John Myers
The most popular drink among Germans is coffee – everyone drinks around 150 liters a year on average. In many cases, coffee can have a positive effect on health. This is the conclusion reached by British researchers who have evaluated more than 200 studies.
- Three to four cups of coffee a day usually have a positive effect on your health. Moderate coffee consumption is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, and liver cancer. Lower risk of Parkinson’s, diabetes, Alzheimer’s and depression is also suspected.
- In pregnant women, however, excessive coffee consumption can have a negative impact on the health of the growing child. Possible consequences are below-average birth weight or premature birth.
- Women suffering from osteoporosis should reduce their coffee consumption.
Despite all the evidence of the health-promoting effects of coffee, scientists warn against euphoria. They warn that other factors besides coffee consumption could play a role in the studies, such as smoking, physical activity, and diet.
Coffee lowers inflammation in fatty liver
The positive effect of coffee on liver metabolism is scientifically proven. According to studies, people with a non-alcoholic fatty liver who do not have dyslipidemia benefit from up to six cups of coffee a day. This is partly due to the anti-inflammatory effect of caffeine.
Caffeine wakes you up
In the brain, caffeine displaces the drowsy adenosine from the nerve cell receptors. It increases drive, mood, attention, and concentration. In addition, caffeine increases the speed of thought, facilitates learning, and improves long-term memory.
Coffee protects the human genome
Another study comes to the conclusion that coffee should protect the human genetic material (DNA) from damage. For this purpose, the influence of coffee on the DNA was examined in 84 men. Half of the subjects drank three to four cups of black coffee every day for four weeks. The other half only drank water in the same period. Before and after the genetic material was examined in all study participants. It has been shown that the DNA of coffee drinkers shows less damage than that of water drinkers. Since the subjects differed only in terms of their coffee consumption, the researchers assume that the coffee protected the DNA from destruction.
Differences between espresso and filter coffee
It is not known which of the up to 1,000 components in a coffee cause which effects. Almost all studies refer to black filter coffee without milk and sugar. The role played by the variety and the preparation must also be examined more closely:
- Espresso contains less acid than filter coffee because it is lost during long roasting. Therefore, espresso is easier on the stomach than filter coffee.
- Filter coffee has less cafestol and kahweol – two substances that have a negative effect on cholesterol levels.
- They get stuck in the filter. If you have high cholesterol levels in your blood, you should rather drink filter coffee.
- A cup of coffee contains 80 to 120 milligrams of caffeine. This dose works for an average of four hours. By adding milk to the coffee, the duration of the effect can be significantly extended. The fat in milk delays the absorption of caffeine in the blood. Over time, the brain gets used to caffeine.
