People have loved coffee since ancient times. This drink has many fans, but there are also many who are convinced that coffee is extremely harmful to the body. The truth, as usual, is somewhere nearby. What actually is the effect of coffee on the body? Let's find out!
There are different types of raw materials. The classic one is made from roasted coffee beans. The effect of instant coffee on the body is somewhat different, because this drink has a different composition. Another variety is green grains, about which there are many myths.
Coffee without harm to the body - is this possible?
In this article you will learn:
A truly magical drink that few people can leave indifferent. “Is coffee good or bad?” - many people think, inhaling the inimitable aroma and savoring the taste.
I assure you, “caffeine” is a very interesting topic to consider. Since it covers areas that few can even imagine.
To begin with, let’s not delve into subtle matters, but let’s delve, perhaps, into the quite material chemical components of coffee beans. To understand what physical reactions coffee produces in our body. At the same time, we’ll deal with its subspecies. Coffee comes in both ground and instant varieties.
Ground and instant - myths and facts
A coffee bean, on the same principle as a cereal grain, consists of two shells - outer and inner. The outer shell contains the alkaloid caffeine, and the inner shell contains the alkaloid theobromine. Both are strong stimulants of processes in the body, but they are opposite to each other in their effects.
In addition to the taste and aroma of a coffee drink, coffee lovers are attracted by the opportunity to cheer up. Get a surge of positivity and energy. It will be all the more interesting for you to know that through coffee you can quite easily get the opposite effect. If you don’t know about the properties inherent in each of the above alkaloids.
Coffee beans and the mystery of their “fifth element”
The chemical arsenal of raw coffee beans contains up to 2 thousand active substances. Scientists have tracked the relationship with the body of only half of them. This was enough to establish the most valuable properties of coffee and its effect on various life support systems.
Of the many hundreds of compounds, they especially highlighted the following.
Organic acids, of which chlorogenic acid deserves the most attention. Gourmets appreciate its ability to give the drink a somewhat “astringent” taste.
Doctors note the high antioxidant potential of chlorogenic acid, believing that it is thanks to it that coffee acts as a means of preventing mutagenic activity. There is confirmed information about the preventive effect of the drink on colorectal cancer.
Vitamins (in particular, group B) and minerals of plant origin. One cup of the drink covers 1/5 of the daily requirement of rutin - the main “protector” of vascular walls, in case of deficiency of which the vessels and capillaries begin to bleed.
In one issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, a research report was published, where scientists emphasize the special protective effect of a compound still unknown to them. The mysterious component of coffee beans has an extremely beneficial effect on the pancreas, and possibly the entire body.
It was found that voracious coffee drinkers who drank more than 6 cups of coffee per day were 22% less likely to develop diabetes compared to those who did not drink it at all. And among those who preferred a caffeine-free drink, the risk of encountering a “sweet illness” was 33% less!
How does caffeine work and what are the benefits and harms of coffee?
The outer layer of coffee, which contains caffeine, is the first to take effect. Absorbed into the blood and launching processes that, by the way, are what we want. It is caffeine that provides the desired surge of vigor and the desired feeling of “open eyes”.
Blood pressure increases, since almost immediately the body narrows the blood vessels of almost all organs, except the kidneys - in them, on the contrary, the vessels dilate. It is during this magical time, filled with aroma, taste, and a surge of strength, which lasts on average twenty to twenty-five minutes, that coffee connoisseurs love this drink.
But twenty minutes expire, the effect of caffeine ends and a completely different process begins, which is of the opposite nature. The alkaloid theobromine comes into play, which seeks to radically change everything after caffeine, and therefore urgently dilates blood vessels in all organs. On the contrary, it narrows the kidneys.
By the way, some may notice how, after drinking a cup of coffee half an hour ago, the kidney area from the back begins to “tug” a little awkwardly. This is it, yes. Plus the pressure is now dropping. Well, if we are talking about two alkaloids-antipodes, then it is not difficult to guess what state comes to replace vigor and the desire to gallop like a heli-hog. This is drowsiness.
Let me summarize. Mystery No. 1
After 20-25 minutes of vigor, a person is ready to sleep.
And now for those who didn’t know why in coffee shops that value their reputation they also bring a glass of water along with a cup of coffee, everything becomes clear. Drinking water no later than half an hour later thins the blood, makes the concentration of theobromine in it weaker, and reduces the intensity of the reaction.
Is your breathing even, your pulse clear?
It is known that smokers have more health problems than non-smokers. Smokers also drink twice as much coffee as non-smokers.
As it turned out, caffeine promotes the opening of small bronchioles and for some time protects the lungs from the harmful effects of tobacco smoke. In the body of smokers, the beneficial alkaloid is broken down twice as fast, hence the need for a “double” portion.
Until recently, drinking coffee was closely associated with the occurrence of a heart attack. The fallacy of this relationship and how important coffee is for the body was proven by recent monitoring conducted among several thousand participants.
During monitoring, it was found that with the development of endothelial dysfunction, caffeine slows down the “gluing” of platelets, preventing the complete blocking of the arteries supplying the heart. The patient has a chance to wait for medical help.
The cardiac cavities and the inner walls of blood and lymph vessels are lined with a single layer of flat cells - endothelium. They facilitate the “flow” of blood and control its viscosity, and are responsible for the contractility of the main “pump” of the body. When the endothelium fails to cope with its functions, the heart threatens to block blood flow.
It has also been found that due to the content of caffeine and the above-mentioned chlorogenic acid, just one cup of coffee a day stimulates blood circulation and prevents heart failure, and two cups reduce the likelihood of arrhythmia.
But the effect of the drink on blood pressure numbers remains controversial.
So far, scientists and doctors are of the opinion that a short-term increase in blood pressure is possible in people who do not have the habit of drinking coffee, but only occasionally indulge themselves with it.
What is coffee in reality and what are the benefits and harms of coffee?
And now about what instant coffee essentially is. We can safely include all granular ones as well. To prepare instant coffee, the top shell, the caffeine itself, is removed from the coffee bean, and only what is left inside, that is, theobromine, goes into the drink itself.
The caffeine shell is used in pharmacology in the preparation of medicines or in the energy drink industry, and the inner theobromine part is the basis for bulk instant coffee drinks.
A little history of coffee
The name “Coffee” itself speaks about the homeland of the popular product; in most countries it is called “kava”, “kafa”, “coffee”, etc. It all comes from the name of the city - Kaffa, located in Ethiopia. It was the Ethiopian shepherds who noticed that cattle that ate the fruits of the coffee tree became more energetic and active. And we decided to try what kind of fruit they were and were convinced that coffee invigorates and gives colossal energy.
Initially, people ground grains and mixed them with animal fats. This product was used on rare occasions when it was necessary to go hunting. Then the tribe representatives noticed another feature. When drinking coffee wine, mental abilities improved. They began to stand out and were already strikingly different from neighboring groups, for example, the Berber tribes. Slowly the drink began to spread through seaborne trade routes across countries.
Coffee as a sleeping pill
As you already guessed, such coffee cannot fundamentally invigorate, no matter how strong and concentrated it is mixed in the cup. There is no caffeine in this coffee. But it magically and gently relaxes and lulls you to sleep. Plus it is even indicated for hypertensive patients because it lowers blood pressure. Therefore, by sipping a cup of this instant coffee at night, you are highly likely to get a deep and restful sleep.
Coffee Mystery No. 2
Instant coffee does not contain caffeine and cannot invigorate you. Indicated for hypertensive patients and is great for helping to relax and fall asleep.
As you can see, it looks like one drink, but in reality there are two. And what different actions, although the taste, color and aroma for an ignorant person may not differ. However, it is simply necessary to know about these differences for people who rely primarily on the invigorating property of coffee.
Unfortunately, among specialists, as well as road service workers, there is even a special gloomy term - “the thirty-kilometer effect.” On average, this is exactly how far a driver who has drunk instant coffee can drive before the theobromine phase sets in, which can completely make him sick and put him to sleep while driving.
Composition of the product
The main component is caffeine. It has a stimulating effect, which results in increased activity. Synthetic analogs of caffeine activate the vasomotor and respiratory centers of the brain, increase the activity of the cortex, and accelerate the transmission of nerve impulses.
The effect of coffee on the body is also due to other substances, an important place among them is occupied by the alkaloids caffeine and theophylline.
Roasted coffee beans also contain:
- tannins - give a bitter taste;
- kafeol (this component increases blood circulation and reduces cholesterol levels);
- vitamin P, necessary for the walls of blood vessels;
- chlorogenic acid (important for protein metabolism);
- essential oils that provide a unique aroma and taste.
Scientists have discovered more than a thousand biologically active substances in coffee beans that affect metabolism. Among them are amino acids, alkaloids, and organic acids. The effect of drinking coffee on the human body is determined by the totality of all the ingredients.
Many people have heard about theobromine in coffee. The effect on the body of this component is similar to that of caffeine: it stimulates the functioning of the heart, nervous and respiratory systems. This component is indispensable in a stressful situation: it helps to cope with nervous tension, muffles pain, makes it possible to concentrate and find the right solution. But if you want to improve your health with theobromine, look for it in cocoa or chocolate: most types of coffee actually contain little to no of this substance.
How does coffee lead to traffic accidents?
Most often we are talking about truck drivers, because they have a schedule, and driving in the early morning hours is most desirable for them, since road congestion at this time is minimal.
And, ironically, it is the driver who mixes instant coffee into the thermos, which is understandable; given the ignorance of the properties of the grain, instant coffee seems more convenient to use on the road.
Moreover, the driver tries to mix this coffee stronger, just to “cheer up” for sure. This is what happens, only on the contrary, such lovers of theobromine drink end up in ditch with unenviable regularity, which is sad, of course.
Don't miss warning signs
It is very difficult to determine a “universal” safe” dose of a drink.
An overdose of it, especially when consumed on an empty stomach, manifests itself as nausea followed by vomiting, frequent shallow breathing, blood flow to the face and its redness, a feeling of fear, “jumps” in the heart and blood pressure.
Severe intoxication is manifested by hyperthermia. Inaction in case of severe coffee poisoning can result in coma and sudden heart failure, with possible death.
Is there more caffeine in tea or coffee?
Another thing is that cheap instant coffee, in addition to the theobromine component, contains a lot of things that have nothing to do with coffee, and often with health, and this desire of unscrupulous manufacturers to reduce the cost of production should definitely be taken into account.
And it’s even better to achieve an invigorating effect by drinking strong black or green tea, which simply does not contain theobromine, but contains caffeine in very significant quantities.
Is drinking coffee harmful or beneficial?
And now it’s time to consider coffee and the benefits and harms of coffee from a completely different, more mystical perspective. For those who are not new to our site, and who, one way or another, have come across information about addiction to various kinds of habits or substances, be it computer addiction, alcohol, smoking or a number of others, it is no secret that everything that is so or Otherwise, it hooks a person into a tight habit, has complex roots and is not at all simple reasons for its initial appearance on the planet. Coffee is no exception.
Coffee is not at all a simple drink comparable to most others. We feel it intuitively, although sometimes we think about whether it is beneficial or harmful. Coffee stands apart, because it contains caffeine and we do not separate it into any group and combine it, well, into one community with tea, and then indirectly.
Coffee Mystery No. 4
No one knows about the exact origin of coffee.
If we consider the history of coffee, then it is curious that the deepest roots of mention of it go back to the very first civilizations of the Middle East, but no one knows about the exact origin of coffee.
But it is known that a decoction prepared from the dried shells of coffee beans was used by African shamans in ritual ceremonies. It is clear that there are hidden qualities in coffee that the ancients knew about, but we have forgotten. Time to fill in the gaps.
The thing is that coffee not only has the ability to influence our mood, condition, well-being, sense of touch, taste buds, causing enchanting sensations.
Coffee Mystery No. 5
It has a charming, intoxicating property.
“Enchanting” is the key concept here, because this word is most appropriate here in order to understand that coffee is actually not as simple as it seems at first glance. There are many examples in the world of when external attractiveness, aroma, taste serve as a banal bait in order to captivate, and then... We’ll deal with this “later”.
Effect on the heart and blood vessels
Drinking the drink briefly increases blood pressure. The pulse immediately quickens. But there is a nuance.
Coffee lovers who regularly drink their favorite drink do not experience a similar effect. But for those who drink it very rarely, even a caffeine-free drink increases blood pressure. Doctors also noticed that coffee increases low blood pressure, but normal blood pressure does not. Clinical studies have confirmed that people who drink about 5 cups a day have virtually no problems with high or low blood pressure. But if you increase the amount to 6 cups, persistent hypertension is guaranteed.
People with coronary artery disease are not recommended to drink coffee. This is due not only to the effect on blood vessels, but also to the effect of coffee on the body as a whole. Studies have not established a connection between the amount of coffee consumed and susceptibility to heart disease. But modern medicine is absolutely clear: exceeding the recommended amounts leads to arrhythmia.
The effect of caffeine on blood vessels is rather positive. Drinking the drink in reasonable doses improves blood microcirculation in tissues and strengthens the walls. Many European medical centers for the treatment of heart disease recommend drinking several cups daily in addition to a low-cholesterol diet for atherosclerosis.
It should be understood that moderate consumption of coffee does not harm the heart in any way. In any case, there is no clinical or laboratory evidence of its harm. Drink a couple of cups a day and don’t worry about your cardiovascular health.
What happens if you consume caffeine and coffee without caution?
Caffeine and coffee are substances with very pronounced negative energy. By the term “minus energy” we mean such an action, hidden from view, when, along with the penetration of one or another substance into the physical body, activation occurs not only of bodily systems and organs, but also of mental processes in subtle bodies.
And if there are definitely “filling” foods, after consumption of which energy reserves are replenished - these are fruits, fresh vegetables, cereals, then caffeine and coffee are energy-consuming substances, those that literally “pump out” a vital resource.
Coffee Mystery No. 6
The benefits and harms of coffee. Coffee sucks strength, pumps it out, takes away energy.
How it works. A person drinks coffee, succumbing to the desire to feel the taste, aroma, relaxation; many are attracted by the feeling of a surge of such vital enthusiasm. At the very moment when the enchanting dark infusion is absorbed, the so-called “energy drain” occurs, which is precisely masked, as if by anesthesia, by these desired sensations, which is why we adore coffee so much.
After some very short time, the intoxication passes (maybe a rude word, but in this context it is quite appropriate) and a kind of discomfort arises, which is not realized at first.
A person catches himself feeling that “something is not right,” even sadness or apathy, loss of strength, and prevailing negative thoughts are possible. And the logical solution in such a situation is to “do well for yourself.”
And as if by itself, the image of a fragrant coffee cup appears in the mind. "Oh yeah! This is exactly what you need! It’s tasty and pleasant and invigorating.” And again a mug of coffee, and again caffeine affects the body, pleasant sensations and silently draining the resource in parallel. The circle is closed.
Later, when repeatedly repeating the cycle “Coffee – relief, relaxation – tension – coffee”, the coffee lover becomes clear that it is coffee that makes him feel “good”. But the understanding that it is the coffee that makes it “bad” remains behind a dark curtain. An addiction arises, from which it is not so easy to “jump off”.
Secret properties of coffee
A sort of fairy tale picture, which we will now outline, will help us understand this process a little more. The fairy tale is a lie, but there is a hint in it, as they say... Try to imagine a kind of entity that feeds on human energy.
Energy always flows in any person, but we release it especially actively when experiencing emotions. The designated entity is not particularly picky, it is satisfied with emotions, both negative and positive, it is fed by them, taking shape into a completely characteristic independent substance with the desire to live, feed, and develop.
In esoteric circles, this phenomenon has a name - egregor. That is, almost everything that people, one way or another, actively touch mentally and emotionally has energy accumulation. Coffee addiction has its own egregor - coffee.
Not from the plant, but from the energy-borrowing effect it has. And to imagine the power and strength of this egregor today, it is enough to realize only that coffee sales in the world are comparable only to the sale of oil. Can you imagine the volume?
Can you imagine how many people are energy donors, mindlessly drinking mug after mug, and more than once a day? The legitimate desire of any living material being in the physical world is to cling to life, preserving it with all its might. But what about the creatures of the subtle plane?
Their aspirations are not very different. Not having the ability to generate energy on its own and being a product, the egregor is in dire need of guaranteeing its tomorrow’s existence, and therefore its task is to make sure that in thoughts and emotions people resort to it more and more often, providing food for future use.
This is why there are “coffee charms” or the egregor of caffenemia, for which we love coffee so much. But how does the egregor of “energy-deficient” substances (we listed their main series above) differ from others?
Because, unlike the others, in which interaction proceeds on the principle of mutually beneficial symbiosis, these entities are very aggressive and do not fully carry out the required energy exchange.
Coffee Mystery No. 7
The coffee egregor is parasitic
Any energy is in a state of continuous circulation, passing through and connecting participants in energy exchange. In the same cases that we are considering, the resource is literally “sucked out” and its return is replaced by precisely giving a charming effect to the coffee lover, so that later he can take more and more. That is pure parasitism.
Effect on sleep
Many people note that after a cup of coffee they find it difficult to sleep. This drink literally drives away sleep. Therefore, it is recommended to drink it in the morning in order to drive away the remnants of sleep and cheer up. But in the evening it’s better to give up coffee, or at least drink it at least three hours before bed. In order to understand why this drink keeps us awake, let's look at its physiological effect on our brain. In order for a person to fall asleep, the process of inhibition must begin in the brain cells (cerebral hemispheres). But caffeine, as it turns out, can significantly weaken these inhibition processes. On the contrary, it stimulates the process of excitation. It is thanks to this effect that after a cup of coffee we become more alert, the remnants of sleep disappear. If you drink a cup of this magical drink before bedtime or shortly before it, it can cause insomnia.
Not only coffee, but also tea has an exciting mild effect. This excitement does not come immediately, it grows gradually. This effect is quite stable. It was noted that it lasts about three hours. If in the morning such an effect will be very useful, then a long-term stimulating effect in the evening will no longer be appropriate. Therefore, it is better to drink coffee before 6-7 pm. By the way, coffee excites in a special way. For example, after alcoholic drinks, excitement first sets in, and then it is replaced by inhibition. But after coffee this is not observed - excitement is not replaced by depression of the general condition.
Is it harmful to drink natural coffee?
Now do you understand what a rather complicated phenomenon we are dealing with? But don’t rush to get scared, a mug of coffee is not at all capable of enslaving you. Unless, of course, you want it yourself.
There is a way, or rather a trick, to stay with your loved one - willingly or unwillingly - coffee is not only a balance, but also a benefit. However, to do this you need to know one more secret mechanism. I'll tell you about it now.
Nowadays, few visitors to resources like ours can be surprised by such concepts as the “boomerang law”, the law of reflection, the law of attraction. Everyone knows that their basic meaning is about the same thing - what you emit is what you receive.
What emotions and thoughts you broadcast are multiplied in real material reality. Because, again, any thought, emotion is energy. And, as you know, it doesn’t come from anywhere, it doesn’t go anywhere. But it circulates perfectly, multiplying the source.
In other words, they dreamed with joy and gusto - not only did they send the energy of goodness into Space, but they also returned back with pleasant events. Or, on the contrary, if you get angry efficiently and diligently - prepare your forehead, since in one way or another it will certainly “fly” back.
Is drinking coffee good or bad?
Now let’s look at how this pattern can explain to us the secret of interaction with the “coffee” egregor. And here everything is quite simple. What is desired for an egregor, the basis of its existence? Energy.
What does it pump out of a person every time it catches him on the bait of sensations? Energy. And what, as we already know, is the basis of the above-mentioned universal laws that can attract and return thoughts and emotions emitted into space? Still the same energy.
Effect on the nervous system
Caffeine also stimulates nervous activity: efficiency increases, fatigue decreases, a feeling of vigor comes, and the thought process is activated.
Drinking 4 cups daily significantly reduces the risk of developing Parkinson's disease.
We must not forget about the negative effects of coffee on the body, in particular on the nervous system. Its excessive stimulation is fraught with exhaustion. This pattern was studied by I.P. Pavlov at the beginning of the 20th century. Exceeding recommended doses of coffee may have the following consequences:
- lethargy;
- drowsiness;
- prostration;
- lethargy;
- depressive states.
What are the benefits or harms of coffee?
Therefore, the whole secret of a winning interaction with coffee lies in how exactly to drink it. And the point is not at all in the correct brewing, as you already guessed, but in what emotions and thoughts you will carry out this process with.
The energy loss will happen anyway. But it depends only on you whether this will be a donor pumping, for which no one asked you for consent. Or it will be a cunning step of yours, into which you secretly invested your positive intentions with a good message to get the opposite result. Indeed, if there is an energy supply, then why not take the opportunity and at the same time endow it with a “+” sign, investing positivity to the maximum?
It seems that it was this secret of coffee that ancient shamans valued when they performed magical rituals that included drinking this drink. Not only does coffee open the floodgates of energy. So, in addition to everything, it enhances any energy message carried out mentally at this moment.
Is it any wonder that for a long time only highly spiritual shamans had access to the drink. For mere mortals, it was prohibited.
Therefore, only a thoughtful attitude to coffee, to the process of its preparation and consumption in principle. Can you imagine how office dwellers harm themselves and their life resources by pouring another portion of coffee into unwashed mugs over and over again? To thoughtlessly, without attention, and often with significant nervous tension, pour it into yourself. Feeling a little later only irritation and a persistent desire to “save yourself” with another mug?
Coffee Mystery No. 8
This secret is simple - just beautiful, pleasing dishes. Just a pleasant, unhurried, relaxed atmosphere around. And, what is most basic and important, only a good and high spirits. And certainly not often.
Weaning is weaning, no matter what dividends it promises in the future. It is important to have something to give from. You should feel joyful and extremely good. It is this state that should be the criterion for the thought “Should I have a cup of coffee?”
If at least something bothers you, if you feel at least an implicit imbalance. Or, even more so, physical discomfort - coffee will worsen everything significantly. Maybe not immediately and not obviously. But later - certainly and so disguised that you won’t even think about it.
How to use the benefits of the drink?
It turns out that men don’t need to drink coffee before the “crucial moment”: to awaken their desire, all they need to do is... enjoy the aroma of a freshly prepared drink!
To improve sperm production and maintain potency, one small portion of the drink is enough.
Canadian researchers claim that drinking large amounts of coffee in women reduces the risk of breast cancer in those who are especially susceptible to it due to hereditary gene mutations. On the other hand, due to the diuretic effect of the drink, regular abuse of it increases the “leakage” of important microelements, incl. calcium.
Only expectant mothers are recommended to give up coffee completely. Its vasoconstrictive effect may make it difficult for nutrients to flow into the placenta.
Consciously drinking coffee, living joyfully
As you can see, the world is full of miracles. But these miracles are guaranteed to be good when we are in balance with ourselves. Harmony and love of life are the main key to extracting the most pleasant and joyful from each coming day, and coffee will help you. And now you already know whether coffee is good or bad for the body.
Friends, if you liked the article “The benefits and harms of coffee,” share it on social networks. This is your greatest gratitude. Your reposts let me know that you are interested in my articles and my thoughts. That they are useful to you. And I am inspired to write and explore new topics.
With uv. Oksana Manoilo.
