Caffeine is rightfully considered one of the best natural stimulants. It reduces the feeling of fatigue, increases attention and improves mood. The main sources of this substance are coffee, tea, mate and chocolate.

How does caffeine affect the human body? How much coffee or tea a day will not cause harm? Is it possible to get poisoned by caffeine? Let's figure it out.

Why does caffeine “invigorate”?

First, when caffeine enters the body, it mimics the neurohormone adenosine, which slows down nerve impulses and causes drowsiness. Caffeine blocks adenosine receptors in the brain and other organs, preventing this substance from binding to them.

Thus, it suppresses relaxation, increases attention and reaction speed.

Secondly, caffeine stimulates the release of the hormone adrenaline, which increases the heart rate and blood pressure, and also increases blood flow to the muscles and provokes the entry of glucose into the blood from its depot in the liver.

Third, caffeine increases levels of the neurohormone dopamine in the brain. This substance is responsible for feelings of well-being and happiness. It is the feeling of vigor and lift after a good cup of coffee that causes caffeine addiction.

Can caffeine help you sober up?

According to a common myth, caffeine is not only a strong tonic, but also a substance that can combat the effects of alcohol consumption.

When is caffeine safe?

For most people, a safe daily dose of caffeine is 300 mg. This is the equivalent of three small cups of strong coffee.
However, do not forget that the level of caffeine in different types of tea, coffee and chocolate may vary.

In addition, some people have increased sensitivity to caffeine. Already 100 mg this substance can cause unpleasant overdose symptoms in them.

The lethal dose of caffeine ranges from 10 to 20 g. However, it is quite difficult to die from caffeine abuse. To kill a person weighing about 70 kg in such a sophisticated way, you would need to treat him to 100 cups of coffee at once.

When is there too much caffeine?

The symptoms of a caffeine overdose are fairly easy to recognize. These include:

• cardiopalmus
• increased anxiety
• insomnia
• diarrhea
• frequent urination
• dizziness
• cramps in the stomach and intestines
• flushed face
• thirsty
• nausea
• headache

Symptoms of hypersensitivity to caffeine are very similar to those that occur with a caffeine overdose. Attention: they can occur when consuming products even with a small content of this substance - for example, chocolate!

What makes you sensitive to caffeine?

• With age, sensitivity to caffeine increases.
• Women are more sensitive to caffeine than men.
• Cardiovascular disease increases susceptibility to the effects of caffeine.
• Irregular caffeine consumption. The less often a person drinks drinks rich in caffeine, the more sensitive he is to this substance.
• Interaction with medications. The compatibility of the medicine with caffeine is usually written in the instructions for use.
• Reduced weight increases sensitivity to caffeine.

Is caffeine a drug?

Caffeine is a stimulant that may be addictive, if you regularly consume it in excess. This substance is often called “the most popular legal drug in the world.”

Abruptly stopping the consumption of caffeine-containing drinks can cause withdrawal symptoms.

Generally, the more caffeine a person consumes, the higher their chances of developing unpleasant symptoms caused by the lack of caffeine. The first signs of “coffee withdrawal” begin 12-14 hours after the last cup of coffee or energy drink.

Symptoms of Caffeine Withdrawal Syndrome

• chills
• decreased attention
• depressed mood
• difficulty concentrating
• drowsiness
• irritability
• muscle pain

When these symptoms occur, it means that you are drinking too many caffeinated drinks and your body has developed an addiction. In this case, experts recommend significantly reducing the daily dose of caffeine or abandoning it altogether.

The most important

Caffeine is a natural stimulant that helps you feel alert and relieve drowsiness. However, if the safe dose of caffeine is exceeded, symptoms of an overdose may appear, and addiction to this substance may develop.

Humanity has been drinking coffee for a long time, and during this time the drink has acquired many admirers and opponents, including among famous historical figures. One of the first Russian coffee lovers was Emperor Peter I, who literally forced his entourage to drink coffee every day, which greatly contributed to the promotion of the drink in Russia. Coffee came to us from the Arab East, where the culture of its consumption is still widespread to this day. The drink has long been credited with having a positive effect on the well-being and performance of the human body. The drink is surrounded by a variety of legends and rumors, including fierce debate about the benefits of coffee for the human body and its effect on health. The never-ending war between tea and coffee producers contributes to the fierce debate between opponents and supporters.

Where is the truth hidden? Promoters of a healthy lifestyle have a negative attitude towards the use of this drink. On the other hand, doctors do not prevent the spread of coffee as an excellent tonic. So what effect does the drink have on the body and what are the harms and benefits of coffee for health?

What does coffee contain?

Classic coffee is a natural drink made from coffee beans, roasted, ground and brewed in a Turkish coffee pot. Instant and green coffee are separate drinks, but we will talk about them too.

The effect of coffee on the body is determined by several substances. The most pronounced effect on humans is the alkaloids caffeine and theophylline.

Caffeine, from a medical point of view, has been studied in detail. It has a stimulating effect on the nervous system, which is manifested by an increase in the activity of the body, primarily the work of the brain and cardiovascular system. Synthetic caffeine preparations stimulate the vasomotor and respiratory centers of the brain, enhance the activity of its cortex and the transmission of nerve impulses.

In medicine, caffeine is used for the following purposes.

1. In case of functional heart failure, it is prescribed to enhance cardiac activity - caffeine constricts blood vessels, increases heart rate, and increases blood pressure in states of shock.
2. To stimulate breathing.
3. As a means of stimulating nervous activity when suppressing the functions of the central nervous system associated with infectious and some heart diseases.
4. For poisoning accompanied by a decrease in central nervous system tone, depression of cardiac and respiratory activity.
5. For migraines, it is indicated to relieve spasm of cerebral vessels.

Caffeine also increases performance and stress resistance, stimulates the body’s production of the hormone of happiness (serotonin). However, you should know that one of the negative properties of caffeine is the development of addiction and dependence similar to a drug.

Theophylline in its pure form is used as a means of increasing diuresis during infections and poisoning. It also relieves spasms in the bronchi.

In addition, roasted coffee beans contain:

• tannins are astringent substances that give grains a bitter taste;
• kafeol - improves blood circulation in small vessels, reduces cholesterol levels;
• vitamin P - improves the condition of the vascular wall;
• chlorogenic acid - has a beneficial effect on protein metabolism;
• essential oils - they give the drink a unique taste and aroma.

In total, more than 1 thousand biologically active components were found in coffee beans that significantly affect metabolism, including amino acids, alkaloids and organic acids. Therefore, the effect of coffee is determined by the totality of all its ingredients. Let's find out how the coffee drink affects the main systems of our body, and what harm coffee can have on the human body.

Effect on the heart and blood vessels

The ban on drinking coffee drink is primarily heard by hypertensive patients and those who suffer from coronary heart disease. How does drinking a cup of coffee affect the cardiovascular system?

Effect on nervous activity

The second significant aspect for which, in fact, they drink this divine drink is the stimulation of nervous activity by caffeine. The effect is expressed in increased performance, decreased fatigue, a feeling of vigor and activation of the thought process. Drinking 4 or more cups of the drink daily has been reliably proven to reduce the risk of developing Parkinson's disease.

At the same time, excessive stimulation of nervous processes is fraught with exhaustion of the nervous system. This phenomenon was studied by the famous Russian physiologist I.P. Pavlov at the beginning of the 20th century. After exceeding a certain stimulation threshold, which is individual for each person, a reverse reaction occurs:

• lethargy;
• lethargy;
• drowsiness;
• and even depression.

Effect on the kidneys

How does coffee affect the kidneys? The drink has a pronounced diuretic effect. Overall, this can be considered a positive benefit, but fluid intake must be closely monitored to avoid dehydration.

Effect on the digestive system

How does coffee affect the stomach and intestines? It is not recommended to drink it without additives on an empty stomach. This drink should also be used with caution by those who suffer from attacks of gastritis - the coffee drink causes irritation of the mucous membrane and increases the secretion of gastric juice. For this reason, it is better to drink coffee in the morning with cookies or sandwiches. The drink also enhances the production of other digestive juices, which can be dangerous with pancreatitis.

The positive thing is that the drink activates intestinal motility and has a mild laxative effect.

Effect on the liver

How does coffee affect the liver? No negative effects of the drink on the liver were noted.

It has been established that regular consumption of no more than 4 cups per day helps cleanse the gallbladder and can serve as a prevention of gallstone disease.

Effect on metabolism

And it is also reliable that coffee prevents type 2 diabetes and is indicated for an existing disease.

How does coffee affect blood cholesterol? The drink has an indirect effect on the metabolism of fatty acids, and there is a decrease in cholesterol in the blood.

Of the harmful effects of coffee, the most significant is increased urination, as a result of which calcium and, to a lesser extent, other minerals are washed out of the body. In this case, bone tissue, teeth, hair and nails suffer. Therefore, those who drink coffee daily are advised to add special foods with a high calcium content to their diet or take pharmaceutical medications.

Another negative property of the drink is how coffee affects the skin of the face. Vasodilation disrupts the color and structure of the skin, especially in its most delicate areas.

How to drink coffee correctly

In general, we can conclude that the drink should be consumed in reasonable quantities. How many cups of coffee can you drink a day without harming your health? This depends on many factors - the type of coffee, the degree of roasting of the coffee beans, and additives in the finished drink. In addition, the effect of the drink on the body is determined by the individual reaction and general health. The recommended average dose is no more than 3-4 cups per day.

As a standard, they focus on daily caffeine consumption. One mug contains from 80 to 120 mg. You can consume 300–500 mg per day.

Different methods of preparing a drink also affect how the body perceives it. For example, espresso will act harsher than Turkish coffee. Various additives also slightly change the properties of the drink.

What else is harmful about coffee?

We have already found out that coffee abuse can lead to the most negative consequences, even. Regular intake of more than 1 thousand mg of caffeine per day causes exhaustion of the nervous system and negatively affects the entire body.

Drinking more than 15 cups per day can lead to serious problems:

• hallucinations;
• neurotic phenomena;
• convulsions;
• stomach pain;
• vomiting;
• increase in temperature;
• tachycardia;
• shortness of breath.

The lethal dose of caffeine is 10 grams, which is approximately equal to 100 cups of coffee.

It will also be useful to know that caffeine causes addiction, similar to drugs. There is also a withdrawal syndrome - if a coffee drinker does not receive the usual dose, then he is plagued by lethargy, bad mood, and headaches that go away after drinking a cup. If you completely give up this drink, the withdrawal period can last about two weeks.

As for different types of drink, the harm of instant coffee on the human body is more pronounced than natural coffee. Instant drinks contain more caffeine. It also causes stronger secretion of gastric juice, which is contraindicated for ulcers and gastritis with high acidity. The benefits of instant coffee are somewhat less than those of natural coffee, which is explained by the low initial quality of the raw materials and the technology of its processing.

You can also make a drink from unroasted coffee beans. This product is popular among those who want to lose weight. True, its taste and smell are significantly different from the aroma we are used to. The benefit of green coffee is that it retains beneficial substances that are lost during roasting. This primarily applies to chlorogenic acid, which helps burn excess fat.

The harm and benefits of coffee for women

First of all, the fair sex is interested in how coffee affects pregnancy and reproductive function. It is believed that the drink has the ability to prevent pregnancy. Therefore, those who are planning the birth of a baby, as well as couples preparing for in vitro fertilization (IVF), should refrain from it. Drinking coffee during pregnancy is not recommended. It has been proven that regular consumption of the drink leads to various complications:

Another negative point is that when studying the effect of the drink on the female body, scientists came to the conclusion that there is a connection between the formation of benign breast tumors and caffeine consumption. After caffeine stops entering the body, these tumors can spontaneously resolve.

The harm of coffee for menopausal women is determined by its effect on calcium metabolism. During this age period, the female body is especially sensitive to a lack of calcium, so the risk of developing osteoporosis (leading to brittle bones) among coffee drinkers increases. So if there is a significant benefit of coffee specifically for women’s health, then nothing is known about it yet. A small consolation for the fair sex can be the effect of coffee on weight loss. The drink stimulates metabolism in general by increasing the tone of the nervous system and promotes weight loss. In addition, drinking green coffee significantly reduces appetite.

The harm and benefits of coffee for men

But the benefits of coffee for men are quite widely advertised. It has long been known that the drink stimulates sexual desire, helps maintain an erection and long-term sexual activity. There is some evidence that caffeine intake has a positive effect on sperm production in the testicles. So coffee can be considered a natural aphrodisiac. All this is true only in relation to healthy men. It is noted that coffee does not manifest itself in any way with impotence - neither positive nor negative effects in the sexual sphere have been noted from it. Therefore, the answer to the question - does coffee affect a man’s potency? - cannot be unambiguous.

There are also harms from coffee for men. Excessive consumption of it leads to saturation of the body with estrogens - female sex hormones, which negatively affects male strength. By the way, instant coffee contains more of them than natural coffee. You should also refrain from drinking the drink if you have prostatitis, as it has an irritating effect. It is believed that excessive coffee consumption can trigger the development of this disease.

To conclude the topic, we note that whether to drink or not drink coffee is everyone’s personal choice. There are many pros and cons, and this issue must be approached on a purely individual basis. For those who see more benefit than harm in coffee, we can only recommend not to abuse this wonderful drink.

Coffee is not only a tasty drink, it has an effect on the human body. It is worth saying that the caffeine it contains improves the function of the gastrointestinal tract; it stimulates the production of gastric juice, resulting in increased acidity and improved digestion of food. Caffeine is an excellent potency enhancer; it increases sperm count.

Coffee has a number of beneficial properties: it is able to dilate blood vessels in the heart and brain, increasing its oxygen saturation. This drink slightly increases blood pressure by constricting peripheral blood vessels.

Coffee, when taken in moderate quantities, increases mental and physical activity, affects the nervous system, improves and normalizes sleep. It also affects the respiratory system, increasing the breathing rhythm. All this helps to increase all metabolic processes.

Coffee contains many antioxidants, so it prevents the aging of the body. It can be drunk by people with diabetes, as it contains little sugar. Coffee reduces the risk of heart disease.

Negative impact on humans

Despite all its benefits, coffee should be drunk in moderation. Scientists have proven that you can drink up to 5 cups daily, that is, up to 300 ml per day. At higher doses, this drink can cause the following phenomena: nervous and mental tension, disturbances in heart rhythm and breathing, irritability, sleep disturbance.

It must be remembered that it is not in the optimal amount for pregnant women and children to a greater extent than for healthy people. In addition, there are people who prefer to constantly drink natural coffee. These include sleep disturbance, state of excitation, hypertension, mental illness, heart rhythm disturbances, coronary artery disease, ulcers and gastritis.

When drinking more than 5 cups of the drink daily, it becomes addictive, which is very difficult to get rid of. It is important to remember that it is recommended to drink coffee after meals so that it improves the digestion of food. As for pregnant women, the drink is even beneficial in small quantities.

Thus, based on all of the above, we can conclude that coffee has a number of valuable properties that have found very wide application in medicine. Today, caffeine is included in hundreds of medications.

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Related article

For most people, morning coffee is as natural as the morning toilet. Many people cannot do without a cup of coffee during the day, so aromatic and invigorating. There are very different opinions about the dangers and benefits of this drink. Let's look at the most popular of them.

Most often they say that coffee increases blood pressure. It is incorrect to say that this drink causes hypertension. Of course, if a person already suffering from hypertension abuses coffee, then the tonometer readings may be higher than usual, but only slightly, only because the caffeine that enters the body maintains the pressure at a level familiar to the person, preventing a decrease. This is why pregnant women are not recommended to drink coffee.

At the same time, coffee has a slight diuretic property, and therefore can lead to a slight decrease in blood pressure. If we talk about hypotension, then again, coffee can raise blood pressure to normal levels, but no more.

In the event that a person does not suffer from either hypotension or hypertension, coffee, especially natural coffee, can only bring benefits. Coffee beans contain substances that are beneficial to humans, such as mineral salts, fats, proteins, and carbohydrates. Caffeine, the main component of coffee, is responsible for increasing performance, increasing concentration and improving memory.

A common misconception is that frequent drinking of coffee causes yellowing of tooth enamel. This is not true, the color of teeth depends primarily on the condition of the teeth. The claim that coffee can cause insomnia is quite controversial. This directly depends on the characteristics of a particular person’s body. Some people feel a surge of strength after a cup of aromatic coffee, while others, on the contrary, relax.

The beneficial qualities of coffee include improving reproductive function in men, preventing a number of diseases, for example, Parkinson's disease, diabetes, heart attack, asthma, migraine, cirrhosis of the liver. Helps with diseases of the nervous system, infectious diseases, vascular spasms, and digestive disorders.

Negative qualities include habituation and, therefore, dependence; if abused, excessive stimulation is possible; in the presence of certain diseases, damage to blood vessels and the heart can be caused. Beneficial substances such as calcium, potassium, sodium and magnesium are washed out of the human body.

It is unlikely that any other product causes so much controversy about its benefits and harms at the same time, but this does not stop coffee from attracting us with its wonderful aroma and divine taste.

Coffee is a tonic drink that many people cannot do without. How does coffee affect the body, and is it possible to drink it without harm to health?

When you can’t resist your fifth mug of coffee, the question of the benefits involuntarily creeps into your head. The debate about the coffee drink does not subside - some believe that the large amounts of caffeine and theophylline contained in the beans cause significant damage to the body, while others think that the drink is absolutely harmless.

Peter I himself could not resist the magic of the aromatic grains - having fallen in love with the drink, the ruler forced his subjects to drink it daily.

Despite the huge number of coffee trees (about seventy species), the main ones are Arabica and Robusta - they supply humanity with a natural source of energy.

The surge of energy depends largely on the quality and proper roasting of coffee. Different heat treatment technologies make it possible to create the necessary strength and richness of taste. For Scandinavian coffee, the beans are only lightly roasted; for Viennese coffee, the beans are roasted until medium. The strongest degree of roasting is Italian.

Benefits and composition of coffee

The natural drink contains few carbohydrates, proteins and fats, but a sufficient amount of vitamins and microelements such as:

• Calcium;
• Potassium;
• Magnesium;
• Phosphorus;
• Iron;
• Sodium;
• Essential oils;
• Tannin;
• Kafeol;
• Vitamins of group B, PP.

Organic chlorogenic acid normalizes the functioning of the digestive tract, disinfects the oral cavity (prevention of caries), and restores intestinal microflora. The rich coffee aroma comes from the alkaloid trigoneline, which produces nicotinic acid when roasted. Polysaccharides affect brain function, and caffeine makes the heart beat faster, improves metabolic processes, reduces stress and gives the necessary boost of energy in the morning.

Coffee has a beneficial effect on blood vessels - doctors advise drinking the drink if you have heart failure.

In small doses, coffee can relieve headaches and produces the hormone of happiness (serotonin), which relieves depression. The drink dulls the feeling of hunger, removes toxins and waste from the body, which is very important for girls on a diet. According to scientists, coffee beans slow down the development of cancerous tumors, stimulate memory, reducing the amount of proteins in the brain in elderly people suffering from Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease. Substances in coffee beans regulate the level of bile juice, reduce the formation of kidney stones, and reduce the occurrence of diabetes. In men, frequent consumption of coffee drink can affect libido and decrease sexual desire (the level of the female hormone estrogen increases). Scientists' opinions on this issue vary - professors from Brazil are confident that coffee, on the contrary, causes increased sexual desire, acting as a natural aphrodisiac. True, the drink is completely powerless if a man has impotence.

Harm and contraindications

In order not to cause harm to health, it is enough to control the consumption of the drink: the permissible amount of coffee per day is 3-4 mugs, 120 ml of water per glass. The number of grains depends on the concentration. Adding milk helps remove tannins, a characteristic bitter taste. Minus - gradually, caffeine becomes addictive, and a person begins to drink mug after mug, without even thinking about the possible consequences.

Pregnant women are advised to temporarily abstain from coffee - the drink tones not only the muscles, but also the uterus, which negatively affects the development of the fetus in the womb. If consumed excessively (5-6 cups at a time), a person may faint. Caffeine in high doses washes calcium from the body, can increase cholesterol in the blood and provoke atherosclerosis.

Excessive love for coffee leads to tachycardia, insomnia, stress, neuroses, poor absorption of vitamins, as well as gastritis if drunk on an empty stomach.

Dehydration of the body due to its diuretic effect leads to rapid aging of the skin. To restore your water balance, you need to drink twice as much water.

Coffee is contraindicated for people with diseases such as :

• Hypertension, hypertensive crisis;
• Heart disease (ischemia, arrhythmia);
• Gastritis, stomach ulcer, duodenal ulcer;
• Pancreatitis;
• Prostatitis;
• Inflammation of the thyroid gland;
• Anemia.

Instant coffee is an order of magnitude worse than natural beans. It’s not difficult to guess why - soluble granules are made from cheap robusta, recycled materials, coffee crumbs with added dyes, and the caffeine content in sublimated powders is much higher.

Millions of people around the world start their day with a cup of invigorating, strong coffee. It is probably impossible to find an indifferent person to coffee beans; some are content with one morning cup of the drink, while others pamper themselves throughout the day and do not think at all about the effect coffee has on the body.

Many people sincerely believe that only a cup of very strong brewed drink helps maintain clarity of mind and think clearly. It's time to understand the effects of coffee on the body and possible side effects.

In ancient times, black coffee beans were not brewed, but rather eaten after being fried in oil. For several centuries in a row, the drink was not a drink at all, but was included in the list of expensive, gourmet dishes. The product was primarily valued for its powerful tonic and stimulating effect.

The whole world owes the appearance of this delicious drink to Arab merchants; it was they who first brought the grains. Of course, at that time no one thought about the question of whether drinking coffee was healthy, but simply enjoyed the taste and aroma. However, very soon clergy and healers began to talk about the benefits of coffee - coffee infusion helped overcome feelings of fatigue and cope with drowsiness.

A few words about caffeine

Caffeine is the main component of the product; it is its content that determines the effect of coffee on the human body. Caffeine is an alkaloid that has a tonic effect on the nervous system. The substance is very often used as a natural, natural stimulant.

The alkaloid has a direct effect on nervous processes in the brain, increasing physical and mental activity and relieving fatigue. However, it should be borne in mind that one of its side effects is nervous exhaustion.

The effect of caffeine on each organism is individual and depends on the specific type of nervous activity of a person.

Caffeine can neutralize the effect of sleeping pills. But the opinion that the alkaloid is a drug has been partially refuted. A strong drink made from coffee beans is physically addictive, but unlike narcotic drugs, it does not cause psychological attachment.

In addition, it has been proven that with moderate consumption, the beneficial properties of coffee are revealed. The optimal daily volume of strong drink is no more than two cups in the first half of the day.

What are the benefits of coffee?

• Stimulating effect. As noted above, this effect of coffee is due to the high caffeine content in the beans. The alkaloid activates blood flow, which promotes a better supply of blood and oxygen to the brain, helping a person to concentrate faster.
• Protection from stress. The grains contain the well-known hormone of happiness - serotonin, which protects against stressful situations and emotional fatigue.
• Natural source of antioxidants. Unlike dietary supplements obtained synthetically, drinking coffee is a natural, safe way to neutralize the effects of dangerous oxygen radicals. Note: Two cups of the natural black drink contains half the daily value of antioxidants.
• Medicinal properties of coffee. Regular moderate consumption of coffee prevents the development of many dangerous diseases: diabetes, liver pathologies, Alzheimer's disease.
• The benefits of natural coffee for digestion. The drink stimulates the active secretion of gastric juice, which promotes more active absorption of food.

Health benefits of coffee - scientifically proven facts:

1. Italian scientists have found that drinking two cups of the drink daily prevents the development of asthma.
2. Over the course of ten years, the study, which involved more than 60 thousand people, was conducted by scientists from the Harvard College of Public Health. The conclusion is clear - if you want to protect yourself from hypertension and diabetes, drink two cups of coffee bean drink daily.
3. A drink in the diet prevents the development of urolithiasis - the formation of gallstones.

Harmful properties of coffee for the body

The beneficial properties of coffee are neutralized if you do not follow the recommended rules and abuse the drink. So, the danger is this:

• Frequent consumption of the drink negatively affects the functioning of the nervous system, the body is in an excited state, and this leads to nervous exhaustion, resulting in attacks of aggression and bad mood.
• With hypertension, tachycardia and coronary heart disease, drinking the drink leads to increased heart rate and increased blood pressure. Thus, the normal rhythm of the heart is disrupted.
• The drink can wash out some vitamins and microelements from the body, for example, B6, B1 and calcium. An insufficient amount of nutrients can provoke the development of dangerous pathologies. A lack of calcium leads to the natural destruction of bones, teeth, brittle hair, and discomfort develops in the back, which is why drinking coffee is contraindicated for children in adolescence, when the musculoskeletal system is at the stage of formation. Insufficient amounts of vitamins B6 and B1 cause disruptions in cerebral circulation. To mitigate this side effect, it is enough to use milk when brewing.
• Excessive consumption causes, and the following symptoms appear: fatigue, stress, drowsiness, depressed mood. Over time, in order to achieve a tonic effect, a person has to drink more and more coffee.
• If there are disturbances in the functioning of the nervous system, drinking the drink can cause serious mental disorders and uncontrollable attacks of aggression.
• Considering that a drink made from coffee beans removes fluid from the body, having a diuretic effect, experts recommend drinking water along with it. This will help maintain normal water balance.

Contraindications to drinking black coffee

Information about coffee is quite contradictory - on the one hand, clinical studies prove the benefits of the drink, and on the other, there are specific contraindications to its use. You should not drink black coffee in the following cases:

• atherosclerosis;
• cardiac ischemia;
• kidney pathologies;
• disturbances in the functioning of the nervous system - increased excitability and insomnia;
• hypertonic disease;
• glaucoma.

The drink is also contraindicated for children and the elderly.

• Black . If you have high blood pressure, coffee consumption should be minimal to avoid serious side effects from the cardiovascular system. In case of hypotension - low blood pressure - the effect of coffee is regarded as medicinal, capable of improving well-being.
• Effect of coffee during pregnancy. There is no clear opinion about the benefits and harms. Modern medicine does not give a clear answer and takes a neutral position. It is believed that with moderate consumption, the drink has no side effects either on the health of the expectant mother or on the development of the child, but it is allowed to take only a natural drink made from ground grains.

However, you should carefully dose your coffee consumption and not get carried away with the invigorating treat. Caffeine has a direct effect on the metabolic processes of calcium, and this is fraught with side effects for the unborn child. In addition, coffee has a stimulating effect on the human nervous system, and during pregnancy there is no need for excessive excitability.

Note: you should not brew the drink immediately after a meal or drink it on an empty stomach; the best time for a cup of black coffee is the first half of the day.

• Little secret: If you want to experience the most invigorating effect, just add to. This treat has an original taste, is rich in vitamin C and has a powerful tonic effect. This is the best way to quickly and without consequences wake up in the morning, feel cheerful and overcome fatigue.
• Let's summarize. The beneficial and harmful properties of coffee appear depending on a person’s health status and lifestyle. In this case, we are talking only about natural treats made from grains. The instant drink contains too many synthetic and chemical additives that can have side effects on health. Therefore, they differ from the effect of a natural product.

In order for the benefits of natural coffee to manifest themselves in full force, it is important to know when to stop and not overuse the drink, otherwise caffeine simply will not have time to be eliminated from the body, accumulating and having a destructive effect.

photo: depositphotos.com/belchonock, Serreitor, Valentyn_Volkov, olhaafanasieva, ChamilleWhite

Julia Vern 5 218 2

Does coffee cause harm to the human body and, if so, how serious? What should be the safe limit for pleasure without consequences? To answer these questions, you need to thoroughly study the properties of coffee beans, learn about their composition, combination with different products and health effects in cocktails. But first, a little history.

Many historical events are associated with coffee. So, for example, at one time Gustav III, the current king of Sweden, decided to conduct an experiment to determine the effect of coffee on the body with the involvement of two twin brothers. Both of them were accused of serious crimes and were sentenced to death.

The ruler agreed to replace the scaffold with life imprisonment on the condition that the brothers take part in the experiment. For a certain period, they were asked to drink a cup of coffee and tea every day to compare the effect. A guard and a doctor supervised the procedure.

As a result, the experiment dragged on so long that the doctor himself was the first to die, followed by the monarch, who died in one of the battles. The first brother, who drank only tea, died at 80. The second, who consumed coffee, died even later - several years later.

It is noteworthy that coffee was the source of inspiration for many geniuses of past centuries. For example, Balzac was an avid coffee drinker, allowing himself up to 60 cups of strong drink a day! Voltaire did not limit himself to coffee either; his daily norm was about 50 cups of the drink, and he lived to a ripe old age.

But the brilliant Beethoven did not drink coffee in such quantities, but brewed a drink of exceptional strength, using up to 60 beans per cup (for comparison, espresso is made from 40 beans).

One way or another, even following the example of the greats, you need to remember that coffee dehydrates the body, so it must be combined with clean water. A dose of 100 cups will be fatal even for a strong body.

What are coffee beans made of?

To understand how coffee affects the body, you need to have an idea of ​​the composition of the coffee bean. It includes more than two thousand different substances that affect human health. This includes:

• pyridine;
• vitamins PP;
• iron;
• calcium;
• magnesium.

At the head of all components is caffeine, which has a special stimulating effect on the body. Being an alkaloid, depending on the dosage it delicately tones or depresses.

The opinion that the taste (bitterness) of coffee depends on the amount of caffeine is erroneous. The bitter taste is influenced by tannins - organic substances. The classic recipe for coffee with milk softens the bitter taste, making the drink softer.

Natural coffee - how does it work?

What properties are not attributed to coffee beans, considering them almost a magical remedy against fatigue, stress and lethargy. Indeed, the caffeine contained in the drink is an excellent aphrodisiac that can increase libido, stimulating libido.

At the physiological level, the drink is capable of:

• stimulate the nervous system;
• improve brain function;
• reduce the feeling of hunger;
• speed up metabolism;
• actively burn calories;
• improve mood;
• calm and relax.

Drinking coffee with cognac, milk, honey, chocolate means deliberately increasing the calorie content of the drink. In its pure form, with the addition of spices, pepper, ginger or lemon, coffee has a minimum number of calories, so it can be included in the diet of people controlling weight.

The aroma of natural coffee evokes associations with cozy company and comfortable relaxation by the fireplace, which is why store owners often use it to attract customers.

Coffee and the nervous system - what is the effect?

What are the benefits of coffee beans for the nervous system? To begin with, it is worth noting that it is the nervous system that the drink most actively affects due to its special chemical composition. We're talking about caffeine. The substance stimulates brain activity, provoking dilation of blood vessels in the brain, which in turn leads to accelerated blood circulation in the central nervous system with a concomitant acceleration of the biochemical processes occurring in it at that time.

Moreover, the coffee drink accelerates the transmission of nerve impulses from neuron to neuron, which leads to an increase in the level of nervous excitability. At this moment a person feels a surge of strength and energy, a sharpening of the senses.

It is this factor that determines the desire to start the morning with strong natural coffee. After a night's sleep, the body needs to wake up and improve brain processes, and coffee beans stimulate activity.

In small doses, the drink can and should really be used to improve brain activity, especially for those over fifty. However, it is worth remembering that an overdose and poor quality of the drink will lead to the opposite effect - overstimulation of the nervous system with tremors of the limbs, increased heart rate and high blood pressure.

Gastrointestinal tract - how it works under the influence of coffee

The active effect of coffee on the gastrointestinal tract is not associated with caffeine, but with the organic acids that make up the product. We are talking about the following acids:

• apple;
• chlorogenic;
• lemon;
• sorrel;
• vinegar

Taken together, they all stimulate gastric secretion, provoking the active production of gastric juice, accelerating the process of digestion of foods.

The absence of gastrointestinal pathologies and moderate consumption of the drink will allow you to appreciate how enormous the benefits of coffee can be for improving digestion processes.

Diseases associated with the formation of hydrochloric acid in excess should be a signal for a review of the diet with a mandatory reduction (and maybe a complete refusal) in the amount of daily coffee consumed.

Metabolic processes - how they change under the influence of coffee beans

It is believed that coffee retains fluid in the body and this is indeed true. When drinking a cup of aromatic drink, you must not forget to replenish your water balance with clean water without gas. It is also worth remembering that caffeine is a powerful stimulant of metabolic processes. It is able to launch and accelerate metabolic reactions, activating the process of breaking down its own fat reserves.

Caffeine is also thought to be responsible for regulating the rate of glucose utilization. This means that even people diagnosed with diabetes can drink the drink without sugar.

What you need to know about instant coffee

The high pace of life leaves its mark on the life and habits of people. Many people deliberately choose instant coffee as a more affordable and convenient alternative to a natural drink. What is the most significant harm of instant coffee and why?

To obtain instant coffee, the beans are roasted, ground, vacuum dried, and then sold as a granular mixture.

Drinking instant drinks is strictly prohibited for people:

• with atherosclerosis;
• hypertension;
• ischemic disease;
• glaucoma;
• tendency to excitability;
• insomnia.

You should also take into account that such coffee can provoke an exacerbation of gastritis, negatively affect male potency, and increase the level of stomach acidity. As for caffeine, there is even more of it in soluble granules than in a mixture of natural beans, but it is predominantly synthetic.

A huge drawback of the instant drink is the low content of natural ground grains. The granules contain no more than 15%, the rest are additives in the form of acorn powder, oats, cereals, coffee husks, stabilizers and flavorings. This composition negatively affects health and can cause toxic poisoning.

Natural coffee and calcium - about the relationship

The fear of coffee lovers that coffee leaches calcium is entirely justified. Indeed, the drink shifts the balance of acids and alkalis in favor of the former. To neutralize the effects of caffeine, the body's forces are forced to release calcium reserves with subsequent withdrawal. Just one cup of aromatic drink will cause the loss of 40 mg of calcium.

And even though coffee is not a record holder among products that cause calcium excretion, it does cause some harm, especially if you allow yourself three or more cups.

Replenishing calcium balance is not difficult. In addition to foods containing an important element that need to be included in the diet, you can add lemon to your coffee. It contains 110 mg of microelement per 100 g, replacing sweets with dried apricots. Just 100 grams of dried apricots can compensate for the loss of calcium caused by consuming 4 cups of coffee.

Coffee beans for weight loss and pregnancy

Pregnant women who are puzzled by the answer to the question of why coffee is harmful in their situation should know that the caffeine included in the drink is really not beneficial; moreover, if consumed excessively, it can cause a miscarriage. Expectant mothers can indulge in a little pleasure in the form of aromatic coffee no more than once a day, limiting themselves to 100 ml of a weak drink.

But those losing weight can treat themselves to delicious coffee without sugar more often, given that the drink promotes the release of fat cells and speeds up metabolism. Coffee based on green, unroasted beans is considered especially effective in the fight against extra pounds.

In conclusion, we note that coffee is a common product that can give pleasure and harm the body only in cases of personal intolerance, health problems and non-compliance with the daily norm. Having no contraindications and controlling the quantity, there is no reason to deny yourself the aromatic drink.