If your day starts with coffee, you are not alone. There has been a lot of research recently on the effects of coffee on our health, mood, longevity, fitness and athletic performance. Fresh scientific studies have given us reason to believe that coffee is a good thing to include in your daily life, as it improves quality of life, health, longevity and even strength.
“Coffee is a prosperous source of caffeine, a stimulant. It increases alertness and focus, as well as concentration and mood, by changing the levels of various neurotransmitters such as dopamine and adenosine. The presence antioxidants like chlorogenic, ferulic, caffeic and n-coumaric acids assist fight inflammation and neutralize harmful free radicals in our body. Moderate coffee consumption can also assist reduce the risk of diseases like type 2 diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and some types of cancer due to its antioxidant properties,” explains Fiona Sampat, clinical dietitian at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Mumbai.
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Coffee consumption is also associated with improving liver health and lower all-cause mortality. “Coffee has a profound effect, especially on the liver. There is a potential beneficial effect of coffee on the severity of liver fibrosis in fatty liver disease. The optimal amount and form or method of preparation of coffee required to exert this hepatoprotective role remains unclear. Coffee is a intricate beverage containing more than 100 compounds. Its protective effect may be due to compounds other than caffeine,” says Dr Pankaj Puri, director of gastroenterology and hepatobiliary sciences at Fortis Escorts Hospital, Okhla, Fresh Delhi.
The American Heart Association recommends that adults consume 300 to 350 milligrams of caffeine a day, which is found in about three cups of coffee, says Vaishali Verma, a dietetics specialist at HCMCT Manipal Hospital in Dwarka, Fresh Delhi. “Coffee improves mental health and awareness. It also improves exercise performance, concentration levels and helps in liver detoxification. It also creates vigorous liver enzymes,” Verma added.
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The scientific evidence backs up what these health experts are telling us. A gigantic cohort study published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine in May 2022, it was found that moderate coffee consumption – with or without sugar – was associated with lower risk of death and all-cause mortalityThe study, conducted in the UK between 2009 and 2018, followed 171,616 people and took into account factors such as age, gender, ethnicity, education level, smoking status, physical activity, body mass index, diet and coffee drinking habits. The average age of participants was 55.6 years. The study found that people who drank unsweetened coffee – whether it was instant, ground or decaf – had the lowest risk of death compared with people who didn’t drink coffee at all. People who drank 2.5 to 4.5 cups of coffee a day had a 29 percent lower risk of death. Those who drank coffee with sugar had a lower risk of death, especially those who drank 1.5 to 3.5 cups a day.
A separate study published in 2022 in the journal BMC Public Health journal found that all types of coffee reduced the risk of adverse outcomes in chronic liver disease. Researchers included 494,585 participants with known coffee consumption, hospital history, death, and cancer history. Compared with non-coffee drinkers, coffee drinkers had about 20 percent lower risk of liver diseaseCoffee lovers also had 49 percent. lower risk of death from chronic liver disease. Although all types of coffee led to a reduced risk, ground coffee proved to be the best in this regard.
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Another study published in 2020 found a link between coffee and better sports resultsA study published in International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolismfound that coffee that provided 3 mg/kg of caffeine before training improved 5-km time trial performance among amateur and recreational cyclists. The researchers explained that this was because caffeine relieves the feeling of pain and exertionwhich made people feel like they were putting in less effort and/or getting better results. Another study found that the caffeine in coffee reduced response time. The best coffee news of recent times comes from Finland — where researchers have discovered that drinking coffee can reduce the risk of depression. Their findings are published in a paper in the University of Cambridge Journal Nutrition in public health journal. The researchers also found that there was no similar link between reduced risk of depression and caffeine or tea.
A 20-year study by the National University of Singapore and sponsored by Starbucks found that regular consumption of coffee and tea — caffeinated beverages — in middle age makes you stronger in senior age. The study was published in July 2023. “Compared to non-daily drinkers, those who drank four or more cups of coffee per day had reduced risk of physical weakness“- the researchers concluded.
The benefits aren’t restricted to coffee. Drinking tea, the most widely consumed beverage in the world, also has some health benefits. Moderate tea consumption is is associated with a lower risk of stroke and dementia. A study by the National University of Singapore found benefits similar to those of coffee in tea drinkers as well. “Higher caffeine intake in midlife, via coffee and tea, was associated with a reduced likelihood of developing physical frailty later in life,” they concluded.
“Like coffee, tea is also an extremely prosperous source of antioxidants, especially green tea. It helps fight inflammation and reduces the risk of various types of cancer and heart diseases,” says Sampat of Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital. The antioxidants in green tea protect the skin from the harmful effects of free radicals, which cause wrinkles and skin ageing. The polyphenols and flavonoids in it strengthen our immune system and boost resistance to infections, he adds.
Shweta Gupta, chief dietitian at Fortis Hospital Shalimar Bagh in Fresh Delhi, says tea is prosperous in antioxidants known as catechins, which have been linked to a variety of health benefits, from improving heart health to weight management. Tea also contains L-theanine, an amino acid that aids relaxation and concentration.
Side effects of coffee
So drinking coffee may have some positive health benefits, but can too much be harmful? Yes, experts say. Excessive coffee consumption can cause insomnia, anxiety, rapid heart rate, digestive problems and even anemia, Gupta says.
Coffee can act as a diuretic if consumed in excess, leading to dehydration and loss of water-soluble vitamins and minerals. Excessive tea consumption, especially mighty black tea, can lead to excessive caffeine intake and related side effects, such as increased blood pressure.
“Both coffee and tea can stain teeth, and excessive consumption of very balmy beverages may be associated with an increased risk of esophageal cancer,” Gupta adds. Drinking too much tea or coffee can also cause stomach upset, such as nausea, heartburn, and acid reflux.
Excessive coffee consumption can worsen panic attacks and cause tremors, anxiety, and heart palpitations, which ultimately boost blood pressure. Coffee’s effect on stomach acid production has raised concerns about the possibility of worsening indigestion, which is characterized by heartburn, belching, nausea, indigent digestion, and gas.
Other possible side effects include esophageal burns, gastritis or ulcers, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). The presence of caffeine and tannins in coffee and tea reduces the absorption of various minerals, such as manganese, zinc, copper, and iron, among others.
Both coffee and tea can be addictive. People develop a tolerance to caffeine when they consume it regularly. It stops working as before or requires a larger dose to get the same results. Caffeine withdrawal symptoms include headaches, fatigue, brain fog, and irritability when a person stops consuming it.
To fully enjoy the benefits of these beverages while minimizing the risks, it’s critical to strike a balance.
