Coffee is one of the most popular drinks in the world, perhaps the most popular drink and, thanks to numerous antioxidants, also has some positive health effects. Let's find out better.
- History of coffee
- What is caffeine and what are its properties?
- Side effects of coffee
- How many coffees can you drink per day?
- Coffee in the diet
- Nutritional properties of coffee
- You use coffee
- Recipes with coffee
History of coffee
Coffee is a drink that you get from the grinding of coffee seeds (the seeds of some trees belonging to the genus Coffea), of which the main varieties arearabica and robusta.
The origin of these trees is not yet certain, but it seems that they were first found in Caffa, Ethiopia from which they would then have spread first to Asia and then to Europe.
What is caffeine and what are its properties?
Caffeine is a stimulant molecule to which we owe the exciting effect of coffee. Once absorbed, reaches the brain where it stimulates the release of neurotransmitters such as norepinephrine and dopamine, responsible for a greater activation of neurons.
Some studies have shown that, in addition to improving energy, the caffeine would improve:
- The memory;
- the mood;
- in general, mental functions.
Discover also the properties of ginseng coffee
Side effects of coffee
Coffee can be considered a safe and healthy drink if consumed in adequate quantities, however, each of us has a more or less marked tolerance to caffeine, on the basis of which the side effects of coffee, for the same dose, can be more or less intense.
Let's see some of them:
- Anxiety and nervousness.
- Insomnia.
- Gastrointestinal disorders.
- Hypertension.
- Acceleration of the heartbeat.
How many coffees can you drink per day?
According to the latest studies, in people in good health consume up to 4 coffees per day it would protect against the risk of developing chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes 2 and cardiovascular disease.
However, in the case of pregnancy, nursing o diseases you need to contact your doctor, so as to avoid any contraindications of coffee.
For example, in case of hypertension or changes in the heartbeat cardiac, coffee could worsen the symptoms.
Coffee in the diet
Its like tea, herbal teas or infusions, even coffee can be consumed freely during a weight loss diet or not.
However, it is crucial to pay attention to the added sugar: if we sweetened each coffee with a teaspoon of sugar, consuming 4 per day, we would introduce about 20 g of sugar a day, far too much!
The ideal would be consummate it love or reduce the amount of sugar gradually, so as to gradually accustom the palate to appreciate the natural taste of coffee.
Nutritional properties of coffee
In addition to representing a pleasant break and a moment of conviviality, there are numerous benefits of coffee.
Let's see some of them:
- Energizing.
- Increases the basal metabolic rate, that is, it helps to consume more energy.
- Improve physical performance.
- Reduces the risk of diabetes 2, cancer and cardiovascular disease.
- Prevents Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
- Protects the liver and brain.
- Improve your mood.
You use coffee
Coffee is a very versatile drink which can also be used for sweet and savory preparations or to flavor creams and dishes.
For example, it can be used to flavor yoghurt, to make a coffee cream or for the preparation of a dessert, including the classic tiramisu, based on coffee.
The use of coffee also finds space in the preparation of cosmetics.
Recipes with coffee
One of the most common coffee preparations and traditional is tiramisu, a fresh, tasty and, with appropriate modifications, even healthy dessert!
For example, the classic ladyfingers could be replaced with low-fat and sugar-reduced biscuits and the classic mascarpone filling with a cream cheese and milk or with one vegan cream based on vegetable milk and cashews and low in sugar.
Other articles on coffee:
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Raw green coffee for weight loss?
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Can you drink coffee in case of colitis?
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How to prepare macrobiotic coffee
-
Coffee alternatives
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Mocha or coffee pod?
Bibliography and sources
Coffee, Caffeine, and Health, The New England Journal of Medicine
History of coffee, the wine of Arabia, Focus
Investigation of the effects of coffee on alertness and performance during the day and night, Neuropsychobiology
Blood-brain barrier transport of caffeine: Dose-related restriction of adenine transport, Life Sciences
Adenosine, Adenosine Receptors and the Actions of Caffeine, Pharmacology & Toxicology
The impact of caffeine on mood, cognitive function, performance and hydration: a review of benefits and risks, Food and Nutrition Bulletin
Neuropsychiatric effects of caffeine, Advances in Psychiatric Treatment
Caffeine Consumption and Sleep Quality in Australian Adults, Nutrients
No association of coffee consumption with gastric ulcer, duodenal ulcer, reflux esophagitis, and non-erosive reflux disease: a cross-sectional study of 8,013 healthy subjects in Japan, PLoSE ONE
Acute and long-term cardiovascular effects of coffee: implications for coronary heart disease, Pharmacology & Therapeutics
Start me up! Recurrent ventricular tachydysrhythmias following intentional concentrated caffeine ingestion, Clinical toxicology
Normal caffeine consumption: influence on thermogenesis and daily energy expenditure in lean and postobese human volunteers, The America Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Effects of caffeine ingestion on exercise testing: a meta-analysis, International journal of sport nutrition and exercise metabolism
Coffee and tea consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes, Diabetologia
Does caffeine intake protect from Alzheimer's disease?, European Journal of Neurology
A meta-analysis of coffee drinking, cigarette smoking, and the risk of Parkinson's disease ,Annals of neurology
Coffee, cirrhosis, and transaminase enzymes, Archives of internal medicine
Coffee consumption and risk of coronary heart diseases: A meta-analysis of 21 prospective cohort studies, International Journal of Cardiology
