Coffee is one of the most consumed beverages worldwide, with a growing market and an increase in studies carried out to deny or scrutinize the benefits and/or risks associated with its intake. For many years, the possible evil causes that could be presented by individuals who enjoy coffee, especially those who drink more than 3 cups a day, such as cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular problems, among others, have been analyzed; Now the scientific world and medical communities have not only begun to try to deny these accusations, but have also shown benefits that people who drink more than a certain number of cups of coffee a day could have compared to those who do not drink (or drink less).
Among the largest digital libraries in the world are the Harvard School of Public Health, PubMed from the NIH/NLM, the BMJ, Embase, CINAHL, among others, where thousands and thousands of studies have been carried out to determine these values. risks/benefits associated with coffee intake. During this article we are going to capture the empirical discoveries that some of these journals have managed to transmit, in order to allow the individual to reach their own conclusions about coffee. Although it is known that much is needed to have a perfect understanding of coffee, a drink whose biochemical composition includes more than 1000 different substances, and that depends on many factors such as type of bean, type of roast, type of grind and type of infusion, we believe That the information we will detail below should provide a strong foundation to refute any accusation that drinking coffee carries more risks than benefits for humanity.
Coffee, among the more than a thousand chemical compounds, contains a significant amount of caffeine, vitamin B2, magnesium, polyphenols (chlorogenic acid and quinic acid), as well as diterpenes (cafestol and kahweol). The consumption of caffeine and diterpenes has been much scrutinized, where caffeine is blamed for increasing cardiovascular risks and diterpenes are blamed for causing an increase in cholesterol; Diterpenes can be reduced to a negligible amount by using filtration methods, which means that pot coffee, French press or Turkish coffee contain the most diterpenes. However, new studies have brought to light the possibility that not only are these assumptions wrong, but they may be completely reversed, ie that these substances may be beneficial for people. It is known that each person is different, and we cannot generalize about the benefits of coffee. However, below we present the greatest positive indicators found in the sources cited in our annex regarding the intake of coffee drinks in the average person. .
Coffee may have direct implications on how cancer develops in our body, this may be due to the polyphenols, which have resulted in the prevention of the growth of carcinogenic cells in animals; Decreases in estrogen levels, a hormone related to a high rate of cancer, have also been found; Caffeine has also shown direct results in interfering with the growth and spread of carcinogenic cells, among others. Even with studies that have been done to curb coffee consumption, such as the one done in 2018 in California, these accusations were denied and even presented evidence that there is a positive relationship between coffee intake and a decrease in inflammation. as well as an increase in the response of antioxidants, both factors that affect the development of cancer.
Like cancer, coffee has also been blamed for increasing cases of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular problems, depression, neuronal degeneration and mortality in general. Minerals such as magnesium and polyphenols can improve the effectiveness of insulin and glucose metabolism in the body, resulting in a lower chance of developing type 2 diabetes for people who drink more than 3 cups of coffee compared to those who drink less or not at all. Caffeine affects each individual differently, due to its metabolites, however a correlation has been found where men and women show a significant reduction in cardiac risk by ingesting more cups of coffee per day than their counterparts; It has also been found that taking diterpenes (as mentioned above) can increase triglycerides in the blood, which for quite some time has led to the conclusion that there is a greater risk of heart failure. However, as already mentioned, there are ways to filter these diterpenes, using infusion methods that contain filters, such as American coffee and espresso; In addition to this, different studies have been carried out where it is even hypothesized that diterpenes could actually have benefits for humans, unlike these studies that link them to cardiovascular risk; These studies, unfortunately, have not yet been endorsed, but they are of great importance for the future of coffee.
Other benefits reflected in the studies investigated show that the polyphenols found in coffee drinks, including decaffeinated ones, can act as antioxidants to reduce harmful oxidative stress and inflammation of cells, which could bring neurological benefits to the body. act as antidepressants. However, it should be understood that in certain individuals, caffeine intake can lead to anxiety, fatigue and insomnia, so you should always consult your doctor. Finally, correlations have been found between the intake of coffee drinks and a decrease in neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. Parkinson's is caused by low levels of dopamine, as studies have found that caffeine protects the brain cells responsible for producing dopamine. On the other hand, it is believed that coffee can also help reduce Alzheimer's in elderly people whose coffee intake in their adult life was 3 to 5 cups a day, although the studies remain somewhat ambiguous and there is still a lot of evidence to be gathered. .
We believe that coffee should be a drink that is enjoyed, and we know that technology has allowed us to delve deeper into issues of health and well-being, which is essential for the future of the following generations. What we are looking for is not to impose authority on someone to consume coffee; The tastes of each individual will never be the same, and that is something that must be respected. However, what we want is to debunk some of the most well-known myths that are heard from people who really have no idea about the coffee process, its compounds, effects and so on. We invite each person to carry out studies supported by reliable sources, such as those we use in this blog, so that they can make their personal decisions with the highest range of information available. We believe in moderate coffee consumption, and we firmly believe that it is a drink that contributes more than it can take away, and we hope that you stop believing things you see on the internet without valid support. For our part, that's all, thanks to those who took the time to read everything, we hope you continue to consume coffee and that you consume it YOUR way.
Study carried out on January 14, 2021 by Engineer Héctor Jerónimo Martínez Ramírez.
Investigated sources
Chan, T. H. (2020). Coffee. Harvard School of Public Health, 1. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/food-features/coffee/
Cornelis, M. (2019). The Impact of Caffeine and Coffee on Human Health. PubMED Central - NLM/NIH, 11(2), 416. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6413001/
Eskelinen MH, Kivipelto M. Caffeine as a protective factor in dementia and Alzheimer's disease. J Alzheimers Dis. 2010;20 Suppl 1:S167-74.
Je Y, Liu W, and Giovannucci E. Coffee consumption and risk of colorectal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. International Journal of Cancer, 2009. 124(7): p. 1662-8.
Moroney, K.M., O'Connell, K., Meikle-Janney, P., O'Brien, SBG, Walker, GM, & Lee, W.T. (2019). Analyzing extraction uniformity from porous coffee beds using mathematical modeling and computational fluid dynamics approaches. PubMED Central - NLM/NIH, 14(7), e0219906. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6668809/
Poole, R., Kennedy, OJ, Roderick, P., Fallowfield, JA, Hayes, P.C., & Parkes, J. (2017). Coffee consumption and health: umbrella review of meta-analyses of multiple health outcomes. BMJ, j5024. https://www.bmj.com/content/359/bmj.j5024
Ren, Y., et. to the. (2019, August 30). Cafestol and Kahweol: A Review on Their Bioactivities and Pharmacological Properties. PubMed Central (PMC) - NLM: National Institutes of Health (NIH). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6747192/