Coffee: benefits and harms for the body

The benefits and harms of coffee have been debated for years, but the drink has not lost its popularity, and new variations and varieties have appeared. Coffee can both invigorate and harm your health

Coffee is second only to oil in the world trade in terms of purchase and sale transactions. One tree bears no more than five kilograms of fruit, from which one kilogram of beans is obtained. The high cost of coffee is connected to the capriciousness and infertility of the trees, but the drink does not lose its popularity.

The Benefits of Coffee

Coffee tones the body, gives energy and improves concentration because it contains caffeine and theanine. Caffeine stimulates the absorption of micro-nutrients by neurons, including glucose. And theanine enhances the production of the hormone dopamine, which gives us a feeling of joy.

Coffee also contains two dozen amino acids, vitamins: PP, B1, B2, minerals: calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, phosphorus, iron. Coffee speeds up the heart rate and gives strength, which can be useful for people with low blood pressure or a slow heart rate.

The chlorogenic and ferulic acids in coffee help fight depression. These antioxidants prevent oxidation and destruction of nerve cells as well as reduce the sensitivity of neurons to impulses, which reduces the severity of apathy and depression.

Drinking small amounts of coffee periodically reduces the risk of diabetes. Diabetics who drink coffee are more sensitive to insulin, which lowers blood sugar.

Coffee is mildly laxative and also diuretic. If you have severe edema and water retention in the body, coffee can help flush it out.

Ground coffee is used in cosmetology, added to scrubs to cleanse the skin of keratinized particles. Coffee improves blood flow to the skin, normalizes the secretion of sebum. A strong brewed coffee is used as a mask for the hair, giving a chocolate hue and healthy shine.

The dangers of coffee

The infrequent consumption of mild coffee is not usually harmful for people without diseases. However, frequent consumption (up to five cups of coffee a day) causes brittle bones and increases the risk of fractures. Coffee acidifies the body and the body begins to take calcium from the bones to restore the pH balance. Unnecessity also leads to headaches, insomnia, high blood pressure and excessive heart rate.

Pregnant and nursing women should drink coffee as little as possible, because the baby excretes caffeine much slower and its high level may lead to malformations. It is also not good for children because of the risk of calcium washout.

Caffeine can be as addictive as a real drug. It affects the same areas of the brain as heroin or cocaine, though it is much weaker. In professional athletes coffee is regarded as doping.

The most harmful is instant coffee because of the manufacturing process. During the heat treatment the toxin acrylamide is formed. Whole beans after going through all the stages and transformation into powder lose aroma, a lot of useful substances, the concentration of caffeine is reduced. That is why flavorings and oils are often added in addition.

– Coffee is not a healthy food. It is contraindicated for people with diseases of the heart and blood vessels, bones and joints, inflammation of the stomach and intestines. Because of the strong diuretic effect, dehydration can occur. Lack of water in the cores of the intervertebral discs aggravates hernias and protrusion of the spine. For young people without disease, coffee can improve mood, stimulate brain activity and increase intestinal peristalsis. It is better to drink coffee in the daytime, not early in the morning or evening, and immediately drink a large glass of water, – advises gastroenterologist Irina Varshavskaya.

How to choose and store coffee correctly

Coffee is sold in the form of beans or already ground, as well as instant: granulated, freeze-dried, depending on the type of processing.

Most of the firms selling pre-packaged coffee or coffee by weight are resellers, not producers. All the information about the origin of beans should be studied on the packaging – the more detailed the content, the more conscientious the company-seller.

There should be no flavorings, dyes, or other additives, only grains. The strength and bitterness depends on the variety. If Robusta is mentioned, the drink will be bitter and saturated with caffeine, while Arabica is softer and more aromatic, but has less caffeine. Robusta and arabica are usually blended by producers.

Flavor is best preserved in a sealed package, so coffee on weight is usually less flavorful. In beans, coffee is stored for about a year in a dark glass or ceramic jar, in a dry and cool place, but not in the refrigerator. The aroma of ground beans wears off quickly, so the shelf life of such coffee is shorter. If the coffee is “exhausted”, you can grind it even finer or add more to the drink.