In recent studies on the effects of coffee and caffeine, its main active ingredient, the results were reassuring in relation to health. Its consumption has been linked to a reduction in the risk of all types of diseases, including Parkinson’s disease, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, gallstones, depression, suicide, cirrhosis, liver cancer, melanoma and prostate cancer.
In numerous studies around the world, daily consumption of four or five 8-ounce cups of coffee, equivalent to about 400 milligrams of caffeine, has been associated with a reduction in mortality rates. “In a study of more than 200,000 participants followed for 30 years, people who drank three to five cups of coffee a day, with or without caffeine, were 15 percent less likely to die prematurely, for any cause, above the people who avoided coffee,” he said. Jane Brody, in his health column for The New York Times.
In a report published last summer by a research team from the Harvard University School of Public Health, it was estimated that consuming coffee or caffeine in moderation “can be part of a healthy lifestyle.” In these studies, it was concluded that the risk of suicide was reduced by 50 percent among men and women who were moderate coffee consumers. Many surmise that drinking stimulates the production of brain chemicals that have antidepressant effects. “Overall, despite several concerns that have arisen out of the blue over the years, coffee is incredibly safe and may have several important benefits,” he said. Walter C. Willett, professor of nutrition and epidemiology Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health.
However, during pregnancy it is not recommended that consumption option. “That does not mean that coffee is the best certificate of good health. Caffeine crosses the placenta and reaches the fetus, and drinking coffee during pregnancy can increase the risk of miscarriage, low birth weight, and premature birth. Pregnancy alters the way the body metabolizes caffeine and women who are pregnant or breastfeeding are advised to abstain completely, they can only drink decaffeinated coffee.”
It is known that the most common negative effect associated with coffee is sleep disturbance. In the brain, caffeine binds to the same receptor as the neurotransmitter adenosine, a natural sedative. Willett, one of the authors of the Harvard report, explained: “I really like coffee, but I only drink it once in a while because otherwise I don’t sleep very well. “Many people with sleep problems don’t recognize the connection with coffee.”
“It is not necessary to completely eliminate consumption to minimize the impact on sleep,” the researcher explained, but acknowledged that a person’s sensitivity to caffeine “is likely to increase with age.” People also metabolize coffee at a highly variable rate, so some can sleep soundly after drinking caffeinated coffee at dinner, while others have trouble sleeping if they drink coffee at lunch.
Caffeine is one of more than a thousand chemicals in coffee, not all of which are beneficial. Among those that also have positive effects are polyphenols and antioxidants. Polyphenols can inhibit the growth of cancer cells and reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes; antioxidants, which have anti-inflammatory effects, can counteract heart disease and cancer.
None of this implies that coffee is beneficial regardless of its preparation. When brewed without a paper filter, such as in a French press, Norwegian boil coffee, espresso, or Turkish coffee, oily chemicals called diterpenes are produced that can increase artery-damaging LDL cholesterol. However, these chemicals are almost not found in filtered and instant coffee.
Popular add-ins that some people use, such as cream, also counteract the potential health benefits of coffee, as they can turn this calorie-free drink into a high-calorie dessert. “All the things people put in their coffee can result in a junk food with up to 500 or 600 calories,” Willett said. On the other hand, decaffeinated coffee is not completely devoid of health benefits; the polyphenols it contains have anti-inflammatory properties that can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes and cancer.
by RN
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