Black coffee is the most widely used drug. The frequent mention of the benefits of coffee - the feeling of alertness and increased energy - on the one hand, and the feeling of relaxation on the other, have another side of the coin. It's surprising how easy it is to overindulge in coffee. However, what worries many people more is the question of whether drinking moderate amounts of coffee every day can be harmful. For example, does coffee cause cancer, heart disease or some other serious illness.
Early start
Many of us have been exposed to this stimulus since before they were born. However, today's pregnant women often avoid coffee for fear that it can cause abnormalities in fetal development. Rigorous studies on larger groups have not confirmed this connection. In one large study, even those pregnant women who drank a lot of black coffee had no increased risk of low birth weights and developmental anomalies in their babies.
However, after delivery, caffeine in breast milk can affect the behavior of the newborn. Of course, this does not mean one or two cups of coffee a day, but larger amounts, which can make it difficult for babies to fall asleep and become irritable.
Lumps in breasts
Recently, more attention has been paid to the breasts themselves than to the milk in them, as the target of the "attack" of caffeine.
Reliable evidence indicates that coffee consumption is not closely related to the appearance of lumps in the breasts (the so-called fibrocystic disease).
Coffee and cancer
There is absolutely no scientific proof that drinking coffee leads to breast cancer. On the other hand, in the last ten years, articles have appeared here and there linking coffee with various other types of cancer, e.g. bladder, pancreas and colon. However, researchers and other scientists have failed to find a solid link.
So, for now, it does not seem likely that coffee plays a significant role in causing any of those types of cancer, but also that of the ovary, kidney, etc.
Coffee, cholesterol and coronary diseases
Some studies (and the most important one was conducted in Norway, where live one of the biggest coffee consumers in the world) revealed that those people who drink more than 2 to 3 cups a day have higher blood cholesterol levels.
There is no doubt that a cup of coffee increases blood pressure. However, this increase is usually mild, and there is no clear evidence that regular coffee drinking causes high blood pressure in an otherwise healthy person, or that it significantly worsens it in someone who already has hypertension.
Coffee also has a reputation for causing heart rhythm disturbances (arrhythmia), but this claim is also largely exaggerated. However, coffee can cause serious heart rhythm disturbances in some people, especially those who already have heart disease or are taking certain medications.
Whether coffee has any adverse effects on health is still widely debated. Many factors complicate research. In addition, coffee is usually in very close company with cigarettes. The problem is that coffee can be a divine drink for one person, while for another, at the same time, it can be poison. The chemical ingredients and exact composition of a cup of coffee can vary considerably (depending on the type of coffee, the method of preparation, etc.).
Since no one is quite sure which components in coffee are biologically active, it is difficult to conduct detailed laboratory studies of the drink. Caffeine, which is the best known and best studied, may not be the ingredient that has the greatest impact on health.
Decaffeinated coffee that provokes the stomach to secrete acid just as effectively as regular coffee.
Bonus video:
