After water, coffee is the second most popular drink in the world. It can be drunk at all times of the day. The cup of comfort is made from coffee beans. Coffee has benefits and drawbacks for general health. While coffee used to be in the news for its many disadvantages, it is now also looked at its beneficial effects and its many benefits. The taste of coffee can be very different. A cup of coffee is useful in protecting against all kinds of diseases. However, too much coffee can be harmful to the liver, blood pressure and it can also make you very nervous.
What is coffee?
Coffee is a hot drink that contains caffeine. Coffee is created from the seeds of the coffee plant, also called coffee beans. Botanically, the fruit of the coffee plant is not a bean but a drupe. The seed can then be regarded as a kernel. Beans are called fruits, not seeds, in botany. Chemicals are released when the coffee beans are roasted. Roasted coffee beans are ground and sold unground in Western consumption. With the addition of water you get a nice cup of coffee.
Coffee types: arabica or rubusta
The coffee sold in the Low Countries is a mixture of roasted seeds from two coffee varieties: the Coffea arabica and the Coffea aobusta (canephonora). Manufacturers mix the two coffee beans together to create different flavors and a different caffeine content. Arabica beans are known for their milder taste. These beans contain 70% less caffeine than robusta coffee beans, which have a much spicier taste. In the shop you often recognize the gold, silver and red brands of coffee. Gold brand consists of 100% arabica beans, silver mark consists of 80% arabica beans and 20% robusta beans. Red brand consists of 70% arabica beans and 30% robusta beans. The combination of both beans therefore provides a different taste and a different caffeine content.
When do people drink coffee?
Coffee is consumed on all occasions. It can be drunk in the morning, afternoon and evening. Most people like to drink it with their breakfast or with a sweet pastry when family or friends come to visit. Drinking coffee late in the evening is not recommended. Due to the caffeine present in coffee, you may find it difficult to get to sleep. In the workplace, the cup of comfort is also very welcome to start the day well. More than four cups of coffee a day is not recommended because otherwise you will suffer from insomnia, irritability, loss of concentration, nervousness and headaches.
Three benefits of drinking coffee
Smaller risk of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease
Scientists have discovered, during a pilot project on mice, that there is a strong link between drinking coffee and a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease later in life. Drinking about five cups of coffee a day could stop the clumping of the harmful amyloid protein in the brain. Caffeine is also said to reduce the risk of Parkinson’s disease. The risk of Parkinson’s disease decreases the more coffee people drink.
Coffee protects against cardiovascular disease
For a long time it was believed that coffee would increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. But nothing is less true. There is no negative link between drinking coffee and the development of heart ?? and vascular diseases. There are even indications of positive influences. Two to three cups a day would be even better than no coffee consumption at all. Blood pressure can increase slightly when drinking coffee regularly.
More alert with coffee use and positive for athletes
Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system, improves concentration and improves logical reasoning. Coffee makes it easier to switch between different tasks. These benefits only come about if you drink coffee regularly. Too large a dose in one go just the opposite effect. It is more difficult to concentrate and it is also not conducive to sleep. Athletes can reap the benefits of a low dose of caffeine. The speed and contraction strength of the muscles can be increased by caffeine. Muscles also tire less and they have greater stamina. The reaction speed and strength of the muscles improve when one drinks two to four cups of coffee for half an hour to an hour.
Three disadvantages of drinking coffee
Coffee is bad for the liver
The enzymes in the liver ensure that toxins are made harmless. The caffeine in coffee must also be made harmless. The number of liver enzymes decreases with increasing age. Older people would therefore do well to limit the number of cups per day. In large quantities it can mean a real attack on the liver. These people can also benefit from decaffeinated coffee.
Coffee increases blood pressure
Coffee can acutely stiffen your veins. The cause of this is the caffeine in coffee. Veins should wave with the heartbeat. If this is no longer possible, due to the stiffening of the veins, then it will put pressure on the veins with increased blood pressure as a result.
Coffee makes you more tense and worsens your sleep
Coffee ensures a higher release of the stress hormone cortisol. Long-term too high cortisol levels can lead to diabetes and obesity. In the evening, the cortisol level should be low so that melatonin can make you sleepy. The quality of your night’s sleep also deteriorates with too much coffee. Caffeine has a strong effect on adenosine, a neurotransmitter. It is the adenosine that provides a calming effect that promotes sleep.
Coffee and libido
Coffee is an indispensable daily drink for many people and people feel better drinking it. Coffee increases well-being and stimulates the hormones dopamine and serotonin. Women’s libido may temporarily increase when drinking coffee. This only happens with women who occasionally drink a coffee. Regular coffee consumption does not help the libido. A single cup of coffee in the afternoon can put women in the mood ??? to get more sense in the evening. Too much coffee would then nullify the stimulating effect.