On the other hand, many are still wondering if this drink can objectively harm your health. Since this is a widespread doubt, any nutrition professional can certainly not fail to ask himself the "because?'.
The answer is, in truth, rather trivial:
- It is not a basic food and does not contain essential nutrients;
- It brings potentially poisonous substances, even if in modest percentages and - within the normal portions and frequencies of consumption - probably harmless.
In this article we will try to better understand what are the negative principles of coffee and how to include it in the diet reasonably.
drink (e.g. American coffee, Moroccan coffee, etc.).
For Italians, coffee is not just a "habit, but a symbol - a break, relaxation, a moment of conviviality or a space reserved for dialogue with oneself. Suffice it to say that many people find it more difficult to suspend this drink rather than smoking cigarettes. .
There is also another aspect, far from secondary: the role of contributing caffeine.
Coffee and caffeine: what is it for?
Everyone knows that coffee is a nutritional source of caffeine (1,3,7-trimethylxanthine or 1,3,7-trimethylpurine-2,6-dione), an alkaloid belonging to the category of psychotropic molecules (narcotic or psychoactive) and more precisely to stimulants - its oral LD50 is variable in humans, but approximately of 150 mg / kg.
At the level of the central nervous system (CNS), caffeine acts in a similar way to adenine, acting as a competitive inhibitor of the same. Tending to increase the levels of adrenaline and noradrenaline, it therefore stimulates the sympathetic SN (greater wakefulness) and leads to a increased heart rate and blood flow to muscles, decreased blood flow to skin and internal organs, liver glucose release. It also promotes kidney filtration (diuresis) and appears to increase fat release from adipose tissue in fasting conditions.
Secondly, being also a phosphodiesterase inhibitor, caffeine lengthens the effect of amphetamine, methamphetamine and methylphenidate, and facilitates the transmission of dopamine (neurotransmitter linked to motivation) and glutamate (neurotransmitter linked to memory).
These characteristics make coffee a naturally "doping" drink, widely used by both those who intend to optimize mental and athletic performance.
Many do not know, however, that the abuse of coffee leads to a metabolic adaptation to its concentrations; ergo: less efficacy.
", the first risk to be taken into account is the possible establishment of a form of addiction, more precisely of caffeinism.
The possible damages of coffee are often linked to this behavioral inappropriateness, which is based on the addiction to stimulating methylxanthines.
However, an excess of these alkaloids is not recommended for: children, pregnant women and nurses (from 3 cups a day onwards), insomniacs, cardiopaths and arrhythmics, carriers of degenerative alterations of the vessels, especially severe diabetics, especially anxious neurotics, psychotics for example bipolar, epileptic, glaucoma patients, hypertensive, predisposed to migraine, prone to haemorrhages, arthritics, osteoporotics, gastroesophageal reflux patients (GERD), dyspeptic, gastritic or ulcer sufferers, suffering from irritable colon, suffering from inflammatory diseases of the colon, hepatic and renal insufficiency, patients with inflammation and / or inflammation of the prostate and urinary tract.
There are several drug interactions: ephedrine, alcohol, adenosine, alendronate, antibiotics, clozapine, dipyridamole, disulfiram, estrogen, fluvoxamine, lithium, drugs for depression (MAO), drugs that slow blood clotting, etc.
What else is bad about coffee?
Black coffee is an infusion of powder obtained from the grinding of roasted seeds (fruits of plants belonging to the genus Coffea). This last heat treatment, which reaches 400 ° C, determines the formation of aromatic and pleasant compounds, but also of other potentially toxic ones, therefore poisonous at high concentrations.
Among many, the one of greatest concern is "acrylamide." Prolonged exposure to high concentrations of acrylamide can damage the nervous system. However, this is generally a risk reserved for people directly involved in the industrial processes that use it, even if a diet excessively rich in this toxic residue (very abundant, for example, even in fried starchy foods) can increase the risk of tube cancers. digestive.
Roasted coffee remains a considerable amount of tannins which, on the one hand play an antioxidant role, on the other, when in excess, they can cause damage to health: anti-nutritional function on mineral absorption (especially iron) and for protein chelation, limiting the absorption of food peptides and also inactivating certain digestive enzymes.
, nervousness and restlessness, various stomach upset, nausea and vomiting, increased heart rate or altered rhythm, increased respiratory rate, and other conditions mentioned above.
