Whether coffee affects health is a topic of great concern to many people, and scientists have been arguing for many years. In the 1970s and 1980s, the results of studies in this area were generally negative. Extensive media reports made people feel uneasy about the caffeine in their diet. In the 1990s, due to more rigorous and accurate testing processes and more understanding of other aspects, such as alcohol consumption, exercise habits and smoking, these studies have been able to clarify some unresolved disputes in previous studies. In particular, a lot of new knowledge about caffeine and health has been provided. On October 27, 2017, the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer published a preliminary list of carcinogens for reference, and caffeine is on the list of Class 3 carcinogens.
After entering middle age and old age, people's muscle mass will gradually decrease, but an international joint study published in the journal Nature Metabolism brings good news: drinking coffee regularly helps keep muscles young. The report was jointly completed by researchers from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, the National University of Singapore, the University of Southampton in the UK, the University of Melbourne in Australia, the University of Tehran in Iran, the University of South Alabama in the United States, the University of Toyama in Japan, and the University of Copenhagen in Denmark. The research team conducted an extensive investigation into the pathogenesis of sarcopenia and found that the level of trigonelline in the elderly with sarcopenia was significantly lower. Pathologically, a major cause of sarcopenia is the reduction of cellular cofactor NAD+ and the decline of mitochondrial energy. Trigonelline can not only increase NAD+ levels, but also enhance mitochondrial activity, thereby maintaining muscle function and enhancing muscle strength. The researchers pointed out that trigonelline is a natural substance found in coffee, fenugreek and the human body. Supplementing trigonelline by drinking coffee and other methods can help increase NAD+ levels, thereby enhancing muscle strength and slowing down or preventing sarcopenia.
Remember that coffee should not be consumed at the same time as tea. Tannic acid in tea and coffee can reduce iron absorption by 75%.
Tannins in tea and coffee can reduce calcium absorption. Therefore, it is best to drink tea and coffee between meals.
If pregnant women drink a lot of caffeinated beverages and foods, they will experience symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, headache, and increased heart rate. Caffeine can also enter the fetus through the placenta and affect fetal development.
Many doctors believe that pregnant women drinking 1 to 2 cups (6 to 8 ounces per cup) of coffee, tea or carbonated beverages a day will not affect the fetus. However, for the sake of caution, pregnant women are advised not to drink caffeine. Caffeine can lead to an increase in the rate of miscarriage, so decaffeinated beverages should be consumed.
Children should not drink coffee. Caffeine can excite the central nervous system of children, interfere with their memory, and cause hyperactivity in children.
Strong tea, coffee, and carbonated beverages are also risk factors for the formation of peptic ulcers; therefore, patients with stomach diseases should not drink too much coffee.
Coffee contains caffeine, so it is very easy to cause tinnitus.
Coffee should not be taken with ibuprofen. Ibuprofen, a common antipyretic, analgesic and anti-inflammatory drug, has a stimulating effect on the gastric mucosa, and the caffeine in coffee and cola can also stimulate the gastric mucosa and promote gastric acid secretion. If you drink coffee or cola immediately after taking ibuprofen, it will aggravate the irritation to the gastric mucosa.
It is not advisable to smoke immediately after drinking coffee. Some ingredients in coffee combine with cigarettes to produce carcinogens.
Insomnia: Coffee contains a lot of caffeine, which can easily make the drinker excited and stimulate the cranial nerve tissue. If the drinker drinks a lot of coffee at one time, it may lead to excessive mental excitability, which will affect sleep and cause insomnia.
Digestive system problems: Excessive coffee consumption will promote gastric acid secretion and speed up the digestive function of the stomach. If you drink it on an empty stomach, more gastric acid secretion will damage the gastric mucosa and stomach wall. Patients with gastric ulcers and gastritis will have their condition worsened.
Heart problems: Caffeine can directly stimulate the cardiovascular center, leading to peripheral vasodilation. Excessive intake may cause palpitations, increased heartbeat, and even arrhythmia.
Osteoporosis: Caffeine and other ingredients in coffee can increase nerve excitement. If you drink coffee and other beverages for a long time, it may affect the calcium content in the body. Calcium deficiency may induce osteoporosis, causing symptoms such as bone soreness and muscle pain.
However, it is worth noting that coffee also has many positive effects. Studies show that moderate coffee consumption can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and certain cancers, improve memory and reaction speed, and may even help extend life.
Many people have experienced being unable to sleep after drinking coffee because of mental excitement. This is because there is a conductive substance called adenosine in the human body, which can control nerve activity, slow breathing, weaken emotions, reduce gastric acid secretion and diuresis. Caffeine can forge adenosine, making the body think that the effect of adenosine has occurred, making the body feel energetic, increasing gastric acid, and increasing the frequency of urination, which naturally makes it more difficult to fall asleep. This short-term awakening caused by caffeine does not mean that physical strength has really recovered. In addition, everyone has different metabolic rates and sensitivities to caffeine, so some people do not feel that their sleep is affected after drinking coffee. Therefore, drinking a cup of hot coffee after getting up in the morning can make people feel more comfortable, but it may cause insomnia at night.
As people pay more and more attention to the problem of calcium loss and osteoporosis, they have also generated considerable doubts about coffee. As for the relationship between caffeine intake and osteoporosis, it is still under study. There is no direct evidence that caffeine can cause osteoporosis, but some studies have pointed out that caffeine can increase calcium loss. Therefore, it is recommended that coffee lovers should eat more high-calcium foods to supplement calcium, such as preparing cheese slices or cheesecakes to enjoy with coffee, which can not only supplement calcium, but also make coffee more delicious.
However, we also need to realize that coffee is not everything in my life. While it may bring us many benefits, we also need to maintain interest and enthusiasm for other things. We cannot allow coffee to be the sole focus of our lives, but rather consider it as a part of life, in harmony with other activities and interests.
Therefore, it is recommended to drink coffee in moderation every day and pay attention to the following points:
Control intake: The daily caffeine intake is recommended to be no more than 400 mg, which is equivalent to about 4 cups of ordinary coffee. Excessive intake of caffeine may cause adverse reactions such as palpitations and anxiety.
Avoid drinking it before going to bed: Caffeine can stay in the body for more than 6 hours. Therefore, try to avoid drinking coffee at night or near bedtime to avoid affecting sleep quality.
Avoid drinking on an empty stomach: Drinking coffee on an empty stomach may stimulate gastric acid secretion, causing stomach discomfort or even gastritis. It is recommended to drink coffee after eating to reduce irritation to the gastric mucosa.
Avoid interactions with other drugs: If you are taking other drugs, you should be aware that coffee may interact with them and affect the efficacy of the drug.
