Throughout this article, you will learn about the powerful health benefits of coffee. We are all interested in learning how the foods and beverages that we ingest affect the body. In the year of 2009, a study indicated that the average coffee drinker within the United States consumed approximately four hundred sixteen cups of coffee a year.
This adds up to approximately 3,328 ounces of coffee. If you average this amount of java each year, it is in your best interest to know and understand what the beverage is doing to you, as well as for you. By reading the information contained within this article, you will learn just that.
1. The Cardiovascular System
Coffee is a highly savored beverage, worldwide. In recent years, several medical studies have concluded that coffee has the ability to benefit the cardiovascular health of the individual that consumes the beverage on a regular basis.
Throughout history, most medical doctors believed that coffee had a detrimental effect on the cardiovascular system. However, in the past few years, many have officially announced that they believe that coffee may – in actuality – be highly beneficial to the cardiovascular system. Individuals that drink coffee are less likely to experience heart disease, heart attack and stroke. However, there are numerous other health advantages, as well.
Many medical professionals have discovered that coffee has the ability to prevent the crystallization of the cholesterol located throughout the body, which results in lower levels of bad cholesterol and higher levels of good cholesterol. In addition to this, case studies have found that coffee results in the dilation of the arteries.
For individuals that experience complications such as migraines, this is great news. When the arteries within the brain become dilated, this reduces the possibility that migraines may occur. As you can see, based on the studies that have been conducted, many doctors are now considering coffee to be potentially beneficial to the cardiovascular health.
2. Central Nervous System
As with numerous other pleasures that life has to offer, controversy abounds as to whether coffee is unhealthy or offers powerful health effects to those that consume it. In a world where approximately thirteen billion pounds of coffee are consumed annually, the medical community holds a large interest in reviewing how the beverage may impact the health – both negatively and positively.
In this chapter, you will be introduced to the health benefits of coffee on the central nervous system. According to research on this system of the body, it has been established that this particular beverage has the ability to stimulate the central nervous system. As a result, it increases the drinker’s mental alertness and cognitive functioning. The reason for this, according to numerous sources, is that the beverage contains high levels of caffeine.
Coffee drinkers nearly always feel the effects of the beverage shortly after consumption. This is due to the fact that the beverage contains caffeine – which is not digested like other products contained in foods and beverages. Instead, the caffeine is directly absorbed into the stomach and then into the small intestine. Once in the small intestine, it is then pushed into the bloodstream.
While it is capable of reaching various parts of the body, it reaches the brain quite quickly. Both the brain and the spinal cord in the body are part of the central nervous system. This body system is directly responsible for relaying signals that are external and internal to the brain and from the brain. Caffeine is a substance that affects both the functionality and the activity associated with the brain and the spinal cord. Therefore, it acts as a stimulant to this system of the body.
When a person becomes tired, the brain creates a chemical that is referred to as “Adenosine”. This chemical then binds itself to receptors that are part of the nervous system. As a result, the activities of the nerve cells are drastically slowed.
According to medical studies, the caffeine that is contained within coffee has a chemical makeup that is similar to this chemical. However, instead of slowing the activities of the nerve cells, it increases these activities. As a result of this opposite effect, the individual starts to feel awake and completely energized.
In addition to this, the person experiences a higher level of cognitive alertness. For those that are burdened by fatigue and low energy levels, coffee is an excellent stimulant.
3. Insulin Production
Many tests have been conducted on individuals that drink coffee and their potential for developing insulin complications, such as type 2 diabetes.
According to the studies conducted on coffee, it has been established that the substance contains a high level of antioxidants that assist in preventing damage done to the tissues within the body.
In most instances, this damage is done by molecules that medical professionals refer to as “Oxygen-Free Radicals”. In addition to being loaded with antioxidants, coffee contains many minerals that assist in how the body utilizes the insulin that it creates.
The two most important minerals that are found in coffee are magnesium and chromium. When a person develops the condition, type 2 diabetes, its ability to successfully utilize and regulate the blood sugar within the body is hindered dramatically.
However, it seems that when a person consumes coffee on a regular basis, the body is better able to regulate blood sugar. As a result of this observation, fewer people experience complications associated with insulin production.
When a person experiences type 2 diabetes, it indicates that the body is unable to produce an appropriate amount of insulin. However, there are instances where the development of type 2 diabetes indicates that the cells within the body ignore the insulin that is produced.
Insulin is a necessity because the body uses it to utilize glucose for the establishment of energy. Glucose is often referred to as a basic “fuel” for all of the cells that are located throughout the body. Insulin retrieves the sugar that is located within the blood and delivers it to the cells. If glucose is permitted to obstruct the bloodstream and is not delivered to the cells of the body, complications start to occur.
However, based on the studies, it appears as if coffee prevents this from occurring.
4. Dementia Prevention
According to many medical professionals, coffee may assist in the prevention of dementia. Dementia and other cognitive complications, such as Alzheimer’s disease, are quite common among the aging population.
While the medical community is consistently studying these conditions and understands the basic biology associated with them, doctors have only a small understanding of the modifiable based risks that are associated with the onset of these potentially devastating conditions.
According to a specialized study called “Cardiovascular Risk Factors, Aging and Dementia” or “CAIDE” for short, it was established that the caffeine within coffee seems to provide a protective barrier to those that are prone to dementia.
The information derived from the CAIDE study indicates that coffee drinkers that consumed anywhere from three to five cups of java each day had a 65% less of a chance of developing dementia and similar conditions later in their lives.
The medical professionals that engaged in the study concluded that the long-term based effects of caffeine and the central nervous system are still in debate. They also admitted that the individuals that did end up developing dementia in the study could have been experiencing the physiological changes before the start of the study.
However, based on the evaluations during the time that the patients were observed, it seemed that coffee played a positive role in the prevention of cognitive disorders like dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
Based on the information discovered from the study, it appears as if the caffeine found in coffee acts as a strong barrier and protective agent for the brain against the bloodstream. The caffeine seemingly filters out chemicals that could be potentially harmful to the brain – such as cholesterol.
To confirm this hypothesis, a team of scientists did a three month study on rabbits. The animals were provided a diet that was considerably high in cholesterol. Half of the animals were provided with the same amount of caffeine that is found in a standard cup of coffee on a daily basis.
At the conclusion of the experiment, those rabbits that were provided caffeine had a stronger barrier than those that were not provided with caffeine.
Each individual has what doctors refer to as a “Blood-Brain Barrier”. Cholesterol is known to disrupt this barrier and even damage it. According to what is known about dementia, exceptionally high cholesterol is a potential risk factor for the development of the condition.
Based on studies, it is believed that cholesterol is a risk factor because of the amount of damage that it does to the brain’s protective barrier from harmful chemicals within the bloodstream.
By consuming the caffeine found in coffee, the barrier is strengthened and the harmful effects of cholesterol is drastically reduced. As a result of this, the brain is able to stay stronger well into the elderly years of an individual’s life. For those that have a desire to prevent degenerative cognitive conditions like dementia, coffee is an excellent option.
5. Asthma Relief
For individuals that suffer from asthma and similar respiratory complications, coffee has the potential to offer numerous health benefits. According to medical professionals, the chemical structure of the caffeine found in coffee is similar to the chemical makeup of a popular asthma medication called “Theophylline”.
This popular medication for asthma sufferers is known for its ability to quickly relax the muscles that are located within the airway. In addition to this, it assists in complications such as feeling short of breath and wheezing.
According to clinical experiments conducted on individuals that suffer from asthma and similar breathing conditions, it was concluded that the caffeine in coffee has the ability to optimize the functioning of the airway for intervals of up to four hours each.
When an individual suffers from asthma, they are experiencing a potentially serious medical condition that results in the airways to become abnormally narrow. When this occurs, additional mucus is created within the airways.
As a result of these two characteristics of the condition, the sufferer will experience many challenges in breathing. Furthermore, additional symptoms such as wheezing and experiencing bouts of coughing may be experienced.
According to the research surrounding the study of coffee consumption and the alleviation of asthma symptoms, it has been established that coffee acts in a manner that is similar to the popular medications available for asthma that are called “Bronchodilators”.
These medications promptly relieve the sufferer’s symptoms. The most popular bronchodilators on the market today include albuterol, levalbuterol and methylprednisolone.
In the year 1859, information was relayed to the public through the publication known as the “Edinburgh Medical Journal” that provide substantial evidence that coffee offered many benefits to those that suffered from respiratory complications, like asthma.
In the year of 1984, another article was released in the publication known as the “New England Journal of Medicine” that confirmed that the beverage had the capability of opening the airway and quickly improving the symptoms associated with asthma.
According to the information available, it appears as if consuming two to three cups of the beverage offers numerous advantages for individuals with respiratory issues. However, it should be noted that decaf coffee and instant coffee does not contain as much caffeine as regularly brewed coffee.
As a result of this fact, those that prefer these types of coffee should expect to consume more to achieve the same benefits. As an added note, coffee should not be used to replace fast-acting, effective medications that have the potential to relieve asthma symptoms quickly.