National Coffee Day: Is Coffee Healthy Or Unhealthy?

There are countless arguments for and against drinking coffee. The beverage has its detractors, but also countless drinkers who consume it in moderation and excess.

Coffee certainly has its perks, so to speak. Coffee consumption can help an individual to stay awake, strengthen alertness and focus or simply provide an energy boost. The long debate of its overall healthiness, however, has remained to be a mystery for many. Generally speaking, coffee is relatively healthy to drink, provided that it isn't abused by overconsumption.

Coffee contains essential nutrients that can be found in a multivitamin, including vitamin B2, magnesium, potassium and polyphenols (an antioxidant). These nutrients have the ability to maintain blood pressure, transform carbohydrates into energy and help fight disease.

Caffeine can make a person smarter. Coffee isn't the primary source of caffeine, but a study published by the British Nutrition Foundation in 2008 reported that caffeine can help improve a person's mood, memory and reaction time.

Those who consume multiple cups of coffee daily could have a lower risk of premature death from disease, according to research published in August by Annals of Internal Medicine. The study's results proved to be steady among 700,000 participants of various racial, ethnic and cultural backgrounds.

Meanwhile, decaffeinated coffee also has health benefits.

Avid coffee drinkers may reduce the risk of developing severe health problems, according to researchers at Harvard University. The report pointed out how previous studies found coffee might decrease the development of Parkinson’s disease, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cirrhosis, among other health hazards.

Harvard researchers also noted that coffee consumption has been linked to numerous health problems, including pancreatic cancer, esophageal cancer and bladder cancer.

The recommended amount of coffee cups varies per person. Up to 400 milligrams of coffee daily is safe for most people, according to Mayo Clinic. This would approximately equate to amount of caffeine found in four cups of brewed coffee.

It's recommended that individuals who drink more than four cups daily should scale back. Drinking more than the suggested amount can bring on migraines, restlessness, insomnia and muscle tremors, among other side effects.

Caution should still be used by pregnant women. Drinking caffeinated coffee while pregnant could increase the chance of a low birth weight, premature delivery or miscarriage. Sufferers of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) should also avoid caffeinated coffee because it could potentially irritate the gastrointestinal tract. Decaffeinated coffee also has a similar effect on IBS patients.

Coffee is a billion-dollar industry. Americans spend nearly $9.4 billion on dry coffee and approximately $2.7 billion on liquid coffee, according to Nielson data. There is also money to be made in the sales of coffee creamers, which comes in at about $767,000.

With October nearing, pumpkin-flavored coffee will become a hot commodity. Sales for pumpkin-flavored coffee remain steady among consumers at $13 million. This popular, seasonal flavor formerly sold just under $400,000 in 2013.