What does coffee really do to your body?

First cultivated and traded by Arabs since 13th century coffee has spread from the Middle East to all around the world and gained unequaled popularity ever since. In USA alone there are approximately 100 million coffee drinkers which means that over 54% of the entire nation is hooked to it. Would they admit it or not. Worse still, according to a study by market research firm Euromonitor the most consumers tend to choose the cheap, pre-ground standard coffee which has the lowest quality.

On one hand, drinking coffee does have some real benefits for our health. For example, research has shown that its moderate consumption actually reduces the risk of developing type 2 Diabetes, liver disease and even liver cancer.

On the other hand, its effects on the body are far-reaching and it therefore needs to be seen as a potent drug which is not good for people who are sick, inflamed, hormonally imbalanced, nutritionally compromised, stressed out and over-worked.

Most of the negative effects of drinking coffee are caused by caffeine, an alkaloid compound present mainly in coffee, tea, and yerba mate. Even though a roasted coffee bean on average includes just 6 g of this substance its excessive consumption can have several unpleasant side effects.

Irritability and Nervousness
Coffee consumption increases the level of the stress hormone catecholamine. This hormone elicits cortisol. As a result it produces a heightened sense of perception by stimulating the brain which makes a person more prone to notice even mild annoyances and thus becomes easily irritable and anxious. Nevertheless, the emotional responses depend on a person’s drinking habit and some other factors such as body weight, metabolism and baseline mood.

Bad mood

Ever wondered why are coffee addicts so grumpy? The reason is that they have a lower level of serotonin aka the happy hormone which influences mood, quality of sleep, bowel function and energy levels. Coffee has a diuretic effect on the body which means that it stimulates the contractions of bowel and thus increases a need to urinate. Serotonin thus escapes from the organism leaving a coffee drinker in a very low spirits.

Fatigue

Caffeine stimulates a function of adenosine which is a neuromodulator which enables our body to rest. When adenosine binds to its receptors neural activity slows down and you feel tired and sleepy. Caffeine acts as an antidote which also binds to the adenosine receptors but without slowing down the neural activity. After a while adenosine starts to create a counter-reaction in order to protect the body from the lack of sleep – it produces more receptors. Thus coffee drinker must increase the dose because otherwise the desired affect will not come. After going on like this for some time one can get into a vicious cycle where they will drink lots of coffee but still end up feeling tired.

Loss of important nutrients

The increased need to urinate makes leads not only to the lowered levels of serotonin but also other minerals. For example the body loses calcium, potassium and magnesium which affect the amount of water in your body, the acidity of your blood and your muscle function.

Coffee thus makes it difficult to rely on body’s natural sources of energy.

Digestive discomfort

Based on the pH scale which measures how acidic or basic the substance is a higher-acid breakfast blend coffee usually scores 5 or below. The scale uses 7.0 as an indicator of neutrality. Coffee is highly acidic what the coffee drinkers notice by feeling a dry, bright and sparkling sensation in the mouth.

Acidity of coffee stimulates excessive production of gastric acids which causes various kinds of digestive discomfort such as indigestion, heartburn and dysbiosis (imbalance in gut).

Also, substances present in coffee interfere with normal detoxification process of liver and cause it to not detoxify properly. In addition to that, it makes certain kinds of medication, such as the medicine for thyroid or antidepressants difficult to absorb. As a result, it can cause deterioration of these mental conditions.

So, what are the healthier alternatives to coffee that you could try instead?

Low acid coffee

Dark roasted coffee is easier on the stomach than light or mild roasts because they contain an ingredient that keeps it from producing too much gastric acid called N-methylpiridium (NMP). Also it has a lower level of caffeine and thus does not trigger stomach irritation.

The dark-roasted coffee is not usually defined by brand but by geographical location. Medium dark roasts are the blends such as Vietnamese, Viennese, Light French, Continental, After Dinner and European. The next level includes French, Espresso and Turkish. The dark roasts from Spain and Neopolitan are roasted for so long and under such high temperatures that they taste burned and charred.

Decaf

This type of coffee has cca 97% of its caffeine removed. There is new of removing it completely so the decaf coffee can is still slightly acidic. However, that can be improved by combining it with some kinds of herbal coffee. Quality decaf is produced using water soaking method whereby the beans are first steamed and then soaked in water for several hours to remove the caffeine.

Green Tea

Green tea is a well-known natural energy drink which can help to rejuvenate the body. What many do not know is that the tea is also available in the powder form. Matcha, the Green Tea Powder is produced from fine ground green tea leaves grown in shade, which are later hand- picked stone grilled and grind through 1000 mashes until they turn into a powder with a very fine texture.
Matcha is a potent source of antioxidants. In fact, it contains at least three times the amount of antioxidants than you can find in the Green Tea blends. Based in the results of research which measured oxygen radical absorbance capacity Matcha contains more antioxidants than a dark chocolate, pomegranates or blueberries. It contains Amino Acid L protects which your body’s energy level, enhances your focus, memory and endurance. Besides that Matcha detoxifies the body, fortifies immune system and improves cholesterol levels.

It contains high levels of EGCG, the bad cancer fighting formula and fibre which also boost metabolism and help the body burn fat faster from average 9% to 35%.Watch movie online The Transporter Refueled (2015)

High in fibre and helps detox

Last but least, Matcha rejuvenates the skin by maintaining high oxygen levels and protects it against UV rays