Is Coffee Worth Drinking?

People drink over 3 billions cups of coffee every day. Did you know that Scandinavians drink the most (about 10kg per year)? An average Pole drinks about 1-1,5 cups of coffee a day, which equals about 2-3 kg per year. The biggest producer of coffee in the world is Brazil, which makes about 3 million tonnes of coffee a year. Vietnam, Indonesia, Columbia, and Ethiopia come next on the list.

As you can see, coffee is a very popular drink. As a result, the question arises: how drinking coffee impacts our health? Is it really as harmful as some people think? Or just the opposite?

 

The impact of coffee on health – 10 surprising facts

 

Slowing down the aging process

Coffee is a rich source of antioxidants that slow down the aging process of tissues and effectively protect the body against deterioration of health. Studies have shown that one cup of coffee contains even more antioxidants than a glass of grapefruit juice, blueberries, raspberries or oranges.

 

Improved concentration and reduction of tiredness

The active substances found in coffee beans are caffeine, theophylline and theobromine, which increase the secretion of hormones: adrenaline, noradrenaline, serotonin and dopamine. It sounds quite complicated, but it is thanks to this that after the consumption of coffee, our level of concentration increases, the mood improves, and the feeling of sleepiness and tiredness diminishes. 😉 It is also worth having a cup before embarking on a long journey – it significantly reduces the risk of falling asleep at the wheel!

 

Reducing the risk of dementia, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease

It has been shown that regular consumption of coffee reduces the risk of common diseases: Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease.

What do numbers and statistics say about it? According to the studies, the risk of Parkinson’s falls by 30% in people who drink coffee (compared to people who do not drink it). On the other hand, in the case of Alzheimer’s, the risk is … as much as 65% lower!

The exact mechanism explaining how coffee reduces the risk of developing these diseases is not yet known. One theory is that caffeine “catches” neurotoxins that cause disease and removes them from the body. Another suggests that caffeine reduces the synthesis of neurotransmitters, which produced in excess can lead to damage to our nervous system and thus the onset of the disease.

 

Beneficial effect on the circulatory system

There has been a lot of controversy for years over the influence of coffee on the cardiovascular system. Can you drink it or not? To this day, there is a wrong belief that people suffering from hypertension should definitely avoid coffee. However, it turns out that coffee is not such an important factor in increasing the risk of hypertension. The factors that are much more dangerous include smoking, drinking alcohol and excessive salt intake!

Recent studies have shown that moderate coffee consumption reduces the risk of death from cardiovascular disease, as well as the risk of heart attack and stroke.

 

Possible decrease in the risk of developing diabetes

Coffee can affect glucose and insulin levels, as well as insulin sensitivity in tissues. Studies carried out so far have shown that consumption of coffee reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes. Subjects who drank more than 7 cups of coffee per day had a 50% lower risk of this disease compared with people who consumed 2 cups a day.

 

Coffee and the risk of cancer

As mentioned earlier, coffee is a valuable source of many antioxidants that neutralize the harmful effects of free oxygen radicals. Thanks to these properties, coffee may theoretically also reduce the risk of developing cancer diseases such as liver cancer or ovarian cancer. However, further research is needed to clearly state the beneficial effect of coffee in the prevention of cancer.

 

Increased risk of developing stomach ulcers and reflux disease

Caffeine has been shown to have a negative effect on the digestive system. Coffee can increase the risk of reflux disease, commonly known as heartburn. In addition, caffeine stimulates the secretion of hydrochloric acid, which in turn may promote the development of stomach ulcers. For these reasons, people who suffer from these diseases should avoid consuming coffee.

 

Higher risk of developing osteoporosis

Regular consumption of coffee in large quantities can cause osteoporosis and adversely affect the healing process of fractures. Taking 400 mg of caffeine (or about 4 cups) per day caused changes in bone structure, lowering calcium levels and increasing the risk of fractures, especially at low levels of this element in the body.  

 

Other negative effects of drinking coffee

A single intake of a large amount of caffeine can lead to excessive agitation, increased thirst, tinnitus, difficulty in falling asleep, decreased quality and increased output of urine. Large amounts of coffee may also interfere with the absorption of electrolytes, resulting in symptoms similar to those of dehydration (dizziness, drowsiness and apathy, loss of appetite, fainting, etc.).

 

Coffee and medicines

It is important to remember not to wash your medicine down with  coffee. As has been shown, coffee can significantly influence the action of many drugs, weakening or enhancing their effect. In particular, do not combine coffee consumption with antibiotics and contraceptives. This leads to headaches, insomnia, and arrhythmias. Coffee also enhances the effect of painkillers as well as their side effects.

 

In conclusion, it is important to do things in moderation, and coffee consumed in moderate amounts has a positive impact on our health. 🙂 If you drink it in excess, it may contribute to an increased risk of developing certain diseases. As always, I recommend paying attention to the signals your body  sends to you! 🙂

 

 

Bibliography:

1. Grosso G, Godos J, Galvano F, Giovannucci EL. Coffee, Caffeine, and Health Outcomes: An Umbrella Review. Annu Rev Nutr. 2017 Aug 21;37:131-156.
2. Poole R, Kennedy OJ, Roderick P, Fallowfield JA, Hayes PC, Parkes J. Coffee consumption and health: umbrella review of meta-analyses of multiple health outcomes. BMJ. 2017 Nov 22;359:j5024.
3. Schubert MM, Irwin C, Seay RF, Clarke HE, Allegro D, Desbrow B. Caffeine, coffee, and appetite control: a review. Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2017 Dec;68(8):901-912.