Autumn everyday life has begun. And few people imagine their working life without a cup of aromatic strong coffee. It can not only give wings and good mood, but also protect against cancer. But under one important condition - if you drink it correctly. Otherwise, with the help of espresso or Americano we can significantly shorten our life. So, how to drink coffee beneficially and without health risks? Boris Skachko, a nutritionist, herbalist, medical blogger, coffee lover with 40 years of experience and author of the book “Almost Everything about Coffee,” told Vesti about this.
WHO NEEDS TO BE CAREFUL WITH THIS DRINK?
A simple test will give you the answer to this question. When you wake up, look at yourself in the mirror. If you see dark circles under your eyes, this indicates that your liver is not working well. This means that our filtration “factory” did not restore the blood until the morning, and it is thicker. If a person in this state drinks coffee, he will force his heart to work more intensely. With viscous blood, this is a way to develop heart failure. This is if there is little coffee. If you pour yourself a heavy dose of caffeine, your heart may not be able to stand it at all: acute heart failure will occur.
The second test is to touch your hands and feet. If they are cold, then the person not only has increased blood viscosity, but already has weakness of the heart muscle. The heart cannot provide blood supply: the blood moves along the forearm, reaches the hands and goes no further. That's why they are cold. If in such a state a person drinks a lot of coffee, he will wear out his already weak heart. After a cup of coffee, your hands will, of course, become warm, but at the cost of the fact that our “engine” will work in overload mode.
The third test is to see if there is swelling. If your face swells, bags appear under your eyes, this indicates that your kidneys are acting up. This is where coffee can help, as it removes excess water from the body. But if your fingers and legs swell, if marks from the bed remain on your body, this means that the liver has not coped with the purification of the blood. In this case, coffee will disrupt the liver. The fact is that caffeine is a fairly harsh alkaloid, which is aimed at reducing the vital activity of the enemy who eats coffee. And the liver is a life-support organ, so if it has problems, coffee will only make them worse.
What to do in these cases? Go to the doctor, have your liver and heart examined. You may have to either give up coffee altogether, or combine it with medicinal plants. Which ones? Depends on each specific problem.
Coffee with “additives”
Most of us prefer coffee with various “additives” that we are accustomed to considering as flavoring. Meanwhile, everything we add to coffee significantly changes its properties. For example, sugar neutralizes the antioxidants contained in this amazing drink in large quantities. Therefore, when they talk about the benefits of coffee, they mean it in its “pure” form, without sugar or milk.
By the way, about milk. It, like sugar, binds coffee antioxidants and significantly increases its calorie content. Therefore, only those who do it for purely gourmet taste reasons, without caring about their figure, should drink coffee with milk In addition, this cocktail is good for restoring strength after active workouts in the gym.
Coffee with milk loses most of its beneficial properties, but turns into a very nutritious drink.
But coffee with cream (liquid) has a completely different effect. Fatty, rich in vitamins and other useful substances, coffee cream is beneficial for the skin and retains calcium in the body , the excretion of which is facilitated by caffeine. At the same time, the calorie content of this combination is not much higher than the nutritional value of coffee with milk.
A useful addition to coffee is lemon . The high vitamin C content of citrus fruits enhances the invigorating effect of this controversial drink.
Invigorating citrus and energizing caffeine - double the benefits in one cup.
HOW MUCH COFFEE CAN A HEALTHY PERSON DRINK?
Caffeine lasts for two to five hours. This is the interval you should drink coffee at. As for the dosage, you should pay attention to your behavior after coffee. If, after drinking a cup, your performance has increased, your mood has improved, it means that the hypothalamus has coped with this stimulus, and you have obtained the desired result without consequences for the body. If the coffee dose turns out to be more than you need, then the level of magnesium in the blood decreases, which is responsible for our calmness. And then, for example, a calm woman can turn into a vixen. She hasn't become bad - she just doesn't know how to make coffee properly.
Coffee for vigor
Most often we drink this drink to wake up and experience a surge of vigor and inspiration. But it is with this “magical” action that, as a rule, debates about whether coffee is healthy begin. After all, the body’s reaction to caffeine is ambiguous. When consumed regularly in large quantities, it causes addiction, physical and mental dependence. This is why some coffee lovers cannot give up a habit that has formed over the years. At the same time, the dose of the substance required to improve performance is required more and more each time. Because of this, some people put caffeine and narcotic substances on the same level.
To stay alert, you should drink coffee in the morning and in moderation.
To avoid addiction, exhaustion of the nervous system and truly drink coffee for vigor, you should strictly adhere to the dose of 1-2 cups every 2-3 days and drink it only in the morning . By the way, the same rule applies to strong tea. After all, the leaves of the tea bush contain even more caffeine than coffee beans.
For a long time, pregnant women were prohibited from drinking coffee. But now it is believed that a reasonable amount of it is beneficial for them too.
How to make the healthiest drink possible
It is ideal to brew coffee in a Turk. With this method of preparation, beneficial substances are extracted from coffee beans, and there are more than 300 of them. There are several life hacks that help you get the maximum benefit from coffee.
- Before pouring water, the coffee beans need to be heated in a Turk for 15–20 seconds.
- First pour half the volume of water, then add the rest.
- Fill with water and add a pinch of sugar. It ensures the solubility of the beneficial substances contained in coffee. If this is not done, some of them will simply go to waste. But you can’t add honey. When heated, it releases a carcinogen. An alternative to sugar is salt. Through osmosis, it helps draw out some of the nutrients from the coffee beans. But for hypertensive patients it is better to refuse it. You can soften the effect of caffeine on the heart muscle with cardamom.
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How to make coffee correctly?
There are many coffee recipes: from classic brewing in a Turk to using a coffee machine. You choose the method that seems most convenient and fast to you - the basic principle remains unchanged: water extracts all the coloring, aromatic and flavoring substances from the ground grain. By the way, your favorite online coffee store (you’re not buying a divine drink in a supermarket) is always ready to tell you which brewing method will be optimal for the selected variety.
If you evaluate coffee preparation from an aesthetic point of view, you can find something elegant and refined in any method. If you are looking for the most useful technique, then you should consider the following rules:
- The healthiest coffee is hot, freshly brewed.
- Highly roasted beans have more caffeine - you risk exceeding your daily intake.
- The longer coffee is brewed, the more caffeine dissolves in the drink.
- It is more profitable to buy coffee beans and grind them yourself - this way the natural composition is better preserved.
How many cups of coffee a day is not harmful to health? And what does a glass of water have to do with it?
Some nutritionists claim that coffee is a drink that is addictive, harmful to health and spoils the complexion, while others, on the contrary, try to prove the benefits of caffeine for the human body. Who to believe? Below we present some interesting facts with numbers, as well as the opinion of a tea.ru expert. Read on so that nothing spoils your pleasure of drinking coffee every day. And find out your norm in cups.
Non-British scientists have proven...
A team of German researchers led by molecular biologists Judith Handler and Joachim Altschmid (their study was carried out in vitro and was published in the journal PLOS Biology) argues that if your goal is to prevent heart disease, diabetes and cancer, then you can safely drink 2 to 4 cups espresso daily! In this case, from 150 to 400 mg of caffeine will enter the body per day (standard espresso contains about 75-100 mg of this substance), which will provide the best conditions for cell functioning.
Each additional cup of coffee a person drinks per day was associated with a 7% reduction in the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The risk of developing cancer decreases by 18% for those who drink up to 4 cups of coffee per day (but 1 cup is already closer to this statistic).
In other studies, you can find information that caffeine reduces the risk of cirrhosis: the more cups of coffee per day, the more likely it is that the alcohol you drank the day before will not destroy the liver (1 cup reduces the risk by 22%, and 4 cups - by 65% ).
One large study of more than 50,000 women found that drinking at least one cup of coffee per week reduced the risk of depression by 15%. Drinking two to three cups a day was associated with a 20% reduction in risk.
But the most interesting study was the one that proved that coffee... attention! – increases life expectancy! During this experiment, which lasted 16 years, scientists found that people who drink 3 cups of drink a day reduce their risk of dying by 12% (men) and 7% (women).
Diana Wisthum, a research nutritionist at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine: “Caffeine is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of coffee. But coffee also contains antioxidants and other active substances that can reduce internal inflammation and protect against disease."
Russian experts are for reasonable consumption
Experts from Russia try to avoid loud statements about the miraculous properties of coffee and suggest focusing on the individual characteristics and needs of the body, and in some cases even consulting with doctors. Thus, Ilya Goncharov, a tea.ru expert with 18 years of experience in the tea and coffee industry, believes that coffee lovers need to take into account all the nuances of consuming the drink.
“An important and irreplaceable property of coffee is the almost immediate effect of caffeine. But this characteristic also has a downside - the feeling of vigor and extraordinary performance that this drink gives also ends quickly. Surely you have noticed how after an hour the body experiences some emptiness, and sometimes even anxiety. And then you reach for a new cup...”
The expert is sure that coffee is indispensable if you need to quickly perk up before an important meeting. And there is nothing wrong if the drink consumption reaches 4-5 cups a day. However, you also need to remember about the concept of caffeine tolerance. It is most often produced by coffee drinkers and is expressed in the fact that over time the body ceases to experience the euphoria for which this drink is so valued. Therefore, how many cups of coffee a day will produce the desired beneficial effect on the body and will not cause harm to health is an individual question.
To level out tolerance to coffee, we advise you to take a closer look at the similar properties of tea, which also gives energy, but has a longer lasting effect and at the same time acts more gently on the body.
A few more important points for coffee lovers to remember:
- You shouldn’t have a “coffee marathon” and take all the allowable 400 mg at once: a single dose of caffeine should not exceed 200 mg (ideally 100 mg);
- drink coffee slowly and thoughtfully - then the intake of caffeine will not be a shock to the body, and the pleasure will last longer;
- do not forget to drink water - coffee removes fluid from the body, which is why sometimes you may feel lethargic;
- for people who already have heart problems, diabetes or cancer, coffee works differently and can worsen their diseases;
- Even 5 cups of coffee a day will not replace the benefits of exercise for the body.
Well, coffee lovers, do you feel calmer? Now you can send all “non-believers” to the address of this article (or directly to the research).
Slimming coffee
In recent years, many weight watchers have discovered the benefits of green coffee. Essentially, this is the same cultivated black coffee, the beans are just not roasted. This coffee is rich in valuable substances and promotes the active breakdown of fats. But not everyone likes its grassy taste. Manufacturers have found a solution: for those who want to lose weight, they offer a balanced mixture of green coffee and roasted beans.
Unroasted beans - green coffee - when used correctly, help reduce weight.
How to learn to drink coffee - 7 steps to understanding
Coffee is a popular aromatic drink that can bring incredible pleasure. Properly brewed coffee or espresso made from freshly roasted coffee beans can pleasantly change your entire day. Coffee is a powerful stimulant, rich in antioxidants. If you don't like coffee and don't understand how you can drink it in such quantities, then you simply don't know how to drink coffee. We offer 7 steps necessary to learn to love and appreciate coffee.
Step 1: Gather as much information as possible.
Coffee has a fascinating and long history around the world. It's entirely possible that coffee is much, much older than your research reveals. For at least the last 600 years, people have been drinking coffee, despite various bans, decrees, petitions, actions, revolutions, etc. Today, coffee consumption continues to be a source of political, ethical and gastronomic controversy. Probably, more information will help to understand what variety of coffee varieties there are and why they are good. For example, how many people know that certain shade-grown coffees are rich sources of polyphenol antioxidants and may help protect against liver cancer and cardiovascular disease? Such facts may make you look at this popular drink in a new way.
Step 2: Try different types of coffee.
There is such a huge variety of coffee that it is simply a shame to continue to explain the dislike for it by the terrible taste of an instant drink that has been preserved on the shelf since the time of my grandmother’s youth. There are two main types of coffee trees grown: Coffea Arabica (Arabica) and Coffea Canephora (Robusta). Arabica is more popular, it is more aromatic and fragrant, but Robusta is more tart, has more caffeine, besides, it is cheaper and is used in instant coffee. Coffee grown in different parts of the world differs in smell, taste and caffeine content. Some varieties are incredibly tart, while others, like Kona coffee, have an unusually smooth flavor. Large, full-bodied coffee beans are considered more valuable, since small ones have a low acid content, so coffee made from such beans can have a positive effect on the stomach. Very few beans from a single source are of excellent quality, so they are usually blended. However, there are some unblended options that, while expensive, are also stunning, such as highland Arabica. This type of coffee can be found in specialty coffee shops. It is worth remembering that single-origin coffee is a mixture of coffee grown in one country, but unblended coffee is beans from one coffee plantation, coffee labeled Arabica should not contain anything else, for example be Mocha, Manilla, Bourbon (flavored coffee), Colombia or Menado (very mild coffee) or Haiti (rich coffee), if the coffee is not labeled, then it is either Robusta or a mixture of Robusta with Arabica, if you drink instant coffee, you will never If you don’t learn to love natural coffee, it’s better to give it up.
Step 3: Find the best coffee in your city
It is quite possible that only by tasting the taste of high-quality coffee can you understand how wonderful this drink is. Quality coffee is made from freshly roasted coffee beans, so it's worth trying to find a place that roasts their coffee daily. For real espresso, you need to find a cafe with the best coffee machine and an experienced barista.
Step 4: Familiarize yourself with coffee roast levels
The degree of roasting affects the smell. High-quality coffee beans have an amazing aroma on their own, so they only need a light roast to allow the natural aroma to come out. Naturally, bad coffee after light roasting will not be able to fully reveal its aroma. The next level of roast is known in America as "city roast" This is an everyday type of coffee, medium roast. There is also a third degree - this is dark coffee, it is also called French, Dutch, New Orleans, Continental and Italian. The choice is so huge that the only way to figure it out is to arrange a tasting. It should be remembered that a light roast is ideal for breakfast, milk or cream is usually added to this coffee to reduce acidity, some types of coffee beans are coated with syrup, gum arabic or vegetable oils, this makes them shiny and lasts longer, resulting in a richer coffee , when buying high-quality coffee, pay attention that there are no more than 10% of the beans with a defect.
Step 5: Try adding milk, cream and sugar
These additives will make your coffee taste smoother. Depending on personal preferences, you can limit yourself to only milk, cream or sugar, or you can combine them. Some people will want to add frothed milk and get a latte or cappuccino, grated chocolate, cane sugar, vanilla sugar or other gourmet things. More “acidic” coffee, like Arabica, goes best with milk and cream, which reduce the acidity level but allow the rich aroma to remain.
Step 6: Don't be afraid to mix your coffee
The taste of coffee is perceived very, very individually, therefore, by mixing different varieties, you can achieve the option that will be ideal for you. One of the most popular mixtures in the world is Mocha-Mysore. Try to combine coffee with complementary characteristics - acidic with sweet, finely ground with coarse. It's best to keep written notes about your experiments so you don't forget what works and what doesn't work as a mixture.
Step 7: Find the coffee you like - be prepared to put in the time
It's best to start with a sweet mocha frappuccino, moving on to a latte (coffee with hot milk), and then to regular coffee. You can significantly expand the list at home and extend the transition period, which will allow you to get used to the taste of coffee. This can be iced coffee, tiramisu coffee, cappuccino, black coffee without sugar, espresso, Turkish coffee, Greek coffee. It is on this path that you can choose the brewing method, the degree of roasting, your variety, etc.
