The benefits of espresso coffee🤩🤩 

A widespread drink and highly appreciated in many parts of the globe, every day billions of people rely on the caffeine contained in it to wake up, have an energy surplus in the afternoon or work at night, but for our health.

Is coffee good or bad for your health?

What are its benefits?

And what are the harmful effects?

How many coffees can I drink per day?

How many of us consider the ritual of coffee indispensable, despite not having a clear understanding of the relationship between the consumption of this drink and the real effects on the body. The most controversial effects concern in particular the possible repercussions of coffee on cardiovascular well-being, but also other aspects such as its role on the functioning of the nervous sphere deserve further study. Let's dissolve doubts and answer the question of whether coffee is bad or good for health thanks to the support of scientific evidence.

What is caffeine?

Caffeine is a natural stimulant, an alkaloid contained in coffee but not only, in smaller quantities also in other foods, such as tea, cocoa, cola, guarana and mate. In particular, it blocks a neurotransmitter that causes drowsiness. This improves energy levels, mood and certain brain functions such as memory, attention and response times. In addition, caffeine can increase adrenaline levels and also induce significant improvements in physical performance. Then it increases metabolism and helps burn fat. As always, what can harm your health depends on the amount, how much caffeine you take. In case of excessive consumption, in fact, it can cause a form of addiction known as "caffeinism" that causes more or less acute symptoms depending on the sensitivity, such as: tachycardia, poor digestion, gastroesophageal reflux, nervousness, irritability and insomnia.

For some scholars at the American University in Washington, it is a legalized drug that creates real manifestations of abstinence. This would also be demonstrated by the study published in the Journal of Caffeine Research by Dr. Laura Juliano which highlights the great difficulty of stopping caffeine in heart patients, hypertensive, with panic attacks, or pregnant women, despite the strong motivation linked to the health of the fetus. The American Psychiatric Association has officially recognized "Caffeine Use Disorder" as a real health problem. To answer the question of whether coffee is good or bad for our health, I try to shed some light on this topic, also using sector studies and scientific evidence.

1. Coffee is rich in polyphenols and more.

Coffee is rich in powerful antioxidants such as polyphenols. In addition, this drink contains other fundamental nutrients including riboflavin, pantothenic acid, manganese, potassium, magnesium and niacin. Several studies show that those who regularly consume coffee have a lower risk of contracting type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, liver cirrhosis and depression. However it can cause increases in blood pressure, which usually decrease over time by abandoning the use of caffeine. But it does not increase the risk of heart disease and slightly reduces that of stroke. In addition, research shows that those who regularly consume coffee live longer and have a lower risk of premature death.

2. Coffee helps prevent diabetes

Extensive research on the relationship between coffee, caffeine and diabetes has shown that eating two to three coffees a day reduces the risk of developing diabetes. It goes without saying that adding sugar to the cup of coffee, even if it is cane, produces a glycemic peak that leads in the opposite direction with respect to the fight against diabetes. It is preferable to resort to less harmful sugar substitutes, such as stevia, or, even better, get used to not sweetening at all.

3. Coffee is a great ally for those who want to lose weight

Mainly due to its caffeine content, coffee is a drink that increases thermogenesis, that is, it facilitates the process by which the body burns energy in the form of heat. Indulging in a few cups of coffee every day can help activate your metabolism and support weight loss.

One of the effects of caffeine is represented by lipolysis that frees fatty acids from adipose tissue depositing in the blood, promotes thermogenesis and accelerates energy metabolism. This does not mean at all that it makes us dispose of fat due to excess food or a poor energy balance, since to achieve and maintain a healthy weight are essential a properly set nutritional plan and good physical exercise, even moderate but daily. In addition, the diuretic action of coffee acts as a support for those suffering from water retention, while the anorectic effect (or reduction of appetite) could also be used to contain attacks of nervous hunger.

4. Coffee improves mood and psychomotor performance

According to a study by the National Institutes of Health, those who consume about four cups of espresso a day are 10% less likely to enter a state of depression, compared to those who do not drink any at all. This effect is due to its high antioxidant content. The Harvard School of Public Health has confirmed this hypothesis and stated that for those who take caffeine the risk of suicide is reduced by 50% for both men and women. To obtain these effects as we mentioned previously we must not exaggerate, according to the Finnish study exceeding four cups of coffee a day, can instead cause the opposite effects, leading instead to depression. Coffee also has beneficial effects on physical performance, in fact, according to a report by the New York Times, caffeine increases fatty acids within the blood. This makes you able to run, pedal or exercise longer. According to researchers at Coventry University, to be able to improve sports performance it is necessary to drink at least 3-4 espresso coffees.

5. Coffee and caffeine against Alzheimer's disease

Research conducted by Yassa and then published in Nature Neuroscience has verified that the intake of a good dose of coffee and caffeine also improves longevity and has protective effects on the brain and on the preservation of neurons. For example, coffee could have a positive impact on Alzheimer's prevention. Yassa's research involved 150 non-regular caffeine users. Half of the participants were given a dose of caffeine to the others instead of a placebo effect. The next day all 150 participants saw pictures, which had already been shown to them the day before. These were submitted to him mixed, or the images were similar but not the same. Looking at the images, those who took caffeine the day before were able to remember them and find the greatest number of differences, compared to those who did not. So the study concluded that caffeine intake acts on memory and promotes its proper preservation over time, thus preventing diseases such as Alzheimer's.

Official conclusions

Based on the available data, EFSA's Panel reached the following conclusions for adults. Single doses of caffeine up to 200 mg (or up to 3 mg per kilogram of body weight) do not cause safety concerns for healthy adults. However, single doses of 100 mg of caffeine may affect sleep duration and quality in some adults, especially when consumed shortly before bedtime. Taking caffeine up to 400 mg per day, consumed later in the day, typically poses no safety concerns for healthy adults, except for pregnant women.

 

Personal conclusions

The evaluation of how many cups of coffee per day are advisable is something absolutely subjective. We have seen that for some people (pregnant women) and in the presence of certain diseases such as hypertension, heart disease, gastritis, gastroesophageal reflux, etc. ..) Coffee is not recommended.

In my personal evaluation, I would advise a healthy adult not to exceed 1-2 cups of coffee per day.