Is Coffee bad for you?
Dante FigueroaShare
Does Coffee affect your body?
Coffee is the most common stimulant in the world, and of course, have some effects on your body, but it doesn’t mean it can necessarily be bad for you.
When you drink caffeine, you feel stimulated and alert, especially in the morning, and you feel good. The downside? Some people may feel anxious. But in general, it is supposed to be protective even when drinking moderate amounts of coffee, like 3 to 4 cups daily.
When we balance all the studies made over the years about the effects of caffeine, when using moderate amounts, Coffee seems protective and even reduces the risk of overall death.
It’s been a myth for a long time that coffee may be bad for our health. For example, coffee could produce Osteoporosis, but this is only true if you drink more than 700 mg daily or 8 to 9 cups of coffee daily. The acceptable daily consumption is around 300 mg or 3 to 4 cups of coffee.
Three cups of coffee seem to lower your risk of cardiovascular diseases and decrease the risk of colon cancer or liver disease.
Although there may be some cases where your doctor will tell you to cut some cups of coffee daily, caffeine is not bad for you, multiple studies say.
Most common Myths about Coffee:
Does Coffee Detox your body?
While coffee does contain antioxidants, especially the berry fruit where it comes from, saying that coffee has detox properties is an exaggeration. The best way to clean your body is with water; our body itself has clearance systems like the Kidneys, the liver, and the gut.
Does Coffee affect your heart?
Three cups of coffee seem to lower your risk of stroke and fatal heart disease, says the European Society of Cardiology. This is due to a large study with almost half a million people and 10-15 years of following.
Many people are concerned about having arrhythmias when drinking coffee (Which are heartbeats that are too fast, slow, or irregular). A study published in JAMA with over 30000 people said caffeine is protective against arrhythmia.
Will coffee affect your growth?
When parents want to share coffee with Youngers, there is some fear of losing calcium from the bones due to caffeine.
If we take into consideration that, on average, a person drinks 80 mg a day, it will have little impact on growth, especially for young people. Side effects are seen when you take more than 700 mg daily, like 8 cups of coffee.
Coffee affects your sleep.
We should start by mentioning that Caffeine won’t give you more energy; it won’t replace a good night of sleep either. In the brain, there’s a molecule called Adenosine, a byproduct of the daily cellular activity which, when accumulated, produces feelings of tiredness and the need to sleep.
The more hours you are awake, the more Adenosine you have, and the more adenosine, the more sleepy you are.
Because Caffeine molecules are very similar, it competes with Adenosine receptors to block their effect on sleep. That’s how it keeps you awake. But when the effects of coffee wear off, the Adenosine is still there; and you will fall asleep.
Caffeine has a 1/2-life of 5 hours. It means that 5 hours later, after your cup of coffee, you still have 50% o caffeine in your body. That’s why some people cannot drink coffee later in the afternoon or earlier at night.
Coffee will dehydrate you.
Coffee is a mild diuretic, so you will need a significant amount of coffee, even more, if you add sugar. But remember that you drink coffee with water, compensating for the liquid you lose.
Does Decaf have no caffeine?
Decaf is not entirely without caffeine; it has less than usual coffee, but not zero. A Decaf cup of coffee has around 15% caffeine compared with a regular cup.
Is Coffee a laxative?
It may have different effects on people. For some causes constipation, and for others is a bowel stimulant. It seems that caffeine and decaf could have the same effect.
Another factor may explain why your morning cup of Java can make you poop.
For example, the act of drinking can make the colon more active. It is called the gastrocolic reflex. The same reflex activates the colon after you eat a meal.
While coffee isn’t considered a meal, it may have a similar impact on your bowels.
It is unclear what compounds of coffee have the most significant impact. But coffee could be a good alternative for those with difficulty going to the bathroom.
Again, if you drink coffee in moderation, less than 3-4 cups daily, you could enjoy the benefits of this beverage and avoid its side effects.
The Johns Hopkins University recently reported that “it’s safe for most people to drink
three to five cups of coffee a day with a maximum intake of 400
milligrams of caffeine.”
They reported multiple benefits of drinking coffee, including the following:
- Coffee contains antioxidants and other active substances that may reduce internal inflammation.
- Coffee decreases breakage in DNA strands, which occurs naturally as we age.
- Coffee drinkers were less likely to develop many health problems.
- Coffee is chock full of healthy antioxidants and compounds.
Certain groups should be careful about drinking coffee, according to the article. Not much is known about the effects of coffee on children, and caffeine could affect those who are pregnant.
Too much caffeine can also cause anxiety in people with panic or anxiety disorders.