Blog

A Closer Look at Drinking Coffee – How Coffee Drinkers Differ Than the Rest

The humble cup of coffee has spread like fire from the ancient world to the modern world. From its first appearance in the early 16th century, it spread quickly across Europe, the Americas, and elsewhere.

Wherever people of different cultures drank coffee, it became a common topic of conversation, a source of entertainment, and a way to get connected with people from other nations. One story says that the first cup of coffee was given by the Portuguese to Columbus, who at the time was exploring the New World.

Columbus returned from this venture, having experienced several cups of coffee and learned that his travel agent recommended he give it a try. He became addicted and kept bringing more back to the ship.

Coffee is derived from roasted coffee beans, hence the name, and is made from the stems, seeds, or the skins of certain Coffea species only. All other fruit must first be processed from a raw supply through a delicate, often multi-step process to a dried, solid product; green coffee beans are a natural product of this process.

Green coffee contains a lot of caffeine, about one to two milligrams per ounce. And that’s just the caffeine content! The more you drink, and the longer you go without a break, the more your body absorbs and the more you’re putting into your body.

There is good news, though: The effects of caffeine on blood pressure are mostly positive. Of course, all of us know that drinking coffee regularly can contribute to the development of hypertension, which is characterized by an increased risk of heart attack, stroke, and/or kidney failure.

But does drinking coffee have negative effects, too? That’s what some scientists have been investigating lately, especially after many people who have studied the effects of caffeine on blood pressure, but who are not doctors, have reported an increased risk of stroke. While you’re at this, if you’re the type to prefer traveling, we suggest you get one of these coffee makers to bring on your next adventure.

One of the health benefits of caffeine is that it improves alertness. According to a paper published in the journal of Applied Physiology, “there was an increase in pulse rate, which is a good thing as it indicates an increase in cardiovascular efficiency”. It also increases blood flow, which improves circulation.

In another study on the health benefits of caffeine, people who took a pill containing 4 mg of caffeine per kilo for two weeks reportedly had improved performance on a computer task than those who did not take the pill. On the other hand, when the same group was given a placebo, they performed no better on the task than those who took one cup of plain coffee.

Although there is much debate about the health benefits of coffee, those who promote its consumption point out that it contains natural antioxidants. Naturally occurring antioxidants are considered to be better for your health than other antioxidants because they help free radicals in your body to move away from cell death.

They also contribute to your general well-being and reduce the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and cancer. The more antioxidants you have, the lower your risk for these diseases. Coffee drinkers also experience less stress, reduced risk of depression, and more alertness.

This may account for why coffee drinkers live longer and why researchers believe that coffee reduces the risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s. It is also believed that coffee drinkers are less likely to develop osteoporosis, a leading cause of fracture in women. However, the link between coffee and osteoporosis is still unclear.

The Mayo Clinic reports that drinking coffee has some beneficial effects on people with the high blood pressure but capping your coffee intake can have negative effects. In fact, drinking too much caffeine can cause anxiety, irritability, headaches, and increased sensitivity to light.

Drinking two cups of coffee a day can cause a decrease in physical performance and short-term memory. Drinking coffee has been associated with an increased risk of substance abuse, but there is no evidence that it causes addiction. In fact, most coffee drinkers do not believe that it has any effect on them.

However, experts do note that a moderate amount of coffee will have a positive effect on your brain. Studies have shown that when coffee is consumed by the average person, it can increase their performance on cognitive tests, such as the Armed Services Vocational Assessment Battery, by as much as 15 percent.

However, excessive amounts of caffeine have been linked to a variety of health problems including depression, headaches, sleep disorders, and hyperactivity/impulsivity. In addition to these, there are other potentially harmful effects of coffee, including increasing the risk of ovarian cancer, pancreatitis, gallbladder cancer, and liver cancer.

Caffeine increases the risk of premature birth and is related to higher rates of ADHD in children.