Coffee Benefits

Coffee: The health benefits and possible side effects

People working for long hours and students study late nightstand in need of coffee every so often. You definitely know why? Because it stimulates their nervous activity and makes them work for long hours. It is not really surprising that this cup of coffee is actually healthy and there are many health benefits but there are some drawbacks also.

Nutrition in Coffee:

One eight-ounce cup of regular coffee contains about (1):

  • 2.4 calories
  • 0 grams of fat
  • 0 grams of sugar
  • 0.3 grams of protein
  • 0.2 milligrams vitamin B2 riboflavin
  • 116 milligrams potassium

Whereas, the following nutrition information is provided by the USDA for 1 cup (270g) of black coffee with no cream or sugar added (2).

  • Calories: 1
  • Fat: 0g
  • Sodium: 6mg
  • Carbohydrates: 0g
  • Fiber: 0g
  • Sugars: 0g
  • Protein: 0.3g

Health benefits of drinking coffee

Let us see those benefits of coffee we may wonder about and unwittingly taking advantage of.

  1. Enhances physical performance: A cup of coffee completely changes the algorithms of the mind and makes you feel refreshed and energized. An hour prior to your workout if you consume it will help increases adrenaline levels in the blood and enhances your performance by 11- 12 percent. Adrenaline is the “fight or flight” hormone, which prepares your body for exertion during the workout.
  2. Weight loss: Coffee increases your metabolism by up to 20 percent. It causes fats to break down and to release free fatty acids in the bloodstreams to further use them as a fuel. This entire fat burning process during exercise helps with weight loss.
  3. Lowers the mortality rate: Coffee lovers have a lower risk of overall mortality compared to those who don’t drink. So, stick to a cup of coffee every day and enjoy a long life.
  4. Reduces risk of cancer: It may decrease the risk of developing prostate cancer in men and endometrial cancer in women. It also prevents the most common skin cancer called basal cell carcinoma.
  5. Helps fight depression: Depression is becoming the major issue worldwide and many deaths have occurred in the last few years. But people who drink coffee are so energized and ready for all ups and downs which help them ward off suicidal thoughts.
  6. Reduced stress: Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system and boosts the production of neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, and noradrenaline, which elevate your mood. Which further helps you feel relaxed?
  7. Improved kidney health: It is rumored that coffee may deteriorate your kidney turned out wrong. Your morning booster cup is actually good to reduce kidney health risks including kidney stones.
  8. Reduced Diabetes risk: It helps to fight back against type 2 diabetes.
  9. Improves heart health: It is a good source of niacin, which can reduce atherosclerosis and so it lowers the risk of a heart attack due to arterial plaque. But, the coffee intake must be moderate else that may put stress on your heart.
  10. Enhances respiratory health: The pantothenic acid found in caffeine is good to improve your respiratory health. So, just take a breath and enjoy your cup of Joe.
  11. Reduces muscle cramps: It is a good source of magnesium, which fight against muscle cramps as well as improves the reaction time.
  12. Improve reaction time and alertness: Add coffee to your routine and see the wonders. It does change your brain algorithms and increase energy and blood circulation in no time. It results in improved reaction time and alertness.
  13. Reduces retinal damage: Antioxidants in the coffee can be a powerful protector against retinal damage. Hence, to keep your retinas healthy is as easy as to consume a cup of coffee.
  14. Good for the liver: Diseases including cirrhosis and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) can be cast aside by a cup of coffee. Even coffee drinkers have a 40 percent lower risk of developing liver cancer.
  15. Reduces gum risk: It has a quite bad reputation for mouth ailments like staining of the teeth and bad breath. Whereas, coffee is good to reduce gum diseases and effective cavity fighter.

The right time to drink

Try drinking coffee in the mid-morning or two to three hours after waking up or early-afternoon for the best outcomes. The best time to consume coffee is to make use of the dips in your cortisol levels when you need an additional boost likely between 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 and 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.

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Studies have shown that drinking up to four 8-ounce cups of coffee per day is risk-free. Consumption of coffee within reasonable amounts just might be one of the healthiest things you can do. However, empty stomach consumption must be avoided as it may harm your stomach lining and trigger indigestion and heartburn. It can even enhance anxiety and hinder your ability to focus.

Additionally, it shouldn’t be taken with a meal or right away after any meal because it will certainly prevent iron (from food) to absorb properly in the body. You should wait at least 1-2 hours after a meal for caffeine.

Drinking coffee at night could be bad for you. New, preliminary research suggests that late-night caffeine consumption could be messing with your body’s internal sense of time and even makes you feel crappy and sluggish during the day.

Wait…is it bad for you?

Well, every coin has a flip side and so our coffee has. There numerous benefits to it and very few drawbacks, if you take an overdose of it. So, kick-start your day with good quality and quantity of Joe.

  • It can be toxic: Quality matters in case of coffee too. Bad quality of coffee may turn out to be the cause of your sickness, headache, or a general bad feeling.
  • It can kill you: The excess amount of any commodity can lead you to death. So the coffee is. If you drink 80-100 cups (23 liters) in short duration then you are duly prone to kill yourself. 10-13 grams of caffeine is highly perilous to health.
  • Causes insomnia and restlessness: We are well informed about caffeine that it stimulates our nervous system and raises the alertness. If you drink a bit more quantity of coffee (4 cups of coffee in a day) then it may lead to insomnia (lack of sleep).
  • Affect fetus: If you are pregnant and still consuming your regular dose of coffee then your fetus would be in danger. It is highly recommended to quit coffee or at least lower your intake.
  • Increase bedwetting: Caffeine consumption by 5-7-year-old kids may increase the risk of bedwetting.
  • Reduces bone density: It contributes to osteoporosis and increases the risk of bone fracture. But, it is only associated with a high quantity of coffee intake.

Caffeine Addiction

All of us have this presumption that just coffee has high levels of caffeine but that is not the instance. Beverages like cokes and also delicious chocolate items consist of caffeine. A hot cup of coffee with the early morning sunlight seems so alluring and also renewing.

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It has the ability to keep you awake and help burn that midnight oil in time of dire need and assists you to socialize by letting you run into among your colleagues in the office which otherwise wouldn’t have actually taken place.

Having coffee can help you remain alert but it is the aftermath you should be worried about the ill effects it has on your health. It is a stimulus that does wonders for your central nervous system by stressing the hormones in the bloodstream and keeping you alert and awake whenever you have it.

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This unnatural way of keeping your body alert takes a toll on your body. The normal way of functioning gets disrupted due to the intake of coffee or any other product which contains a good amount of caffeine.

As caffeine gets into our system it makes us addicted. After knowing the ill effects of caffeine if you suddenly stop taking coffee, you will face caffeine withdrawal symptoms which can be anything from a headache, irritability, fatigue, constipation, lack of appetite, lack of concentration to even forgetfulness.

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The withdrawal symptoms can be very harmful leading to stomach ulcers as the coffee can be acidic. This excess acid gets into your bloodstreams causing loss of calcium in the urine. Caffeine which has been freely used in most of the beverages has led kids to get addicted to it. The high content of sugar just makes it very popular among children which are the future generation with excess weight.

It is also the cause of abnormal fast, slow or irregular heartbeats. It is also known for increasing blood pressure which leads to constant stress and hypertension. There are increasing chances of heart disease; pancreas and bladder cancer which we all know can be very fatal.

The idea to quit caffeine should be very strong and not one to tamper with. The process should be slow and gradual. As we all know the withdrawal symptoms of caffeine are very bad. Avoid other caffeinated products which would just make matters worse.

If you happen to drink 6 cups a day, cut it down. Try to have 2 cups of green tea and 4 cups coffee and similarly as you go ahead you will completely stop till you got rid of caffeine from your life.

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