COFFEE: FRIEND OR FOE???

Coffee: Delicious, smoothy, enticing, tempting, tasteful and obviously brain stimulator... Coffee has played a crucial role in many societies. Many of us just love that rich aroma and taste of coffee, that ‘buzz’ it gives.

 

 Wow...

What else anybody want in this stressful environment.... hmmmm.......

But is it good? What you think?????????????

Let’s explore the negative and the positive effects of coffee....

Coffee contains a complex mixture of chemical compounds. Some components, particularly those related to the aroma, are produced during roasting of the green beans. The substances which during "brewing" dissolve in water to form the beverage are classified as non volatile taste components (including caffeine, trigonelline, chlorogenic acid, phenolic acids, amino acids, carbohydrates, and minerals) and volatile aroma components including organic acids, aldehydes, ketones, esters, amines, and mercaptans.

Most coffee in India is grown in the southern states of Karanataka, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala.

Some of the beneficial effects of coffee are...

• As coffee contains caffeine, increases dopamine levels in the brain. Dopamine is a chemical nerve transmitter that activates the pleasure centre in the brain. That’s why you feel good after taking coffee.

• Coffee enhances your work performance. Caffeine is actually a stimulant, it improves your focus, increase attention span, improve mental performance and also energize your mood.

• Coffee enhances your physical performance also.

• A study published in the journal Molecular Nutrition & Food Research showed that people who drank four daily cups of coffee lost 1.5 pounds of body fat in four weeks.

• According to a European study, your daily cup of coffee reduces oxidative damage to your DNA by an impressive 40 percent. Coffee contains polyphenols which help protect cells from oxidation, regulate insulin and reduce inflammation.

NOT ONLY THIS ....

• A study conducted by Karolinska Institute in Stockholm found coffee drinkers had a lower incidence of breast cancer. They analysed data from almost 6,000 women who were past the menopause.

• Harvard School of Public Health, Boston states that there are a lot of compounds in coffee that have various biological effects. It's a major source of antioxidants and that might have anti-cancer effects.

• Also, coffee seems to have effects on insulin and has been associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes.

• According to a new study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, consumption of filtered caffeinated coffee was not associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) or all-cause mortality in women with CVD (May 2011).

• According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, several large studies have shown that caffeine intake is associated with a reduced risk of developing Parkinson's disease ... in men

• It also found that coffee drinkers may have a lower risk for developing type 2 diabetes, gallstones, colon cancer, and have a lower risk of liver damage

BUT ON THE OTHER HAND THERE ARE NUMBER OF RESEARCHES WHICH HAVE ALSO CONCLUDED THE NEGATIVE EFFECT OF COFFEE. THEY ARE.....

Insomnia and disruption of sleep patterns; tremors, nervousness, restlessness, and irritability; headaches; elevation of blood fatty acid levels; elevation of blood pressure, serum cholesterol levelsincreased gastric acid production and aggravation of peptic ulcers;higher risk of the birth of a low-birth-weight child and increased urinary calcium losses.

In addition, the use of coffee reduces the non-heme iron absorption of a meal by 40 to 60%, thereby increasing the risk of anemia.

THE KEY IS MODERATION

The quantity of coffee consumption matters a lot. If consumed is moderate amounts will act as a key to lock all the health related problems and disorders.

The September 2004 issue of Harvard Women's Health Watch found that, for most people, moderate coffee consumption is safe.

The research has not only confirmed that moderate coffee consumption doesn't cause harm, it's also uncovered possible benefits.

Studies show that the risk for type 2 diabetes is lower among regular coffee drinkers than among those who don't drink it. Also, coffee may reduce the risk of developing gallstones, discourage the development of colon cancer, improve cognitive function, reduce the risk of liver damage in people at high risk for liver disease, and reduce the risk of Parkinson's disease.

Coffee has also been shown to improve endurance performance in long-duration physical activities.

MY VERDICT ON COFFEE

• Moderate consumption of coffee. Not more that 2 cups in a day.

• Try to avoid coffee after 5pm because sleep is important for proper physical functioning and caffeine can stay in your system for 8 hours or longer.

 

• Coffee enhances the physical performance as caffeine can speed up metabolism and can help fat break down about 30 per cent more efficiently if consumed prior to exercise. So those who need to reduce weight they can drink coffee before exercise.

• Coffee can lead to dehydration during exercise due to the diuretic effect of caffeine, so to rehydrate your body drink water in between the exercise and an isotonic drink that contains sodium, potassium and some sugar would be ideal to aid in restoring blood sugar and the lost electrolytes.

• Avoid drinking coffee or even tea with your breakfast, lunch and dinner because it hinders in the absorption of nutrients specially iron and calcium

• So if you want to consume tea and coffee try to consume before or after half an hour of your meal.

So finally we can conclude that coffee is a friend if consumed in a moderate amount but keep an eye on yourself buddy as excess can lead to disasters.....

Content courtesy: http://www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/coffee_health_risk, http://health.usnews.com/health-news/family-health/cancer/articles/2011/05/17/could-coffee-lower-mens-risk-for-prostate-cancer, http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20110517/health-fitness/Coffee-could-protect-women-from-cancer.365831, http://www.naturalproductsinsider.com/news/2011/05/coffee-consumption-cvd-in-women-not-linked.aspx, http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/questions/coffee/, http://stress.about.com/od/stresshealth/a/caffeine.htm.

Images courtesy: getahead.rediff.com, home-living-news.co.uk, blog.thecoffeebump.com