With so many coffee shops and people drinking coffee-based drinks in Southern Oregon, Paragon Orthopedic Center is helping you learn a bit more about coffee, caffeine, and its effects. Some people believe coffee has a dehydrating effect, but unless you’re drinking more than four cups of coffee in a day, it does not dehydrate and serves to hydrate your body as water would. However, you do need to think about the effects of what else is in that coffee. The caffeine has potential side effects such as headaches, irritability, and heartbeat irregularities, to name a few. If you add sugar and creamer to your drink, then you are adding empty calories that are doing nothing to help your waistline. If you are trying to lose some weight, consider eliminating that fancy coffee drink. A 16oz. Starbucks Mocha Latte has around 400 calories, and a red apple generally has around 100, depending on its size. You can be the judge of which is a better choice to grab in the morning. Coffee should not be your breakfast. Your body will be much happier with some nutritious fuel that serves to keep you energized and feeling full until lunchtime. Read more here: