The Pros and Cons of Caffeine | ExpatWomanFood.com
 
 

The Pros and Cons of Caffeine

How harmful is your morning cuppa?

Posted on

12 February 2014

Posted by

ewfood

There are many kinds of addictions that manifest in different ways in our bodies. People with a sweet tooth may be incapable of ending a meal off without some sort of dessert, similarly people who are reliant on caffeine find it very difficult to start the day without their morning joe. Today we take a look at the pros and cons of our daily cup of coffee. The kind of coffee that is discussed in this article is black, filtered coffee, not instant, two in one or a caramel mocha Frappuccino, all of which should not be consumed regularly as they contain ingredients full of sugar, fat and preservatives. If you are going to drink coffee, do it properly, be a snob and only drink the good stuff.

CaffeineThe Pros

1. Moderate coffee drinkers, that is people who drink between one and four cups of coffee daily, reduce their risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. This, according to experts, is because the anti-oxidants in coffee prevent cell damage in the brain. Coffee has also been shown to boost neurotransmitters that serve a cognitive function. Some experts are even saying that compound in the coffee are able to activate a DNA repairing protein in cells, possibly preventing DNA damage that could lead to cells becoming cancerous.

2. Regular coffee consumption is said to lower the risk of the formation of kidney stones due to the fact that it increases the urine volume.

3. Frequent coffee consumption has been linked with a lowered risk of developing type 2 diabetes as antioxidant compounds in coffee boost the cells’ sensitivity to insulin thus assisting in the regulation of blood sugar.

4. Regular coffee consumption reduces the risk of Parkinson disease. A number of studies have found that people who drink coffee are significantly less likely to develop Parkinson’s disease.

5. Moderate coffee drinkers have lower rates of strokes. Experts say that this may be due to the fact that compounds in coffee may boost the activation of nitric oxide, a substance that widens the blood vessels. However for people who consume more than four cups daily the opposite is true.

6. Though research is limited, it is believed by some that drinking coffee lowers the risk of cirrhosis and other liver diseases.

7. Caffeine is a known stimulant that promotes alertness, attention and wakefulness. The caffeine in a cup of coffee can also increase information processing.

The Cons

1. Some people are caffeine sensitive can experience irritability and anxiety when they have too much. The caffeine causes nerve cell activity to increase and the blood vessels to constrict thus creating a buzz. People who drink coffee on a regular basis build up a tolerance to the caffeine and will need to consume some just to reach a regular level of alertness.

2. Trouble sleeping? Try having your last cup of coffee eight hours before bedtime, otherwise switch to decaf in the afternoons.

3. Unfiltered coffee, such as Turkish coffee contains higher levels of cafestol and kahweol, a compound that can increase the body’s levels of LDL cholesterol. Drink filtered coffee instead. 

4.Coffee causes arteriole stiffness and wave reflection.

5. Coffee has been associated with rapid an irregular heartbeats.

6. Coffee is a mild diuretic, this means that it increases urine volume and excretion resulting in dehydration. This is the reason that a person should always have a glass of water with their coffee.

7. Caffeine is addictive and when coffee drinking becomes habitual it is difficult to function normally without it. Like any other addictive substance one may experience withdrawal symptoms when they have no coffee or caffeinated products.


 
 
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