Coffee use and harm. We have tried to collect the latest and most significant research by scientists on this issue and we share it with you.
The attitude to coffee is changing.
Scientific interest in coffee is growing as more and more new work is being done to confirm its positive impact on health. Although for a long time, few have decided to call coffee a healthy product. The alkaloid caffeine contained in coffee has a stimulating effect on the cardiovascular and nervous systems, and can also be addictive if used for a long time. Coffee has a stimulant effect on the body and increases blood pressure. As a result, insomnia, and hypertension increases the risk of stroke.
Caffeine is not only found in coffee, but also in seeds, nuts and leaves of a number of plants growing in South America and East Asia, such as tea, cocoa, mate, guarana, cola and some others. It is synthesized by plants to protect against pests. In contrast, insect pollinators produce a caffeine dependency.
Statistics assure: today, scientists from different countries have already conducted more than 19 thousand studies on the useful and dangerous properties of coffee. Thus, in July this year the results of the largest recent study on the impact of coffee on life expectancy were published.
It covered 521,330 people aged 35 years and over living in ten European countries: Denmark (11%), France (14%), Germany (10%), Greece (5%), Italy (9%), the Netherlands (8%), Norway (7%), Spain (8%), Sweden (10%) and the UK (17%). It was conducted jointly by the University of Oxford, Imperial College London and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as part of a major EPIC (European Advanced Cancer and Nutrition Research) study. Volunteers were recruited between 1992 and 2000 and for an average of 16.4 years filled out regular nutrition questionnaires. In addition, biochemical test results were also used. By the end of the survey, about 41,693 people had died from various causes. The causes of death included cancer, strokes, heart disease and circulatory problems.
The study showed the feedback between coffee consumption and diseases of the liver and digestive organs, suicide in men, cancer in women, diseases of the cardiovascular system. Those who drank three cups of coffee a day or more had a lower risk of death from all causes than those who did not drink coffee at all. Scientists concluded that drinking coffee was associated with reduced risk of death from various causes. And this ratio did not change depending on the country.
Caffeine and its positive properties
The main product that is contained in coffee is caffeine. Caffeine is a moderate stimulant of action. The effect of caffeine on people varies, depending on their sensitivity to this component. Some people drink several cups a day and it does not affect them in any way, while others may feel changes even from a single cup of coffee. The property of caffeine is that once it enters the digestive system, it dissolves quickly in the body and is eliminated a few hours after consumption. This is why coffee has a diuretic effect.
Caffeine increases the level of dopamine in the brain, which makes us feel cheerier and more fun. Coffee consumption in moderate amounts has a positive effect on the central nervous system: it improves mood, increases physical and mental activity. Mental health workers who drink 2 cups of coffee a day do their job much faster than their colleagues who refused to drink coffee – this was the conclusion reached by American researchers who studied the effect of caffeine on human mental abilities. However, it is difficult to determine the right dose on your own. After all, the effect of caffeine on each person individually and depends on the type of nervous system.
Coffee facts
Is it bad or bad to drink coffee? There is no unequivocal answer to this question. Of course, coffee is harmful in large quantities and when consumed frequently, just as any other frequently consumed product is harmful. Coffee is prescribed both for its miraculous properties and its ability to cause enormous harm. Let’s get to the bottom of this.
Coffee affects the CNS
It really is. As mentioned above, coffee is a stimulant of the central nervous system. However, exceeding the individual dose of a person leads to exhaustion of nerve cells, disturbance of normal functioning of the organism: fatigue, lethargy, reduced ability to work appears.
Coffee causes insomnia.
Coffee consumption at night can cause insomnia. However, this effect is not observed in everyone. Those who constantly “sit” on coffee are so accustomed to this drink that it ceases to be a stimulant. And yet, it is not recommended to drink coffee after 5 pm.
Coffee and pills.
Caffeine has the property of weakening or enhancing the effects of individual drugs. That’s why if you’re an avid caffeine addict, it’s worth checking with the doctor who prescribed your medication if you can take coffee and pills. But antidepressants should not be accompanied by coffee, as this product suppresses their effect.
Caffeine increases the risk of cardiovascular disease…
Coffee really enhances cardiac activity. However, healthy people who use coffee moderately have no tendency to develop cardiovascular diseases. No study has confirmed a connection between coffee consumption and heart attacks. In people who are particularly sensitive to caffeine, an increase in pressure may be detected, but it usually only occurs for a few hours. This is why it is not recommended for elderly people to drink coffee.
Coffee and Cancers
For a long time, it was believed that there was a direct link between cancer and coffee consumption. Research was conducted over a long period of time. However, no assumptions about the relationship between the appearance and development of cancer and coffee consumption have been confirmed.
Coffee and a cigarette are a bad combination?
Many people like to use coffee with a cigarette. Studies have shown that smokers consume much more coffee than non-smokers. Nicotine is more likely to take caffeine out of the body. Therefore, a smoker is more likely to need caffeine. Studies have shown that quitters do not reduce their need for caffeine for about six months. It should also be noted that decaf is more likely to cause the need for a cigarette. Combined use of coffee and cigarettes further increases the risk of arterial hypertension, can increase the manifestations of arterial atherosclerosis.
Coffee relieves hangovers
It’s the most common myth about coffee possibilities. Caffeine is not an antidote to intoxication, except that it gives the person a feeling of relief after a cup of coffee. But it’s caused solely by the person’s own consciousness. Coffee can only tone things up a little. All effects caused by alcohol are not neutralized by caffeine.
Coffee is addictive.
Exceeding his individual dose, a person forms an addiction. Stop drinking coffee can cause discomfort in the body: fatigue, sleepiness, headache, irritation and even depression. After a cup of coffee, these symptoms disappear. Problems usually begin 12-14 hours after the last drink. It’s the same as for sweet lovers who decide to go on a diet. It is enough to endure a week or two without your favorite product, as the addiction stops.