Does drinking coffee really do more harm than good?

So is coffee good or bad? How much do you drink every day? The conclusion comes from the theory, so combined with the current research to analyze the "good and bad" of coffee, and then come to a conclusion.

(1) the "benefit" of coffee

1. The most interesting thing about coffee is caffeine. Caffeine can stimulate nerve excitement, so the role of coffee is first of all "refreshing". In particular, caffeine plus glucose can promote each other to make the pick-me-up effect better. So caffeine is added to many sports drinks as a legal "stimulant"; caffeine is very effective in reducing the risk of Parkinson's disease; caffeine can also help reduce gallstones. 400 milligrams of caffeine (about three or four cups of coffee) a day can show an effect.

In addition to caffeine, coffee also contains many other "active ingredients", such as antioxidants. Especially roasted coffee beans, the content of antioxidants will increase. Antioxidants contribute to cardiovascular health.

(2) the "disadvantages" of coffee

1. There are also "harmful substances" in coffee, such as diterpenes, which increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. However, diterpenes can be filtered out by coffee paper, so it is not recommended to drink coffee that is not filtered or filtered with a metal mesh.

2. Baking not only increases the content of antioxidants, but also produces acrylamide, and a large dose of acrylamide shows carcinogenicity in animal experiments.

3. Drinking too much coffee every day (for example, more than six cups) may lead to addiction, reduce the body's sensitivity to coffee, and drink more. Drinking too much may lead to insomnia, tension, stomach discomfort, nausea, vomiting, accelerated heart rate and breathing, headache, tinnitus and other symptoms.

4. Caffeine increases the loss of calcium and increases the risk of osteoporosis. Especially for growing children and menopausal women and the elderly who are prone to osteoporosis, the increased risk will be greater.

(3) how much to drink between the pros and cons?

Combining these positive and negative studies, the more widely accepted recommendations are as follows:

For healthy adults, drinking two or three cups of coffee a day, the "benefits" outweigh the "risks"

For pregnant women, based on current scientific evidence, it is generally accepted that no more than two cups (about 200 milligrams of caffeine) a day are acceptable. Pregnant women who exceed this amount can increase the risk of miscarriage, premature delivery or underweight babies. For breast-fed mothers, more than this amount may bring risks such as irritating the baby's digestive tract and affecting the baby's sleep.

Children tend to be more sensitive to caffeine than adults. Considering that avoiding side effects is more important for children, children are advised not to drink coffee. At the same time, coffee can increase calcium loss, but also not conducive to the growth and development of children's bones.

For people with osteoporosis, their daily caffeine intake should not exceed 300 milligrams (equivalent to two or three cups of coffee). Menopause and older women are prone to osteoporosis, so they need to pay more attention.

Don't drink coffee when taking some cold medicine. Many cold medicines such as Kangtaike, Baijiahei and so on contain ephedrine. Ephedrine can stimulate nerve excitement, and caffeine can also stimulate nerve excitement. If you drink coffee while taking these cold medicines, the effect of stimulating nerve excitement will be greatly enhanced, resulting in the symptoms of "overdose". So don't drink coffee when taking cold medicine containing ephedrine.

(4) Special Tip: do not choose a "partner" for coffee

Coffee companion is mainly composed of sugar and plant fat powder, which can improve the flavor of coffee and give it a "milky feeling". But the essence of vegetable fat powder is hydrogenated vegetable oil, which is one of the main sources of trans fatty acids. On the other hand, fatty acids are the "worst" oils, which are bad for health.