Does drinking coffee cause osteoporosis? How to drink coffee healthily? Click here to read →

Author: Ruan Guangfeng, Director of the Science and Technology Department of the Kexin Food and Nutrition Information Exchange Center

Reviewer: Han Hongwei, researcher at the National Food Safety Risk Assessment Center

gossip

Drinking a cup of coffee has become a ritual for more and more people to wake up. The rich aroma and mellow taste of coffee always make people linger. For "working people", coffee is also called "life-saving magic weapon". If you don't drink a few cups every day, you will feel unwell.

"Drink three or four cups of coffee a day." There are more and more rumors about coffee. Some say coffee has many benefits, while others say it's bad for the heart and can easily lead to osteoporosis . Who is right and who is wrong?

analyze

Drinking coffee, these benefits are real

There are currently only three types of health benefits of drinking coffee that have solid evidence:

01

Refreshing

This is the most intuitive feeling of many people - drinking some coffee can make you less sleepy, refresh your mind, and improve your work and life efficiency. Therefore, many office workers and students taking exams like to drink coffee.

Caffeine does have a certain effect on refreshing. When the human body is tired, it releases a signal substance called adenosine to tell the brain "I am tired". The more tired the body is, the more this substance is produced.

However, in order for the brain to know "I am tired", this substance must be connected to a specific receptor in the brain, and the caffeine in coffee can also bind to this receptor and block the transmission of the messenger, which is equivalent to blocking the normal binding of other receptors. In this way, the brain cannot receive the signal transmitted by the fatigue substance, and will not feel tired. It is not a problem to last for 4-6 hours, which has the effect of "refreshing".

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02

Coffee may reduce risk of some cancers

Some people have previously worried that "acrylamide in coffee may cause cancer." In fact, after a comprehensive analysis of existing studies, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) Cancer Research Fund (WRCF) believe that there is not enough evidence to show that drinking coffee increases the risk of human cancer.

Not only that, there is some evidence that coffee can reduce the risk of certain cancers, such as breast cancer, endometrial cancer and liver cancer.

03

Reduces risk of diabetes

Drinking pure black coffee can also reduce the risk of diabetes. "Food and Health-Scientific Evidence Consensus" points out that drinking coffee in moderation (about 3-4 cups a day) may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.

The International Diabetes Federation, the American Diabetes Association and other organizations believe that diabetic patients can drink black coffee in moderation and black coffee can be part of a healthy diet.

In addition, many studies have found that drinking coffee may also be associated with a reduced risk of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, gallstones, liver disease, depression and suicide. However, these research results are still relatively preliminary and need further verification.

What everyone can rest assured is that the scientific community generally believes that coffee has more benefits than disadvantages to health.

5 Common Questions About Coffee

01

Can drinking coffee cause osteoporosis?

Indeed, some studies have shown that ingredients such as caffeine and oxalic acid in coffee can affect calcium absorption and increase calcium loss. However, the calcium lost by drinking a cup of coffee can be replenished by drinking a few sips of milk.

In addition, there is no need to worry about coffee causing osteoporosis. The International Osteoporosis Association and the National Osteoporosis Association of the United States recommend that it is acceptable to control coffee intake to less than 3 cups per day (each cup contains 100 mg of caffeine). If you are really worried, add more milk when drinking coffee.

02

Is coffee addictive?

Regular caffeine intake may cause mild dependence on the body. If you suddenly stop drinking caffeine, you may experience symptoms such as headaches, fatigue, anxiety, and difficulty concentrating.

However, these symptoms will disappear on their own in a few days, and will not cause severe withdrawal symptoms like other psychotropic drugs or narcotics, nor will they cause lasting physical and mental effects. If there is no special reason, there is no need to deliberately quit coffee.

03

Is coffee a high-calorie drink?

Not all coffee is a high-calorie drink.

Many instant coffees or fancy coffees on the market now have a lot of sugar and non-dairy creamer added in. These coffees are indeed high in calories and unhealthy. In addition, those "caffeinated drinks" with a lot of cream on top and very sweet are not only high in calories, but also have various adverse effects due to high sugar content, so it is better to drink less.

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However, if it is pure black coffee without any additives, it has no calories.

04

Does coffee make your heart beat faster?

This is normal.

Some people experience discomfort such as accelerated heartbeat, nausea, and dizziness after drinking coffee, commonly known as "caffeine intolerance."

In fact, this is a normal phenomenon, which is related to the individual's sensitivity to caffeine. Some people may be more sensitive to caffeine and metabolize it more slowly.

But this does not mean saying goodbye to coffee, but to adjust the frequency and amount of coffee drinking according to your own situation. For example, if you used to drink 2 cups a day, you might as well reduce it to 1 cup a day to let your body and caffeine get used to it.

05

After drinking coffee, you may go to the toilet more frequently?

Many people have experienced frequent urination after drinking coffee. This is because caffeine is a natural diuretic. If you want to refresh yourself by drinking coffee before an exam, remember to drink less water.

Some people feel like defecating after drinking coffee, or even have diarrhea. Studies have shown that about 29% of people experience a laxative effect after drinking coffee. However, it is not clear whether this is the effect of caffeine. Other studies have found that decaffeinated coffee has a similar effect.

If you have constipation, try coffee. Maybe you are one of the 29%.

How to drink coffee more healthily?

01

Try to drink black coffee

For those who like to drink coffee, if they want to drink it, the first choice is black coffee without any additives - the research that supports the health of coffee refers to black coffee without any additives. Many instant three-in-one coffees or fancy coffees on the market are added with a lot of white sugar and non-dairy creamer, which is not healthy.

If you feel that black coffee is too bitter, you can add some milk or milk powder.

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02

Drink in moderation

Currently, the scientific community believes that healthy adults should consume no more than 210 to 400 mg of caffeine per day. Taking a medium cup of American coffee (about 355 ml) as an example, this is about 1 to 2 cups per day.

In addition to coffee itself, many beverages in life also contain caffeine, such as cola, tea, and milk tea. If you drink these beverages, remember to drink less coffee.

03

If you feel uncomfortable, adjust it in time

Everyone has a different tolerance to caffeine. Some people can drink several cups without any problem, but some people feel uncomfortable after just a few sips. Some people can't sleep well at night after drinking in the morning, while some people can still sleep soundly after drinking a few cups in the afternoon. So, I still want to remind everyone to follow your own feelings. After all, you always know your own feelings best.

If after drinking coffee you experience insomnia, anxiety, tremors, stomach discomfort, increased heart rate, headache, nausea, and irritability, it means you may have exceeded your tolerance level and you should make appropriate adjustments, such as drinking less or not drinking after the afternoon.

in conclusion

The amount of calcium lost by drinking a cup of coffee is relatively small, and you can choose to add milk to the coffee to make up for it without worrying about osteoporosis problems; coffee is not addictive, and the discomfort symptoms caused by suddenly stopping drinking coffee will disappear on their own within a few days; pure black coffee without any additives has little calories; it is normal to have an accelerated heartbeat after drinking coffee, and you can adjust the amount of coffee you drink according to your own situation; caffeine is a natural diuretic, and many people do want to go to the toilet after drinking coffee.

If you want to drink coffee in a healthy way, it is best to choose pure black coffee. You can add milk, etc. to it, and the caffeine intake per day should not exceed 400 mg.

References:

[1] China Food and Nutrition Information Exchange Center, Institute of Nutrition and Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Health Communication Branch of Chinese Preventive Medicine Association, etc. Scientific consensus on coffee and health[J]. Chinese Journal of Preventive Medicine, 2018(11). DOI:10.3760/cma.j.issn.0253-9624.2018.11.004.

[2] WCRF.Third Expert Report-Diet, Nutrition, Physical Activity and Cancer a Global Perspective.2017.

Source: Starry Sky Project

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