Coffee and Health - is it good or bad

Good things about coffee

On the other hand, there are also some benefits of coffee. The most important benefit will probably be that it helps to prevent prostate cancer. It is the boron in coffee that helps to curb prostate cancer.

Coffee is also regarded as a good social drink. You can chat with your friends in a coffee house. You may even know some new friends in the coffee houses. In some culture, starting or finish a meal without a cup of coffee will be an impolite act. It also tastes good after a meal.

To summarize, it will not be a good idea to have excessive amount of coffee. However, this is true for everything in our lives. Excessive amount for anything should not be something good. As a result, if you think that you are just drinking too much coffee, you may try to drink less. The key is that you should never be addicted to it. Addiction is always a bad idea in our lives.

Bad things about coffee

You may be well aware that coffee can stain your teeth. It is just like cigarette smoking. However, you can always purchase something to whiten your teeth. Besides, the breath of a heavy coffee drinker can smell very awful.

Apart from the above, drinking too much coffee may even render health problem. It is believed that too much coffee can raise your stress level. You may already be aware of this. You may even seen some heavy drinkers shake after drinking coffee.

Coffee can even increase the risk of heart attack. You can think of this easily. Coffee will probably raise your heart and blood pressure, and this will not be good the health of your heart. There are also studies showing that drinking too much coffee can result in stomach problem. Moreover, it can even lower your sperm count. You may be scared by this if you are a man.

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Though the precise mechanism underlying the association between coffee and diabetes is not well understood, a 2003 study in The Journal of Nutrition found that a bitter tasting white powder (called dicinnamoylquinide) formed after roasting coffee may be responsible. The researchers reported that this chemical attached to and dampened the activity of certain protein receptors in the brain, enhancing insulin activity in rats and decreasing their risk for Type 2 diabetes.

In another study, researchers found that through a different mechanism this same chemical reduced patients’ cravings for highly addictive substances like cocaine and heroine. This chemical binds to opioid receptors in the brain, which regulate the experiences of pleasure and pain.

Caffeine, the most famous component of coffee, is also one of the more controversial ingredients in this popular beverage. It causes an increase in the activity of the neurotransmitter dopamine, which largely accounts for both caffeine’s stimulating effects and its ability to diminish feelings of depression. Caffeine essentially wakes the brain up, helping a person get through the day. After the caffeine wears off, however, it may have a depressive effect on a person’s mood.

Some researchers have found that the caffeine in a cup of joe has considerable negative health effects. One study published in a 2006 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology indicated that coffee decreases the flow of blood to the heart. Other studies have found that caffeine in coffee can also cause heart palpitations, increased blood pressure and stress. In addition to these effects of coffee, van Dam points out that pregnant women should limit their caffeine intake because fetuses are sensitive to the drug.

Based on these studies, coffee may improve a person’s mood (at least temporarily) and risk for certain diseases — good news for coffee addicts like me. But it also appears to have some harmful effects. The ultimate verdict on coffee is still out.

REFERENCES

1. Nathan DM. Long-term complications of diabetes mellitus. N Engl J Med. 1993;328:1676-1685.
2. Wild S, Roglic G, Green A, Sicree R, King H. Globalprevalence of diabetes: estimates for the year 2000 and projections for 2030. Diabetes Care. 2004;27:1047-1053.
3. Tuomilehto J, Lindstrom J, Eriksson JG, et al. Prevention of type 2 diabetes mellitus by changes in lifestyle among subjects with impaired glucose tolerance. N Engl J Med. 2001;344:1343-1350.
4. Knowler WC, Barrett-Connor E, Fowler SE, et al. Reduction in the incidence of type 2 diabetes with lifestyle intervention or metformin. N Engl J Med. 2002;346:393-403.
5. Schaefer B. Coffee consumption and type 2 diabetes mellitus [letter]. Ann Intern Med. 2004;141:321.
6. Urgert R, Meyboom S, Kuilman M, et al. Comparison of effect of cafetiere and filtered coffee on serum concentrations of liver aminotransferases and lipids: six month randomised controlled trial. BMJ. 1996;313:1362-1366.
7. Pietinen P, Nissinen A, Vartiainen E, et al. Dietary changes in the North Karelia Project (1972-1982). Prev Med. 1988;17:183-193.
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Rob M. van Dam, PhD; Frank B. Hu, MD, PhD
JAMA. 2005;294:97-104.

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