One of the most controversial topics these days, believe it or not, is the effect of coffee on our health and whether we should drink it more often or not. Some people say it is one of the healthiest drinks ever whereas others think it can have a damaging effect. So, coffee lovers, unite! In today’s article, we will present the major positive and negative effects of coffee on. Stay tuned to learn more!
Coffee: Yes or No?
Despite of those who are against coffee consumption, this drink has numerous health advantages to offer. According to Healthy Holistic Living, it is abundant in antioxidants that are highly beneficial in lowering the chance for numerous illnesses, including cancer. But, as it also has caffeine, a well-known stimulant, in some people, it can impede sleep. Let us learn more about both the positive and negative impact of coffee consumption.
Why Is Coffee Good for Us?
In addition to the antioxidant power that coffee has to offer, it is also rich in essential nutrients, including riboflavin, panthothenic acid, thiamine, niacin, manganese, folate, potassium, phosphorus, and magnesium. So, 2 or 3 cups of coffee per day can significantly elevate the levels of these nutrients in your body.
As previously noted, coffee contains caffeine, a stimulant which has the capacity to better the brain function and metabolism. Even though tea, soft drinks, and chocolate also have caffeine, the biggest source is coffee. A single cup of coffee contains up to 30 to 300 mg of caffeine.
Caffeine is a stimulant which blocks the adenosine, a brain hormone, and thus, it elevates the brain activity and enhances the activity of other neurotransmitters such as dopamine. As a result, we feel less tired and more alert.
Caffeine also improves the level of calories you burn by 3 to 11 percent and it can also help you better your athletic performance by 11 to 12 percent. Although these positive aspects of coffee seem amazing, drinking coffee on the daily will result in building tolerance to it and consequently, its effects will diminish.
Coffee May Lower the Risk of Brain Disease
As Healthy Holistic Living denote, Alzheimer’s, the leading cause for dementia, may be prevented by drinking coffee. Namely, studies suggest that the chance for Alzheimer’s in coffee drinkers is 65 percent smaller.
Moreover, the risk of Parkinson’s in regular coffee drinkers may be anywhere from 32 to 60 percent. And, the more coffee, the lower the chance.
Other amazing benefits of coffee are the ability to reduce the chance for type 2 diabetes and to decrease the risk of liver illnesses. Regular coffee consumers, according to studies, have 23 to 67 percent lower chance of being diagnosed with this type of diabetes. If you regularly drink coffee, you chance for cirrhosis, a serious liver disease, will drop by 84 percent. The strongest prevention was seen in the people who consumed four or more cups on the daily.
Why Coffee Is not for You?
- Excessive consumption of caffeine can make you anxious and jittery, increase your heart rate, lead to panic attacks
- Coffee may worsen the quality of sleep in more sensitive individuals (if this is the case, avoid consuming it after 2 pm)
- Caffeine may elevate the blood pressure and have a diuretic effect in the body- however, with regular consumption, these symptoms usually go away (there may still be a minimal blood pressure increase)
- Some people may become addicted to caffeine; as a result, they may experience specific side effects when they do not consume it, including brain fog, irritability, headaches, etc.
How to Ensure Positive Effects from Coffee
- Drink regular black coffee without any additional creamers, refined sugar or other additives
- Brew coffee with a paper filter-unfiltered coffee like Turkish contains cafestol, a substance capable of elevating the cholesterol levels
- Avoid store-bought coffees-they are usually full of calories and a lot of refined sugar and other unhealthy sweeteners or creamers
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