Coffee: good or bad?
Coffee is one of the most popular drinks. Every day people drink about 2.25 billion cups of coffee worldwide. Debates whether this invigorating beverage is harmful or beneficial have been going on for a very long time. Fortunately for coffee lovers, more and more scientists confirm the fact that drinking coffee not only doesn't harm the body, but even has its benefits if consumed in reasonable doses.
Here are the most interesting facts and scientific research about coffee:
Coffee contains many healthful elements
The most active of them is caffeine. One cup of coffee contains an average of 90-100 mg of caffeine.
Caffeine helps to burn fat
Some studies indicate that caffeine increases the amount of fat burned by 3-11%. Other studies say that caffeine enhances metabolism by 10% within the overweight category of people and 29% within the people with low body weight.
That happens due to the fact that under the influence of caffeine our body receives a message that it needs to burn fat reserves. Caffeine also stimulates the release of the adrenaline hormone, which helps our body perform intense physical exercise.
The normal amount of caffeine differs depending on the individual characteristics of the body
The Ministry of health of Canada and the Academy of Sciences of America have established that a healthy person can consume up to 400 mg of caffeine daily. By the way, one cup of espresso contains 77 mg of caffeine.
Caffeine provides us with energy for the whole day
Caffeine is slowly eliminated from the body, which is why strong coffee can keep you alert for more than 10 hours.
Caffeine is no longer included in the list of drugs determined by the World Anti-Doping Agency (since 2004)
Therefore, professional athletes can enjoy the benefits of this beverage.
In certain controlled doses, caffeine has a positive effect on mood, memory and attention
According to some studies this effect is observed when a person with total body weight of 70 kg consumes 70-350 mg of caffeine.
Regular caffeine consumption increases caffeine tolerances
The more caffeine we consume, the less it affects the body. Therefore, experts recommend occasionally exclude coffee from your diet (for several weeks or even months). If you happen to drink coffee 1-2 times a week, your caffeine tolerances won't be affected.
Everyone has their own level of sensitivity to caffeine
There are three types of sensitivity. For those having the first type, even a small dose of caffeine leads to insomnia, heart palpitations and other symptoms of overdosing. People with the second type experience no changes in the body when they drink coffee. Only 10% of population has the third type. They don't feel any different even consuming high doses of caffeine.
Coffee can lose its beneficial effect on the body if it is consumed together with sugar
That was confirmed by a study conducted by MJ Arnaud in 2009. Therefore, it is better to drink coffee with no sugar.
Caffeine can cause insomnia
Coffee is a very powerful stimulant. Don't drink it in the evening and particularly before going to bed.
Coffee is not the only product that contains caffeine
It is also found in black tea (10-40 mg per liter) and chocolate (430 mg per kilogram).
You want coffee to be only beneficial? Then don't abuse it. The optimal dose is determined to be 2-4 cups a day. Keeping this in mind you will experience all the advantages of drinking coffee. It will provide you with energy and keep you in a good mood for the whole day.
