Drinking Coffee – Learn About Ways To Make This Habit Healthy!
Coffee is widely consumed around the world and is an excellent source of antioxidants and essential minerals. However, we must adapt coffee drinking to our individual physical and psychological requirements. This is very important due to the stimulating effect of caffeine. Do you know what the effects of drinking coffee are ?
The effects of drinking coffee
Coffee is a food product that is credited with many benefits and properties. The most important effects that drinking coffee can bring are:
Reduced risk of type 2 diabetes
People who drink coffee regularly may be 25 to 40% less likely to develop diabetes.
Coffee consumption increases the level of some plasma proteins responsible for regulating the activity of testosterone and estrogen. This, in turn, prevents the development of type 2 diabetes.
Drinking coffee reduces the risk of liver disease
Coffee consumption is also associated with the prevention of cirrhosis of the liver. The most common causes of this fatal disease are excessive alcohol consumption, but also hepatitis B. In addition, there are other studies suggesting that coffee drinking reduces the risk of liver cancer by 40%.
Drinking coffee provides the body with antioxidants
Coffee contains many nutrients necessary for our body. These are mainly B vitamins. Niacin, riboflavin and pantothenic acid are essential for our neuromuscular system.
Coffee simulates the central nervous system
Caffeine is the most consumed stimulant in the world. Its consumption increases the level of dopamine and norepinephrine, which accelerate the activity of the brain. As a consequence, there is an increase in energy levels, reaction time and an improvement in cognitive function in general. This is why coffee drinking is widely used among students and white-collar workers.
However, coffee also has numerous side effects, such as heartburn or the formation of ulcers in the digestive tract. In addition, it increases the level of anxiety and blood pressure, and can also cause insomnia, etc. Therefore, drinking coffee is contraindicated in some cases, which we will see below.
Healthy coffee drinking habits
In order to consume caffeine responsibly and consciously, we must take into account the factors outlined below.
Risk groups
There are certain groups of people. who suffer from certain physical or mental disorders . People belonging to these groups should not exceed specific doses of caffeine or they must completely eliminate it from their diet.
Please read carefully and consider whether you have any of the features listed below. If this is the case, we recommend consulting a specialist physician to determine whether coffee consumption is contraindicated in your particular case.
- Pregnancy or lactation period. Caffeine can be passed on to the baby by the mother, which negatively affects its development and generates stress and anxiety.
- Anemia. If you are deficient in iron and are taking supplementation, it is advisable to control your caffeine intake as it hinders the proper absorption of the mineral.
- Pharmacological treatment. In some cases, caffeine may increase the side effects of medications, so consult your doctor or pharmacist during treatment.
- Insomnia or anxiety. Consuming caffeine is completely contraindicated for people suffering from sleep disorders or undergoing an anxiety crisis.
- Osteoporosis. As with the absorption of iron supplements, caffeine makes it difficult for your body to absorb calcium properly.
- Hypertension. Coffee can raise your blood pressure, so consult your healthcare professional for recommended amounts of this drink.
- Gastritis. Caffeine can irritate the gastric mucosa, causing discomfort to people who suffer from some ailment or pathology related to the digestive system.
Include coffee drinking in a healthy and balanced diet
Unfortunately, we repeatedly make mistakes when drinking coffee when we add sugar, condensed milk and even cream to it. Most often, when drinking coffee, we also eat cookies, sweets, cakes or other industrial confectionery products. In these cases, it is not coffee that is harmful, but the calories and processed fats that come with its consumption.
It is advisable to include coffee in our diet by adding vegetable drinks (coconut, almond or soy milk) to it. It can also be served with unsweetened milk and healthy toppings such as fruit or whole grains. In this way, we will not only get the benefits of coffee consumption, but also maintain good eating habits.
