Caffeine is one of the substances most consumed today and is socially accepted and widespread. It is found in endless drinks, bars, gels, stimulants ... In addition, coffee is the perfect reason to stay with a friend and can be taken in many ways: alone, time, milk, cinnamon ... But what effects does caffeine have?
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Effects of caffeine and proven benefits
There are numerous epidemiological studies and systematic reviews that show the health benefits that we can obtain from this fantastic drink:
- Loss of fat by activation of lípolisis
- Greater mental performance
- Greater alertness
- Improvement of physical performance
- Delays the appearance of sleep
- Stimulation of the central nervous system
- Improves insulin sensitivity (diabetes II)
- Risk reduction in different types of cancer
- Lower risk of cirrhosis, steatosis and liver fibrosis
- Protetor effect of neurological diseases
- Protective effect in hypertension and cardiovascular diseases (curiously, many people think otherwise)
Caffeine can be obtained from natural food sources:
- Coffee
- Tea leaves
- Cocoa
- Matte grass
- Guarana
- Cola nut
Many people ask if the tea is the same as caffeine and yes, the theine molecule is the same as the caffeine molecule and produces the same effects.
As a curiosity, the world anti-doping agency banned the use of caffeine until 2004. There are people who do not respond to the use of caffeine.
Caffeine and performance improvement
A habitual consumption of coffee creates tolerance, this is due to physiological mechanisms. Therefore, if we want to use it to improve performance, we should cycle it in order to obtain greater efficiency in its consumption.
Although there is no fixed protocol on how to cycle it, most studies suggest that caffeine consumption should be restricted for at least 14 days and then used to improve performance in a specific test.
To know when you should take caffeine doses in a competition, read the following caffeine and endurance sports article.
Benefits of drinking coffee that have revealed scientific research
There is no doubt that coffee has lights and shadows, but as more studies appear they seem to gain their benefits against their risks.
Although coffee originates in Ethiopia and the Arabian Peninsula, it is one of the favorite drinks of the western world and its consumption is widespread in Europe and America. Its main compound, caffeine, is a psychoactive drug with important effects on our nervous system and, in recent times, has been the subject of numerous scientific studies. The latest study published in July 2017 reveals that drinking three cups of coffee a day reduces the risk of death.
There is no doubt that coffee has lights and shadows, but as the investigations progress it seems that its benefits outweigh its damages. Coffee is not only a powerful stimulant (something that is good for some things, bad for others), it also has a vasodilating effect and seems to have a preventive effect on the appearance of diseases such as diabetes or some types of cancer. These are the ten reasons why coffee is beneficial for health.
1. It keeps us alert
Caffeine is the most important component of coffee, and the most consumed psychoactive in the world. As soon as you drink coffee, caffeine acts in the brain, blocking a neurotransmitter, adenosine, which increases other substances such as dopamine or norepinephrine, which accelerate brain activity.
Many studies in humans show that coffee improves several aspects of brain function. This includes memory, mood, vigilance, energy levels, reaction times and general cognitive function. In exchange for these advantages, coffee keeps us awake longer, which can cause sleep disorders. That's why most experts recommend not to drink more than four cups a day.
2. It helps us to burn fat
Caffeine is present in most food supplements that are supposed to help us lose weight. It is one of the few natural substances that help burn fat. The only bad news is that these positive effects of caffeine are decreasing in heavy drinkers.
3. Improve our physical performance
Many athletes drink several cups of coffee before competing, since caffeine increases adrenaline levels. This hormone prepares our body for exceptional physical effort: it causes the fat cells to break down body fat, releasing it as free fatty acids, which we use as fuel when we exercise.
4. Contains essential nutrients
We usually think of coffee as a simple mixture of water and caffeine, but infusion has many other essential nutrients for our body. A cup of coffee contains riboflavin (vitamin B2), pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), manganese, potassium, magnesium and niacin.
Coffee is also the largest source of antioxidants in the Western diet, since it has more than most fruits and vegetables.
5. It decreases the risk of suffering from diabetes
Type 2 diabetes, the most frequent, can be prevented with healthy lifestyle habits: maintaining a correct weight and exercising. But caffeine also seems to play a role in the equation. Several studies have shown that people who drink coffee have a risk between 23 and 50% lower diabetes. There are investigations that raise this effect up to 67%. The reason why this happens is not clear, but there is enough research to affirm that, however, coffee seems to prevent the appearance of the disease.
6. Reduces the possibility of suffering from neurodegenerative diseases
To date, there is no cure for Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, the two main neurodegenerative diseases, and they are becoming more common due to the progressive aging of the population. In addition to healthy lifestyle habits, which seem to prevent the appearance of both disorders, it seems that coffee consumption also influences their development.
Several studies show that coffee drinkers may have 65% less chance of suffering from Alzheimer's, and between 32 and 60% (according to studies) of suffering from Parkinson's. It seems that caffeine is primarily responsible for this, since decaffeinated drinkers show no advantage.
7. Protects the liver from cirrhosis
The liver is our most voluminous viscus and the one that performs the most functions in our organism. One of the most common diseases in this is cirrhosis, closely related to alcoholism, but also with hepatitis. Combining the spirits with coffees, or betting on carajillo, will not free you from suffering from the ailment if you do not drink in moderation, but it seems that people who drink more than 4 cups of coffee a day have an 80% less chance of suffer the ailment.
8. Combat depression
According to a study by Harvard University, the risk of suffering from depression decreases when we increase the consumption of coffee, at least in women, which is the one with which the study was conducted. Women who consumed four or more cups of coffee a day developed depression by 20% less. Again, caffeine is responsible for this reduction, since women who consumed decaffeinated did not show any improvement.
The moderate consumption of coffee, in addition, can significantly reduce the chances of committing suicide. According to the group of researchers from the School of Public Health of Harvard University in Boston, those who drink coffee every day commit suicide up to 50% less than people who do not consume this beverage at all or who drink decaffeinated coffee. The favorable amount is between two and four cups of coffee per day.
9. Reduces the risk of suffering from certain types of cancer
A group of researchers from the American Society for Nutrition found that consumption of coffee in high amounts reduces the risk of colon cancer. The study was carried out in more than half a million people and ruled out the benefits of decaffeination. Finally, a Swedish study that came to light last year also linked the high consumption of caffeine (five or more cups a day) with the reduction of breast cancer.
10. Can reduce the risk of having a heart attack
It is known that caffeine increases blood pressure, but does not increase the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, but quite the opposite: it seems to prevent heart attacks.
One of the highest academic authorities in this field, Professor Peter Martin, who directs the Institute of Coffee Studies at Vanderbilt University, has criticized the "mistaken association" between caffeine and heart disease: "Last June a report was published that includes several of the studies carried out during the last decade that, precisely, relate consumption in moderate quantities with a reduction in the risk of suffering cardiac insufficiencies ". A few benefits that would only disappear if you consume more than four or five coffees a day.
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