Toan Tran gives us his perspectives on coffee – definitely to be taken with a dash of milk, teaspoon of sugar and grain of salt.
Coffee, an infusion of ground, roasted coffee beans, is among the most popular beverages consumed in the world, but also constitutes a complex chemical mixture. In it you will find caffeine, chlorogenic acid, and several micro-nutrients, chemicals which, as recent researches shows, can potentially affect your health.
Coffee can improve your well-being, and it can potentially prevent type 2 diabetes mellitus, because coffee can impair glucose tolerance and decrease insulin sensitivity. Caffeine can provide protection against dopaminergic nearotoxity and thus can prevent Parkinson’s disease. Several studies have also found that the chances of developing hepatic injuries, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma are reduced with the consumption of coffee. Research also shows significant association between suicide risk and coffee, with coffee significantly reducing the likelihood of suicidal tendencies. However drinking more than 7 cups a day may produce a negative effect.
But of course, coffee is not all good for you, there are cardiovascular diseases to be aware of. Several researches show that coffee increases the chances of coronary heart diseases, however, recent studies indicates that moderate (3-4 cups) consumption of coffee does not have this trait, but rather actually decreases the likelihood of of coronary heart disease.
Drinking coffee increases your resting metabolic rate, this means it gives you better energy expenditure to potentially help with weight loss. This is a double-edged sword though, as it also impairs your ability to absorb nutrients, making mineral deficiencies, osteoporosis and hip fractures a more realistic threat.
Now before you throw the rest of that coffee away, be aware that the negative aspects of coffee only significantly effects people with pre-existing problems and/or with a high amount of consumption. There are also many claims out there that are unsupported, such those as relating to cancer – research connecting cancer and coffee are largely inconclusive though some suggest a possible link with the prevention of colorectal cancer.
If you truly savour that aroma and flavour that is coffee but are fearful of its negative effect on your body, this writer suggests practice moderation in your coffee consumption. If you have heart problems or are low in nutrients, restrict your coffee consumption to 1-4 cups. If you are a healthy individual, drink to your heart’s content – if your heart is content at 8 cups that is – it might actually be good for you.
