What do we know about coffee?
Coffee contains caffeine up to 1500 mg/l. It has a stimulating effect on the nervous system. When consuming caffeine, heart activity accelerates and blood pressure rises. It regulates excitation processes in the cerebral cortex, in large doses enhances positive conditioned reflexes and increases motor activity. The stimulating effect leads to increased mental and physical performance, reduced fatigue and drowsiness.
- The effects of caffeine last for several hours. As soon as it stops, fatigue sets in.
- Systematic consumption of caffeine in large doses (1000 mg per day or more) provokes depletion of nerve cells. After some time, addiction appears. A very large dose (approximately 10 grams) can cause death.
- Coffee actively affects the human body. Let's try to find the answer to the main question: “What outweighs the harm or benefits of coffee?”
Harm from coffee
Coffee is physically addictive
Avoid drinking coffee and other caffeinated drinks for a while. Only then will you understand whether you are dependent on it. Its signs: headache, fatigue and drowsiness, irritability, worsening mood, from mild depression to depression, nausea, muscle pain. You may experience only some of the above symptoms. With addiction, the tonic effect of coffee gradually decreases and an even larger dose is required to achieve the same effect. This is how addiction is created.
Harm of coffee to the nervous system
With prolonged stimulation of the nervous system, the body is constantly in an excited state. The nervous system experiences prolonged systematic stress. It causes depletion of nerve cells and disrupts the normal functioning of all body systems.
The harm of coffee to mental health
Drinking caffeine in large quantities can lead to the development of various psychoses, epilepsy, paranoia, and also provoke unmotivated aggression.
Is coffee harmful to the heart?
Coffee increases cardiac activity, stimulates the vasomotor center, and increases the pulse rate. Caffeine has a short-term effect on blood pressure, leading to a slight increase in blood pressure. The above properties of coffee make it especially harmful for people with diseases of the cardiovascular system: arterial hypertension, coronary heart disease. The drink can harm the cardiovascular system of healthy people. The greater the amount of coffee consumed, the higher the risk becomes.
The harm of coffee to the cardiovascular system depends on the following factors:
- Amount of coffee consumed.
- Presence of diseases of the cardiovascular system.
- Hereditary predisposition to diseases of the cardiovascular system.
- Method of preparing the drink. Coffee prepared by brewing is much worse for the heart than coffee prepared in a coffee maker.
- Other factors that contribute to such diseases (weight, diet, physical activity).
Coffee interferes with absorption and leaches important microelements from the body.
Caffeine washes out some important microelements and interferes with their absorption. It interferes with the absorption of magnesium, potassium, sodium, vitamins B1 and B6. This provokes the emergence of many serious problems:
- Due to a lack of calcium, teeth deteriorate, bones become brittle, and osteochondrosis may develop.
- An imbalance in the calcium-magnesium system leads to chronic pain in the back and cervical spine.
- A lack of vitamins B1 and B6 leads to problems with blood supply to the brain. Symptoms are headache and irritability.
In large quantities, coffee provokes the appearance of cellulite
If a woman likes to drink coffee but does not exercise, her skin tone gradually becomes weaker. In this case, almost all representatives of the fairer sex develop an orange peel.
Coffee changes skin and teeth color
All girls want to have a fresh complexion and a snow-white smile. This is unlikely to be the case if you often drink coffee and drinks containing caffeine.
Harm of coffee for children and pregnant women
Drinking coffee during pregnancy increases the risk of fetal death in the womb. Approximately 4 cups of coffee per day increases the risk by up to 33% and causes significant harm to fetal development:
- A child is born with a caffeine addiction.
- The baby is often born with low birth weight.
- Teeth start cutting later than they should.
- The child's height is lower than that of his peers.
Consumption of products containing caffeine (chocolate, Coca-Cola) causes enormous harm to children's health. The harm of coffee to a child can lead to problems such as: enuresis (bedwetting), nervous tics (involuntary constant muscle contractions, twitching), mood swings, tearfulness, aggressiveness and other inappropriate behavioral reactions, fears and anxiety. Of course, everything that has been said about the dangers of coffee for adults is relevant for children.
The dangers of decaffeinated coffee
The health risks of coffee mentioned above are associated specifically with caffeine. The main argument against decaffeinated coffee is that its production uses very harmful chemicals. Decaf coffee also contains caffeine, although in smaller doses than regular coffee. In addition, decaffeinated coffee negatively affects the cardiovascular system and promotes fat storage. It increases the level of bad cholesterol in the blood, which in large quantities leads to serious arterial diseases.
What are the health benefits of coffee?
Let's look at the scientific facts about the beneficial properties of coffee for women and men.
High antioxidant content
It may surprise you that many medical practitioners now recommend drinking coffee. That's because some sources show that one of the main health benefits of coffee beans is its powerful antioxidant properties, which may be even stronger than those of cocoa or some forms of tea leaves.
What is the level of antioxidants in coffee compared to other healthy drinks? Research shows that the average cup of coffee may contain more polyphenolic antioxidants than cocoa, green tea, black tea, and herbal tea. While it's still recommended to get most antioxidants from whole foods like fruits and vegetables, coffee can be another good addition. if you love him.
The benefit of coffee for women lies in its ability to effectively fight free radicals. Harmful free radicals damage cells and cause inflammation, thereby speeding up the aging process in the body. The two main antioxidants responsible for most of coffee's benefits are chlorogenic acid and caffeic acid, which can help protect cells from damage and oxidative stress.
Protects Liver Health
Another benefit of drinking coffee is that it improves blood circulation and can stimulate liver function.
For example, a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that increased coffee consumption was associated with lower rates of liver disease progression in people with hepatitis C. Drinking a regular cup of coffee a day reduced the risk of developing alcoholic liver syndrome by 20% (). Another study found that coffee may also protect against cirrhosis, including alcoholic cirrhosis ().
Therefore, if you sometimes treat yourself to alcoholic drinks, drink a cup of strong natural coffee. This will help you protect your liver a little from the harmful effects of alcohol. However, you should not abuse either alcohol or coffee. And to support the liver, it is better to use more effective herbal remedies, such as milk thistle.
Related articles:
- Is it possible to drink coffee when planning pregnancy?
- Benefits of giving up coffee
Improves physical performance
An impressive benefit of coffee for both women and men is its ability to enhance physical performance, helping to take your workout to the next level. Many studies show that coffee increases alertness and improves mental and physical performance in the short term. According to the study, caffeine does not directly improve maximal oxygen capacity, but it may help increase strength and endurance. Coffee has been shown to increase speed and power output in simulated race conditions and activities that last either a very short time (about 60 seconds) or a long time (two hours) ().
Caffeine is often used as an ergogenic aid before and during prolonged exercise. This is one of the reasons why many endurance athletes and fitness enthusiasts like to drink coffee before heading to the gym or competition, as it is known to improve performance and help improve concentration and stamina.
One scientific report found that when coffee was consumed before and after exercise, strength and athletic gains were significantly faster compared to groups taking a placebo and decaffeinated coffee.
Supports Cognitive Functions
Do you want your mind to be sharp and decisions to be made quickly? The benefits of coffee for women and men as a nootropic are known. Coffee has been shown to increase blood flow to the brain, which helps support cognitive function.
Additionally, coffee and caffeine have been extensively studied as a natural therapy for Alzheimer's disease as well as other neurological diseases. In an animal study conducted by the Florida Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, mice given caffeine in their drinking water from a young age onwards showed protection against memory impairment and lower levels in the brain of an abnormal protein (amyloid-beta or Abeta), which is thought to be central to to the development of Alzheimer's disease. Aging mice with cognitive decline showed memory recovery and decreased levels of Abeta in the brain after just one to two months of caffeine treatment ().
May help prevent diabetes
There is ample evidence that drinking coffee (six or more cups per day) can significantly reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Drinking two or three cups of coffee per day was associated with a lower incidence of type 2 diabetes in younger and middle-aged women, according to the study. Another large review of 18 studies found that one cup of coffee a day reduced the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 7% (). Naturally, we are talking about coffee without sugar and milk.
It is believed that chlorogenic acid, one of the main antioxidants found in coffee, may also reduce the absorption of glucose from sugary or high-carbohydrate foods. This may slow the release of sugar into the blood after a meal and may be helpful in preventing insulin resistance.
Women have the largest sweet tooth, so the described benefits of coffee will be more relevant for them.
Promotes Heart Health
Unfiltered coffee is an important source of the antioxidants cafestol and kahweol, which are diterpene compounds that have a positive effect on cholesterol levels. Coffee consumption has been associated in large epidemiological studies with a reduction in mortality from both all causes and cardiovascular diseases ().
In addition, coffee consumption is associated with a lower risk of heart failure and stroke. Surprisingly, coffee is also even associated with a reduced risk of cardiac arrhythmia. Although many people feel that coffee increases their heart rate and general feeling of nervousness.
May have anti-cancer properties
New research suggests there may be a link between coffee consumption and cancer risk. It is noted that this powerful ingredient may protect against several different types of cancer. For example, a review in Scientific Reports notes that drinking coffee is associated with a lower risk of several types of cancer, including cancers of the mouth, pharynx, colon, liver, prostate, endometrium, and melanoma ().
Increases fat burning
The biggest benefit of coffee for women is that this delicious drink promotes weight loss. Research shows that coffee can help increase fat burning and metabolism to enhance weight loss. According to a study published in the Annals of Nutrition & Metabolism, caffeine was able to increase metabolism by an average of 7% within three hours of consumption (). Note that it is best to minimize the use of added sugars or creamer or stick to unsweetened coffee to reduce the amount of black coffee calories you consume.
Benefits of coffee
There are many studies showing the health benefits of coffee. We present the most important of them.
Coffee reduces the risk of cancer
Approximately two cups of coffee per day reduces the risk of liver cancer, pancreatic cancer, colon cancer and rectal cancer.
Coffee is a preventive measure for Parkinson's disease
To prevent this disease, it is enough for women to drink coffee in moderate quantities, but for men to achieve a similar effect, large doses are required.
Coffee prevents diabetes
To reduce the risk of diabetes by 50%, men should drink about 6 cups of coffee. Women will get slightly less effect from 6 cups of coffee. The risk of diabetes will decrease by a third.
The benefits of coffee for the prevention of other diseases
The results of some studies show that coffee reduces the risk of developing diseases such as asthma, cholelithiasis, liver cirrhosis, heart attack, atherosclerosis, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, migraine.
Benefits of coffee for weight loss
The stimulating effect of caffeine helps you lose extra pounds. 1 cup of coffee makes aerobic exercise one third more effective than usual in “burning” calories. When following a diet and regular exercise, coffee forces the body to use fat rather than carbohydrates for energy.
Benefits of coffee for digestion
Coffee and caffeinated drinks are often used to treat digestive problems and upset stomach. There is an opinion that coffee helps digest food, for which you need to drink a cup after lunch.
The benefits of coffee in medicine
Here we are, of course, not talking about the drink itself, but about caffeine. In medicine, caffeine is used:
- for diseases that depress the central nervous system (for example, poisoning with drugs and poisons),
- for infectious diseases,
- in case of insufficiency of the cardiovascular system,
- with vascular spasms.
Caffeine is an ingredient in some medications. We are talking about the treatment of existing diseases. These medications have their own side effects.
Benefits of coffee for women
Coffee prevents the development of many diseases due to its high content of active substances: antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Compounds such as polyphenols protect cells from damage and the penetration of pathogenic microorganisms that cause inflammation. Caffeine dilates blood vessels, improves blood circulation and prevents the formation of blood clots.
Moderate doses of coffee reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, which affects women twice as often as men. This effect is caused by the fact that phenols improve glucose metabolism. In addition, coffee beans contain magnesium, which increases insulin secretion and improves the ability of tissues to absorb it.
Almost 70% of those suffering from Alzheimer's disease are female. American researchers have proven that women over 65 who drank 2-3 cups of coffee a day were less susceptible to dementia.
Scientists from the American medical school Harvard Medical School in 2011 published a report on a study of the effect of coffee on skin cancer. Work began in 2008 and lasted 14 years. The report said that coffee reduces the risk of women developing the most common form of the disease - basal cell carcinoma.
Coffee is beneficial for women because it speeds up metabolism, stimulates digestion and promotes weight loss. The drink has a diuretic effect and prevents the formation of edema. Caffeine improves mood, increases performance, and prevents depression, which women are more susceptible to.
Coffee with milk is considered more gentle
