More and more Americans are sipping on a cup of hot coffee in 2017 according to industry group’s report. In fact, teenagers are the largest consumers of coffee. The International Coffee Organization (ICO) reveals about 148 million 60-kilogram bags of coffee were produced worldwide in 2015-2016. ICO also estimates that 151.3 million bags of coffee were consumed in 2015-2016, which is a 1.3 percent growth compared to 2012-2013.
No doubt coffee is the most loved beverage among Americans. However, people often think that caffeine is only found in coffee. The truth is, it can be found in a large variety of foods such as tea brews, chocolate, ice creams, etc. But does caffeine offer any health benefits or are the people just slow poisoning themselves? Surprisingly, there are some science backed benefits of caffeine. Let us take a look.
Benefits of Caffeine
Studies reveal that caffeine boosts memory. Moreover, regular intake of coffee in small amounts is thought to reduce the risks of several diseases such as heart disease and stroke (according to two new studies published in the Annals of Internal Medicine). However, according to the American Heart Association, more studies need to be done to confirm the positive link between intake of caffeine and coronary heart diseases.
Some studies also reveal that caffeine protects the human brain. A study
shows that intake of coffee, a major source of caffeine, reduces the risk of Parkinson’s disease (PD). It is because coffee contains eicosanoyl-5-hydroxytryptamide (EHT), a neuroprotective compound. Another study reveals that EHT also reduces the risks of Alzheimer’s disease (AD).
Similarly, several other studies have been carried out to show the many benefits of caffeine.
Even though caffeine has a number of health benefits, it is not considered as a healthy choice. It is because it affects the human body in many adverse ways.
Harmful Effects of Caffeine
Caffeine is considered as an anti-nutrient, which are substances (natural or synthetic) that interfere with the absorption other beneficial nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, etc. Therefore, it is recommended that you lower the intake of anti-nutrients as much as possible. In fact, caffeine provides no nutritional value on its own.
Here are some ways, caffeine can be harmful to humans:
1. Caffeine is Addictive
According to Steven Meredith, a researcher in behavioral pharmacology at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, caffeine is a drug; therefore
it must be must be consumed carefully. While moderate doses are considered safe, higher doses may be addictive and people can find it difficult to quit or cut back.
Caffeine suppresses adenosine, a chemical that is secreted by the brain to relax the body. Suppression of adenosine makes the body feel a tense surge of energy. While people might consider this surge of energy as good, the threshold of stimulation continues to rises gradually. This means the brain requires more and more caffeine to keep the body stimulated. Thus people become dependent on caffeine.
2. Caffeine Adversely Affects Pregnant Women
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommend pregnant women to limit the intake of caffeine to less than 200 milligrams per day. This is because caffeine crosses the placenta into the amniotic fluid and enters the baby’s bloodstream. Since the baby is still developing, it takes longer to process the caffeine; it is exposed to the effects of caffeine for a longer time, which may be harmful for him/her.
Moreover, an observational study involving nearly 60,000 women found that coffee and other caffeinated beverages increased the chances of delivering a low birth weight baby or extended the time of gestation. In fact, every 100mg of caffeine consumed leads to nearly one ounce reduction in the baby’s weight at birth.
Women trying to conceive are also recommended to lower the intake of caffeine since high levels of caffeine consumption can lead to infertility or delayed conception. High level of caffeine can also result in stillbirth.
3. Caffeine Dehydrates our Body
Caffeine acts as a diuretic (any substance that increases the body’s production of urine) and results
in dehydration. This is because caffeine elicits extra water secretion by the kidneys. However, scientists often argue that caffeine as part of other fluids, so an increase in the amount of urine is evident. This might be true, research shows that people who consume caffeinated energy drinks had significantly more urine output compared to those who do not consume caffeine.
Moreover, people who do not consume caffeine on a daily basis, then large amounts of caffeine would feel a prominent diuretic or dehydrating effect. Again, caffeine causes incontinence in some men and women, which causes the urge to urinate even if the bladder is not full.
Even though caffeine offers some health benefits, it is believed to cause more harm than good to the human body. Caffeine affects the human body in more adverse ways than the ones listed above. For instance, caffeine is known to cause insomnia, slow down digestion, cause headaches, exhaust the adrenal glands, and cause allergies in some people as well.
It increases the amount of acid in your stomach and causes heartburn or upset stomach. Caffeine is also known to raise the blood pressure. Thus, caffeine almost always causes some symptoms but its effect differs from individual to individual.
Therefore, people must try to cut down the intake of caffeine and replace it with other organic substitutes such as organic white or green tea which contains a minimal amount of caffeine. Organic juice or plain distilled water is the best way to hydrate the body. Not only do these help you stay energetic but they also help cleanse the colon, rehydrate cells, and stimulate digestive enzymes.
Conclusion
If you are addicted to caffeine, it is high time that you start cutting down on your caffeine intake to lead a healthy life. Choose organic drinks over carbonated drinks that contain large percentages of caffeine. However, you may not be able to stop consuming caffeine at once, so start by cutting down a cup of coffee a day and then gradually cut down on the harmful ingredient as much as possible.
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