Myths about
coffee
Coffee is a diuretic
Many people worry that drinking caffeine
beverages will cause them to become dehydrated,but good quality evidence has
found this not to be true.Caffeinated and non-caffeinated drinks are similarly
hydrating.
Coffee leaches calcium from your bones
A moderate daily intake of coffee is not
associated with any adverse effects on your bones or calcium balance,as long as
you consume an adequate calcium intake from your diet.
Pregnant women shouldn’t drink coffee
Although conclusive evidence regarding the
adverse effects of caffeine consumption during pregnancy on birth outcomes is
limited.Thus,although caffeine does not need to be avoided completely,lower
intakes are recommended.
Coffee is harmful to your brain
Some
evidence suggests that excessive caffeine
consumption may be associated with less cognitive decline in healthy older adults
without dementia(this protective effect appears to be more pronounced in women
and men)
What caffeine will do to your body
The most notable effects are on the brain
as it is a central nervous system(CNS) stimulant,well known for keeping the
consumer awake,increasing mental alertness and cognitive functioning.It had
also been documented to enhance physical performance by improving endurance and
reaction time.
In general when caffeine is consumed in
moderate amounts,400 mg/day for a healthy adult,less or equal to 200 mg/day
during pregnancy and lactation and less or equal to 3 mg/Kg/day for children
and adolescents,it does not have negative effects on overall health.This being
said,if you are more sensitive to caffeine more severe side effects may be experienced
at lower doses.
Too much caffeine can cause symptoms like a
heart palpitations,restlessness,anxiety,stomach upset and sleeplessness.Some
studies found that even one cup of coffee can increase the time it takes to
fall asleep and candecrease total sleep time.
Some sensitive
individuals may experience effects such as vomiting,electrolyteimbalances,arrhythmias,seizures
and hallucinations.If youthinkyou havebuilt up a tolerance to your daily
cuppa,this is entirely possible,and if you stop having it you may experience
withdrawal effects such as headaches,fatigue,drowsiness,impaired concentration
and mood and irritability.s
The method by
which the raw ingredients are processed(roasting,grinding and brewing time) as
well as the growing conditions,harvesting,plant genetics and soil quality will
all affect the caffeine content of the final product.This makes it difficult to
accurately label the caffeine content of food,but the approximate figures
should be enough for the body.
