24.6.13 This Is What Happens to Your Body After You Drink Coffee

[김상태]

I know I am not alone in loving coffee. According to a poll conducted in 2015, 82% of Americans drink coffee daily. And the average person consumes 2.1 cups per day. Furthermore, the amount of coffee that a person drinks tend to increase with age. This means that older westerners are drinking more coffee than ever before. Why coffee has become so popular so quickly is surely down to two reasons. Firstly, we just love the taste and aroma that only the finest coffee provides. Secondly, there are certain observable effects that coffee has on our body and mind that we like.

But what are these bodily effects, exactly? Are they, on balance, harmful or beneficial for your health? Let’s break this down by taking a look at what happens to your body after you finish drinking a cup of coffee.  

0 minutes: Coffee time

Mmm. That was lovely! Now let's see what happens next.

10 minutes after drinking

The coffee’s caffeine has started to enter your bloodstream. This raises your heart rate and consequently your blood pressure.  

20 minutes after drinking

Now you feel more alert. Your brain ‘fog’ has vanished and you can think more clearly than previously. You are better able to solve problems. Furthermore, the caffeine is making you less tired by preventing your brain’s adenosine receptors from receiving adenosine. The coffee is therefore artificially removing your feelings of sleepiness.

30 minutes after drinking

After 30 minutes your body begins to produce more adrenaline than normal. By dilating your pupils, one effect is that your vision becomes sharper.

40 minutes after drinking

At this point, you start to feel a bit of a mood lift, thanks to an increase of serotonin in your body. This also increases your muscle strength for a time, because serotonin improves your motor neurons’ functionality.

4 hours after drinking

Your body cells are releasing energy faster than normal. This stimulates your stomach acids, increasing the rate of digestion. Your body is also breaking down fat now, whether you are exercising or not!

6 hours after drinking

Now the bad news. 6 hours after the pick-me-up cup of coffee, the caffeine you have consumed starts to have a diuretic effect. You are going to the bathroom more than you would otherwise, but you are not simply expelling water. Your body is also purging vital vitamins and minerals. In rare cases, this leads to disorders of calcium metabolism.

Moderation

The negative effects of caffeine are that it removes essential nutrients from your system. It’s for this reason that some people try to minimize their caffeine intake by either shunning coffee (or related drinks) or switching to decaffeinated coffee. However, one cup of coffee won’t see you lose so many nutrients. But if you drink coffee several times a day, the loss can be very detrimental to your health.

What about coffee’s health benefits?

However, the story is not all doom and gloom. To make an informed decision about how much coffee you drink, you’ll also want to consider the health benefits that can be acquired from a nice warm mug of coffee. Because coffee provides you with more antioxidants than any fruits or vegetables, it’s known to be good at preventing and lessening the symptoms of certain diseases, such as: 

그러나 커피에 대한 이야기가 모두 좋지않고 우울한것만은 아니다. 커피를 얼마나 마실지 결정할때는 맛있고 따뜻한 커피 한잔으로 얻을수 있는 건강상의 이로운점도 고려해야 한다. 왜냐하면 커피에는 어떤 과일이나 채소보다 많은 항산화 물질이 들어있고 다음과 같은 특정한 질병의 증상을 예방하고 줄여주는데 좋은것으로 알려져 있기 때문이다

• skin cancer 피부암

• colorectal cancer 대장암

• heart disease 심장질환

• multiple sclerosis 다발성 경화증

• Parkinson’s 파킨슨 병

• type 2 diabetes  제2형 당뇨

Coffee can improve the health of your liver, if you drink alcohol, it is also known to provide health benefits to your brain, thus making you more intelligent. It can even make you feel less stressed out and increase your happiness by boosting your mood.  For more information on the health benefits of coffee, see here.

Your decision!

So, now you are in a much better position to decide whether you want to have another coffee today, or leave it for another occasion. In my case, I am going to stick to my usual routine of having one beautiful cup of coffee a day, three or four times a week. What about you?

The Surprising Health Benefits of Coffee

Edited By: Krista M.

Coffee's distinctive smell and palatable taste are what help an estimated 100 million Americans pry themselves out of bed each morning. However, while its addictive flavor keeps us wanting more, you may find comfort in knowing the many hidden health benefits of consuming a daily cup of Joe. In truth, coffee is actually pretty healthy - it is packed with antioxidants and beneficial nutrients. What's more, studies show that coffee drinkers have a lower risk of developing serious diseases.

In 2006, a study that included 125,000 people aged 22 and over found those who drank at least one cup of coffee a day were 20 percent less likely to develop liver cirrhosis - an autoimmune disease caused by excessive alcohol consumption that can lead to liver failure and cancer. Studies have also shown that consuming coffee regularly (four or more cups a day) may help prevent people from developing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

...if you are a woman. A study conducted by Bringham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, followed 112,897 men and women over a 20-year period. They discovered that women who drank more than three cups of coffee a day were less likely to develop skin cancer than those who didn't.

According to a study from the American Chemical Society, drinking coffee may reduce your chances of developing Type 2 diabetes. Researchers found that people who drink four or more cups of coffee a day reduce their chances of developing Type 2 diabetes by 50 percent.

Studies conducted on a group of people aged 65 and older at the University of South Florida and the University of Miami respectively found that those with higher levels of caffeine in their blood developed Alzheimer's disease two to four years later than those with lower levels of caffeine. The study's co-author and neuroscientist, Dr Chuanhai Cao, reported he firmly believed that moderate coffee consumption can appreciably reduce your risk of Alzheimer's or delay its onset.

Coffee is renowned for its quick-fix energy-boosting effects. However, aside from giving you a much-needed jolt, coffee makes you sharper. According to the CNN, coffee allows your brain to work in a more efficient and smarter way. It improves your reaction time, vigilance, attention and logical reasoning.

In a study conducted by Korean researchers, participants who consumed three to five cups of Joe a day were less likely to exhibit the first signs of heart disease. However, it is important to consider other dietary factors too, as Koreans typically have a different diet than Westerners.

Recent studies have shown that four cups of coffee a day may help protect against the development and re-occurrence of Multiple Sclerosis. It is believed that coffee prevents neural inflammation, which may lead to the disease.

Consuming coffee can reduce the chances of developing colorectal cancer by 26 percent. According to one study, the more coffee you consume the lower the risk.

A study conducted in 2005 found that nothing comes close to providing as many antioxidants as coffee. While fruits and vegetables are loaded with antioxidants, the human body absorbs the most from coffee.

In 2012, ScienceDaily reported that studies (still in their initial phase) have shown that people who consume caffeine are less likely to develop Parkinson's. It also stated that drinking coffee may help people with Parkinson's disease control their movement.

Research conducted at the Seoul National University examined the brains of rats who were stressed as a result of sleep deprivation. The study found that those who were exposed to coffee aromas experienced changes in brain proteins tied to that stress. 

A study by the National Institute of Health found that those who drank more than four cups of java a day were less likely to be depressed. Coffee's mood boosting benefits do not occur due to the 'caffeine high', rather coffee makes you feel good due to its trusty antioxidants.