Author: Dean Rouseberg
Time for reading: ~4
minutes
Last Updated:
November 02, 2022
If you drink coffee, you've probably read more than once about how the drink helps prevent Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, how it helps you perk up before a workout, and how many antioxidants it contains. But you can't draw an incomplete picture about the properties of a particular product, concentrating on its benefits and ignoring other, not so useful consequences of consumption.
On the way to a healthy diet, we give up many bad habits: we reduce the amount of sugar, give up gluten and drink less alcoholic beverages . Coffee is often the last of the pleasures that is so hard to give up.
The reasons for this are quite clear. If slimness is the main incentive to follow a healthy diet, then coffee does not in any way (as if) contribute to excess weight, while pleasures such as cakes and cocktails often have to be paid for with extra kilograms.
Coffee remains a fairly acceptable weakness. We often condemn people who cannot resist sweets, and at the same time we believe that the need to drink coffee in the morning is a fashionable habit that will always find an excuse.
Don't demonize any food, especially if it's pleasurable. Eat with such a calculation that 90% of the food goes for the body, and 10% - for the soul. It is important to know what effect this or that food has on your body in order to make an informed choice about what to consume and what not.
If you drink coffee , you've probably read more than once about how the drink helps prevent Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, how it helps you perk up before a workout, and how many antioxidants it contains. But you can't draw an incomplete picture about the properties of a particular product, concentrating on its benefits and ignoring other, not so useful consequences of consumption.
When we drink coffee , our body releases magnesium, calcium and potassium into the blood to neutralize the oxidizing effect of the drink . These minerals are later excreted from the body. Constant and excessive consumption of coffee reduces the reserves of these minerals in the human body, and they are responsible for the health and beauty of hair, skin, eyes, etc. From the point of view of appearance, giving up coffee or limiting the amount of the drink will help you look better.
Coffee is a powerful stimulant and causes the body to produce large amounts of stress hormones called catecholamines - adrenaline, noradrenaline and dopamine. In people who regularly consume coffee , the level of these hormones is increased compared to those who do not drink coffee at all. Over time, they get used to increased stimulation.
As a result, the adrenal glands (responsible for controlling hormone surges) have to work overtime to balance the amount of hormones. If we consume too many stimulants, the adrenal glands can at some point simply wear out. It manifests itself in the inability to fall asleep at night or wake up in the morning, in a constant feeling of fatigue. Another symptom of excessive coffee consumption is dark circles under the eyes that do not go away. This is another reason to give up drinking , or at least limit its amount.
If you want to sleep better, then refrain from drinking coffee after dinner. Caffeine can remain in the body for up to 11 hours, and with some drugs up to 14. In addition, it depletes magnesium reserves, as we already know, and it is this mineral that helps us sleep.
Low iron in the blood is a fairly common problem today, and iron is directly related to energy. Eating iron-rich foods is only a partial solution, the body's ability to absorb iron is equally important. Tannin, which is found in coffee and black tea, has the ability to block the absorption of iron. Even the consumption of drinks with small amounts of caffeine can have consequences. Again, this information does not mean that you should forget about coffee forever. If you like to enjoy caffeinated beverages , just be aware of the measure and remember to add iron sources to your diet, such as eggs, spinach, legumes and meat.
Coffee relaxes the rectum and makes trips to the bathroom easier. It doesn't sound like a bad thing, but excessive coffee consumption makes the rectum lazy, and it starts to need caffeine to do its job properly. And interfering with the body's ability to self-regulate its internal health is not a very good idea.
Coffee also relaxes another part of the digestive system - the esophageal sphincter. This valve is located in the lower part of the esophagus, at the entrance to the stomach, and coffee consumption is the main reason why this valve is weakened. And this leads to acid reflux or GERD. If you suffer from these or other stomach disorders, giving up coffee can bring significant relief.