realized my normal energy level was here (raising her hand to her nose level). I just got used to feeling down and pushing through”

What that person is describing is “borrowed energy vs true energy”

Borrowing Energy Isn't the Same as Creating Energy

Many people say coffee gives them energy.

But does it?

Or does it simply make us feel more energetic for a short period of time? 

Caffeine stimulates the release of stress hormones like adrenaline, putting your body into a more alert state. You may experience increased focus, motivation, or productivity for a while, but that doesn't necessarily mean you've created more energy.

Often, you've simply borrowed it.

The bill frequently comes due later in the form of:

• Afternoon crashes

• Fatigue

• Irritability

• Anxiety

• Feeling "wired but tired"

• Reaching for another cup just to maintain normal function

The more we rely on stimulation, the less we learn to produce steady, resilient energy naturally.

What About Your Adrenal Response?

Every time caffeine stimulates adrenaline and cortisol, your body responds as though it needs to become more alert.

For someone who is already living with chronic stress, poor sleep, blood sugar imbalances, or nervous system dysregulation (which is most people in one way or another), adding more stimulation may not be what the body actually needs.

Another person I was working with said,  “I thought I had anxiety but it turns out my body just really doesn’t do well with coffee”

Over the years, I have story after story of how much better people feel without their daily joe. I wish I had kept all the decades of success stories… whether it’s fatigue, constant daze, anxiety

Once as I was looking over someone’s hormone results, her adrenal profile was “SPIKE, crash, SPIKE, crash”. I asked her: what the heck happened this day? She replied, “Oh nothing really, sorry, I forgot to skip coffee for the test”. No need to be sorry, that was a really good picture of what coffee does to the adrenal glands!

Coffee and Sleep

Many people believe coffee doesn't affect their sleep because they can fall asleep after drinking it.

Falling asleep isn't the whole story.

Caffeine can remain in the body for hours and may reduce sleep quality, alter deep sleep, or leave you feeling less restored even if you slept through the night.

Poor sleep affects nearly every system in the body, including:

• Energy production

• Hormone balance

• Blood sugar regulation

• Immune function

• Brain health

• Recovery and repair

If you're constantly tired despite getting enough hours of sleep, it's worth considering whether caffeine is masking part of the problem.

Instead of asking, "How do I wake myself up?"

It may be better to ask:

"Why is my body so exhausted in the first place?"

Coffee and the Gut

Our gut microbiome influences digestion, immune health, inflammation, mood, and even hormone balance.

Coffee's effects on the microbiome are complex and can vary from person to person. It may promote certain beneficial bacteria in some individuals while irritating the digestive tract or worsening symptoms such as reflux, loose stools, or gut sensitivity in others.

Coffee also stimulates stomach acid production and bowel activity, which isn't necessarily a good thing for everyone—especially those with digestive disorders, gut inflammation, or increased intestinal permeability ("leaky gut").

If your gut is already struggling, removing coffee for a period of time may be a worthwhile experiment to see how your body responds.

Coffee Is a Diuretic

Caffeine has diuretic effects, meaning it increases urine production.

Hydration isn't just about drinking enough water.

It's about maintaining proper fluid and mineral balance.

When hydration or electrolytes become suboptimal, people may experience:

• Headaches

• Fatigue

• Brain fog

• Muscle cramps

• Dizziness

• Reduced physical performance

  
  

Many people are already underhydrated before they ever pour their first cup of coffee.

The Antioxidant Argument

One of the biggest arguments in favor of coffee is that it contains antioxidants.

That's true. But I like to encourage people to look at ALL the information and think critically.

Here's the question...

Do you need coffee to get antioxidants?

Not at all.

Blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, cherries, colorful vegetables, herbs, spices, and many other whole foods provide abundant antioxidants—along with vitamins, minerals, fiber, and hydration—without the downsides associated with coffee.

Coffee is often called one of the largest sources of antioxidants in the Western diet—not because it's necessarily the best source, but because people drink so much of it.

If someone drinks:

• 2-3 cups of coffee/day

• but eats very few fruits and vegetables,

then coffee may contribute more antioxidants than anything else in their diet.

That's really a reflection of poor dietary habits, not that coffee is nutritionally superior.

The same thinking applies to alcohol.

People often say, "Red wine has resveratrol."

Yes—but grapes contain resveratrol too.

If you're seeking the health benefits, why not choose the source that doesn't come with the additional risks?

Feeling Less Grounded

This is something I hear often from clients.

Some describe feeling:

• More anxious

• More restless

• More "on edge"

• Less emotionally steady

• More mentally scattered

• Foggy or dazed after the initial boost wears off (and then they’re not craving carrots or something similar, they’re looking for another cup or sugar to bring them back up. It’s that borrowed energy I mentioned earlier)

  
  

If you've ever felt calm after skipping coffee for a week, your body may be telling you something.

You might even think, “I feel fine. I don’t feel these things”. I would simply ask you to quit coffee for a week or two and see if you feel better, more grounded, more of a balanced nervous system, more energy created and less borrowed.

Is Coffee "Bad"?

This isn't about labeling coffee as good or bad.

It's about asking better questions (with all health related things actually).

Instead of focusing only on what coffee might provide, consider what it might also be taking away.

Is it supporting restorative sleep?

Is it helping your body create lasting energy—or simply borrowing tomorrow's energy for today?

Is it supporting your gut, hydration, nervous system, and stress response?

Or is it asking your body to work a little harder every single day?

My Perspective

I believe our bodies were designed to produce steady, vibrant energy when we give them what they truly need.

Quality sleep.

Nutrient-dense food.

Hydration.

Movement.

Sunlight.

Healthy relationships.

Stress management.

A thriving gut.

When we address the root causes of fatigue, we often discover we don't need to depend on stimulation just to get through the day.

That's the lens I encourage people to consider.

Not simply asking,

"What benefit does this give me?"

But also,

"What is the cost?"

Because when it comes to our health, the best decisions are made by weighing both the risks and the rewards. Everything we put in and on our body strengthens or stress it.

And with all this information, I actually do still love a good cup of coffee … just not as a daily thing that causes constant stress on my body, hormones, and nervous system.

Want to know more about your gut microbiome, hormones, nervous system? Connect with me!