How does your morning begin? If you have a cup of coffee, without which you cannot wake up, then it’s time to think about how the drink, consumed by many of us in excessive quantities, affects your body. There are many myths associated with the most important food “doping”, but how to understand if coffee is harmful or beneficial for you personally? Together with a nutritionist and co-founder of the Beauty Ballers project, we figure out what happens to the body when you give up coffee.
WHAT IS COFFEE?
This drink is made from fried seeds (grains) of several types of plants, and the strength of the drink depends on the degree of their roasting. By the way, by a cup of coffee we mean a drink prepared in a coffee machine, brewed in a Turk or freshly ground with boiling water, without adding milk or cream (this is food, not a drink). Instant coffee does not apply here, because its strength is lower than grain coffee, besides, aromatic compounds and almost all useful substances are lost in it due to the lengthy processing process.
MAIN CONS OF COFFEE.
Coffee should not be drunk on an empty stomach because it triggers the production of the hormone , which triggers digestion. And if there is no food in your stomach, then there is nothing to digest – this process leads to the appearance of heartburn and signs of gastritis. Coffee increases the acidity of gastric juice, blood pressure and disrupts sleep.
Preservatives, of which there are so many in coffee, negatively affect the metabolism, provoke the appearance of cellulite (so it is better to use it as a scrub).
An invigorating effect also has a downside: an hour after drinking coffee, it causes increased efficiency. And after another hour, drowsiness will appear.
Coffee should not be consumed by pregnant and lactating women.
Caffeine accumulates in the blood of pregnant women, penetrates the placenta, and leads to a decrease in the amount of iron and other mineral elements in breast milk.
It is addictive: overuse of coffee leads to dehydration, so when you consume too much of this drink, it is very difficult to rehydrate.
MAIN ADVANTAGES OF COFFEE.
Coffee contains antioxidants – they remove free radicals from the body that contribute to aging. Coffee antioxidants help fight cancer, certain heart diseases, both types of diabetes and Parkinson’s disease;
Some studies show that real natural coffee reduces the likelihood of developing colon cancer and stimulates the digestive tract. Coffee reduces or completely relieves headaches, as it dilates the blood vessels of the brain.
WHY IS BETTER NOT TO DRINK COFFEE IMMEDIATELY AFTER WAKING UP?
The key hormone produced by our bodies during the day is cortisol, which helps to wake up in the morning and fall asleep in the evening. In the morning, the level of the hormone is highest, and if you drink coffee at this time, the drink will block its production, which means that after a while we will want to sleep again. Usually, cortisol production occurs from 6 to 9 in the morning, and the peak occurs at 8-9 in the morning, so it is best to drink coffee at 10 a.m. or in the afternoon.
WHAT WILL CHANGE IF YOU REFUSE COFFEE?
Despite the fact that this drink has undeniable advantages, it is not suitable for everyone. In addition, only 10% of coffee lovers do not abuse coffee, the rest, as a rule, drink an average of four cups a day, which exceeds the permissible norm.
So, if you give up coffee:
Your body will learn to better absorb vitamins
Caffeine “kills” vitamin B, reduces the content of iron, potassium, zinc, calcium in the body. And one cup of 150 ml slows down the absorption of calcium by as much as three hours. Moreover, caffeine flushes calcium out of the body, and as a result of overuse of coffee, bones become fragile.
You can lose weight.
As we discussed earlier, caffeine increases the production of cortisol and affects the adrenal glands. The adrenal glands work in conjunction with the thyroid gland, which takes care of the metabolism – because of coffee, it slows down and you gain weight.
Your immunity will increase.
Caffeine isn’t our immune system’s best friend, again because of the thyroid gland. The limited performance of the thyroid gland leads to a weakening of the immune system, which becomes the cause of disease. If you feel susceptible to various diseases, it is worth staying away from coffee, at least until you feel better.
You won’t have liver problems.
Coffee is not digested in the best way. Your liver works to produce enzymes that break down and metabolize coffee. Therefore, when enzymes are needed for other harmful chemicals, the liver can suddenly become lazy. Many coffee drinkers have lazy livers.
You will become more energetic.
Even though coffee gives you a boost of energy, eventually it stops working. Coffee makes the body produce adrenaline, and if you drink it all the time, you need more and more caffeine each time for the body to respond to it with equal efficiency.
You will feel sexier.
And again about the thyroid gland. This part of our body is responsible for hormones that control our libido, such as testosterone. So once you stop putting pressure on your thyroid gland with caffeine, you will notice an improvement in your sex life.
