DID YOU KNOW THE HARMFUL EFFECTS OF COFFEE?

HARMFUL EFFECT OF COFFEE

Drinking some type of caffeinated drinks is a part of our culture and everyday life. When you visit a friend the first thing you might find is a cup of coffee or tea. When you visit your employer the first offer you get is a cup of coffee or tea. Speaking about coffee and tea I cannot keep beside the chemical stimulant that plays a pivotal role with your body and mind.

Before I go deep to my target, it would be very exciting if I give a brief concept about coffee and tea

ü  Coffee is obtained from the seeds of an evergreen plant. Seed of the fruits of this tree are roasted and ground. This is the coffee powder sold in the market.

ü  The chemical name of caffeine is 1,3,7-trymethylxantine. 1,3,7-trymethylxantine it has a bitter taste and it look like icing sugar, its soluble in water and so it is easily absorbed into the blood stream and rapidly reaches the brain where its remarkable effect is felt.  Its high solubility makes it reach the blood faster, can you imagine a single dose of caffeine takes only 10 minutes to reach the blood after drinking it.

ü  Caffeine has its effect on the brain by blocking the action of ‘adenosine’, another psychoactive chemical found throughout the body. Adenosine slows down the release of neurotransmitters.  Neurotransmitters are a chemical substance found almost every part of our body where passage of chemical message from one nerve to another is highly recommended.

ü  Caffeine also stimulates the adrenal glands to raise the level of stress hormones-adrenaline and cortisol.  Stress hormones are released when we are anxiety, scared or angry and produce the ‘fight or flight’ response.

TOLERANCE TO CAFFEINE

 People who drink a lot of coffee on a regular basis do develop a tolerance to it, meaning they need to drink more to get the same effect. In fact once you get to this level, caffeine starts to have other less desirable effects on the body. In sense you become over stimulated; you are anxious, nervous, unsteady on the age all the time as caffeine disrupts the fine motor coordination within the nerves. These are also the symptoms that drive people to their first cup of the day.

ADDICTION TO CAFFEINE

Caffeine is a habit forming although it is not technically as addictive drug as every does not become a slave of it. But certain people largely depend on it and suffer significant withdrawal symptoms. This is because of the chemical present in coffee trigger the client high every day. A good example is a person who starts experiencing with a single cup daily but after one year, a single cup of tea will not satisfy any more. Many withdraw symptoms are experienced by a person who hooked to caffeine and misses its regular consumption for some reason as explained below;

1)      Anxiety, anger and depression.

These symptom are often are relieved by rushing again to the cup of coffee but it only create a vicious circle reinforcing the addictive habit further.

2)      Diminished concentration and mental forgiveness

3)      One has the feeling of dizziness when he first stands up after lying down because of lack of blood flow to the victim of caffeine victim.

4)      Morning fatigue and tiredness: a person feels weak in the morning even though he slept the same amount last night.

5)      One will experience a withdraw headache 18 hours after his last cup of coffee. The pain is likely to increase after 3 to 4 hours and may persist for a day or longer.

TEMPORARY BENEFIT OF CAFFEINE

1)      It increases wakefulness and clarity of mind. Thoughts may come more easily for a while, decision time may be shortened and some people find they can focus their attention better.

2)      Some people find they can chase away minor headache with a cup of coffee. In fact many over the counter cold and headache pills contain caffeine

3)      A hot cup of coffee, as a first aid relieves asthma because caffeine dilates bronchial tube.

4)      Initial boost or lift given by caffeine temporarily switch off fatigue and inertia.

HARMFUL EFFECT OF CAFFEINE IN THE BODY

1)      Ait drains energy: although intake of caffeine gives an initial boost to the mind, but soon it is followed by a let-down and you feel more drained of energy. Symptoms of fatigue, tiredness and irritability are often found in caffeine addicts.

2)      It raises blood sugar and triggers diabetes: since caffeine raises the blood sugar level, so it can increase the diabetes problems.

3)      It may affect both liver and kidney: these two major organs of the body suffer from overwork in the body of caffeine victim, so these may suffer after sometimes. This is why people with liver and kidney disorder are advised to reduce the intake of coffee.

4)      Sleep disturbance: caffeine alters normal sleeping patterns that are why caffeine users are more easily aroused by sudden noises and they don’t feel fresh after waking up.

5)      Caffeine may trigger headache, irritability and anxiety: due to this caffeine victim complains about headache, irritability and anxiety.

6)      Harm the breast fed-infants: over normal consumption by lactating mother, caffeine may be passed through the breast milk to the nursing infant and cause anaemia to both maternal and infant.

7)      Loss of vitamin B: Vitamins are lost when a lot of caffeine is taken. These vitamin play a crucial role in energy metabolism, so with a huge intake of caffeine the body is losing essential nutrients that is needed to produce energy for body metabolism..

8)      Effect on heart: caffeine causes increased and irregular heart beat and increased blood pressure. This can lead to increased workload to the heart and can be danger to those with coronary heart disease.

9)      Increase urine output: caffeine is diuretic and increases the urine output

10)  It hinder assimilation of food in the intestines: with the use of caffeine, the inner side of the intestines get coated and stained that hinder the proper participation of the intestines in the digestive process

BETTER SUBSTITUTES OF COFFEE

1)      Use decaffeinated coffee. In these drinks caffeine is removed from the coffee beans at the green stage.

2)      Prepare a stimulant drinks from use a lemon honey.