Saturday, August 6, 2011

What Are the Health Effects of Drinking Coffee?

By Ray Marsh


Every day, millions of people all over the world get up with a cup of coffee. Even though everyone knows about the stimulating properties of coffee and how they can keep people awake, there are a few other health items that could develop from heavily drinking coffee. Studies have told us that the effects of drinking a moderate amount of coffee may be advantageous. Yet some of the other effects of drinking large doses of coffee may be doing more harm to your health than good. This post will examine some of the effects that coffee drinking might have.

Too much coffee has been linked to infertility and problems with birth. The incidence of stillbirth is significantly increased in mothers who drank coffee throughout the pregnancy. You are more likely to miscarry in the first trimester if you are drinking more than two cups per day of any caffeinated beverage but research show especially for coffee. Mothers who drink coffee during pregnancy can expect lower than average birth weights. Changing to a decaff coffee may not do any good because of the chemicals used to remove the caffeine. Drinking large amounts of coffee has also been proven to increase the amount of low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, in your body. High LDL levels are an indicator of high cholesterol, which is strongly associated with cardiovascular disease. In patients with high cholesterol, the incidence of heart attack, stroke and vascular disease is greatly increased. The elements in coffee that lead to high blood pressure can be eliminated by brewing coffee with a paper filter according to research. Cafestol and Kahweol, ingredients that are generally only found in coffee beans but can be harmful to the body, are bonded to the paper filter during the brewing process. Because they do not filter out certain impurities, press pots and plunger filters are not as safe for brewing coffee as paper filters.

If you want to lose weight you might want to consider cutting out caffeine and yes, that morning cup of coffee. In fact caffeine actually increases your likelihood of long term weight gain. It may appear like you are losing a little weight at first with the extra coffee each day. It's not fat you are losing though it's really water because of the diuretic effect that coffee often has. Caffeine increases stress hormones within your body that increase the risk of hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar levels. This hormone actually stimulates your appetite and makes you feel hungry before you should.

As if the health concerns of drinking coffee were not enough, there is also a cosmetic impact to consider. Regularly consuming coffee can lead to stained teeth that are brown, yellow, or unevenly colored. Dry skin can often be the result of dehydration by drinking too much coffee. One of the most noticeable effects of dry skin is how easily the skin on your face and hands can begin to wrinkle more quickly than those who are properly hydrated. Dry skin can further be recognized in the appearance of stretch marks or in stretch marks become more visible.

In conclusion, drinking coffee in smaller amounts might be advantageous to your health. However, people that drink a lot of coffee should also understand that there are negative health risks that can develop from drinking a lot of caffeine. Moderation is the key to achieving a healthy balance.




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