What is useful for coffee

Ania Varezhkova, Atlas

This year, a long-term study of the effect of caffeine on the body has been completed. Scientists have been observing coffee drinkers for 16 years. Five hundred thousand people from ten European countries took part in the project. The results of scientific work have shown that drinking coffee reduces overall mortality and the risks of certain diseases.

Today Atlas explains exactly how coffee affects the body, and how many cups of coffee are recommended to drink.

In the 16th century, Pope Clement VIII was called to curse the "drink of Satan", but he did not succumb to prejudice, tasted coffee and blessed it.

Why coffee invigorates

The effect of coffee is related to the action of the caffeine molecule. Due to its chemical structure, it is able to block the receptors of adenosine, an important neurotransmitter of the central nervous system.

Adenosine is a signaling molecule that transmits a message that the body's energy reserves are used up and rest is needed. To transmit a signal, adenosine binds to adenosine receptors in the brain: in their form, the neurotransmitter and the receptor coincide like a key and a keyhole.

Caffeine is similar in structure to adenosine. It can also communicate with adenosine receptors, but it does not transmit a signal of fatigue, but on the contrary, blocks it. While the receptors are busy with caffeine, real adenosine cannot join them. The brain does not receive a signal about the depletion of energy reserves and continues to work as if everything were in order.

But caffeine does not produce energy, but only blocks fatigue signals. In order to continue working, the body uses energy reserves, which are usually postponed for an emergency. It's like using a credit card – if you really need it, you can get into the negative, but then all the resources spent will have to be reimbursed, and with interest.

How coffee affects health

The results of the study indicate a relationship between coffee consumption and a reduction in mortality and the risks of many diseases.

Moreover, the risk is reduced not only by moderate coffee consumption (2-3 cups a day), as mentioned in earlier studies. Active coffee consumption (4-6 cups a day) was also associated with a decrease in risk. The volume of one cup is 170-200 ml.

Caffeine tones the blood vessels and vessels of the brain. Thanks to this, drinking coffee reduces the risks of heart disease and stroke. Drinking coffee increases blood pressure, but it remains within healthy values.

Studies confirm that coffee reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes, but scientists have yet to find out how it works. Presumably, coffee reduces insulin resistance (one of the causes of type 2 diabetes) and improves glucose metabolism. Also, some substances that are part of coffee are able to reduce blood glucose levels.

Coffee has a positive effect on the liver. According to studies, caffeine consumption was associated with a reduced risk of liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (liver cancer). In patients with chronic hepatitis who drink 4-6 cups of coffee a day, the disease proceeded in a milder form and developed more slowly.

The exact mechanism of the protective effect of coffee is unknown. Presumably, coffee stimulates the synthesis of enzymes that destroy carcinogenic substances. Caffeine also reduces the level of proteins–biomarkers of inflammation.

A third of diseases of the digestive system are associated with liver disorders. Therefore, daily coffee consumption reduces the risk of diseases of the digestive system by 40% in women and 59% in men.

Due to the tonic effect of caffeine on the vessels of the brain, regular coffee consumption reduces the risk of neurodegenerative diseases: Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.

Drinking coffee also reduces the risk of depression. Caffeine increases the sensitivity of receptors to dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with a sense of satisfaction with life.

How many cups of coffee can I drink

The duration of caffeine in the body is not infinite. Under the action of enzymes called cytochromes, caffeine in the liver is destroyed to simpler molecules and ceases to act on adenosine receptors.

The cytochrome structure is determined by the CYP1A2 gene. The rate of caffeine metabolism depends on the gene variant – normal, accelerated or slowed down. People with a slow rate of neutralization of caffeine are more likely to have negative symptoms: increased excitement, trembling hands, insomnia. In this case, it is recommended to reduce coffee consumption and abandon caffeinated products in the afternoon.

For people with a normal rate of caffeine metabolism, the recommended norm is 300 mg of caffeine per day. This is about 2-3 cups of coffee or 4-5 cups of tea.

The more fermented the tea, the more caffeine it contains. For example, black tea and pu-erh will have a higher caffeine content than green and white tea.

Please note that caffeine is also found in cocoa and chocolate.

What to do so that coffee does not harm

Coffee removes fluids from the body, and with them calcium – this can negatively affect bone health. To compensate for the effect of caffeine, it is enough to add 1-2 tablespoons of milk to coffee.

At the same time, the constant addition of milk to coffee imperceptibly increases the total caloric content of the diet. Therefore, it is better to choose low-fat milk or replace it with soy.

Coffee is not addictive in the sense of the chemical dependence of the body on the drink. But over time, the body adapts, and in order to maintain the invigorating effect of the drink, you have to drink more and more coffee. To "reset the meter readings", it is enough to give up the drink for a few days.

It is practically impossible to get an overdose from coffee, but if you drink too much, the nervous system can get overexcited. This can lead to increased anxiety, trembling of the hands, sleep disorders. In this case, it is worth reducing the daily consumption of coffee or giving it up for a few days.

Otherwise, coffee has no contraindications, the main thing is to adhere to the individual norm. Coffee is allowed to drink even during pregnancy.

Remember:

• Coffee and caffeine have a positive effect on health.

• The daily rate of coffee consumption is about 2-3 cups, but may vary depending on genetic characteristics.

• If there is a negative reaction of the body, give up coffee for a few days.

To find out your individual caffeine metabolism rate, take the Atlas genetic test.

Sources:

1. Acute effects of coffee consumption on self-reported gastrointestinal symptoms, blood pressure and stress indices in healthy individuals. PMC4791892, 2015;

2. Association of Coffee Consumption with Total and Cause-Specific Mortality in Three Large Prospective Cohorts. PMC4679527, 2015;

3. Can coffee consumption lower the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease? A literature review. PMC5420628, 2016;

4. Caffeinated and Decaffeinated Coffee Consumption and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review and a Dose-Response Meta-analysis. Diabetes Care, 2014.

5. Caffeine ingestion and fluid balance: a review. PMID19774754, 2003;

6. Caffeine: How much is too much? Mayo Clinic, March 2017;

7. Coffee Drinking and Mortality in 10 European Countries: A Multinational Cohort Study. Annals of Internal Medicine, July 2017;

8. Coffee and liver health. PMID25291138, 2014;

9. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2015−2010. USDA;

10. Effects of caffeine on bone and the calcium economy. PMID12204390, 2002;

11. Donald Hensrud, M.D. Does coffee offer health benefits? Mayo Clinic, March 2017;

12. Long-Term Coffee Consumption and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease: A Systematic Review and a Dose-Response Meta-Analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies. PMC3945962, 2013.

13. Moderate Caffeine Consumption During Pregnancy. Obstetrics & Gynecology, August 2010.

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