![]() However, there are other neurochemical effects that are worth noting. These effects occur largely because of caffeine’s ability to block adenosine receptor sites throughout the body. These alkaloids are well known for their ability to increase cognitive abilities, improve energy, enhance well-being, and increase arousal and alertness. It’s part of a group of substances collectively referred to as methylxanthines. But I also draw on experience and a systematic understanding of how our nervous, endocrine, and immune systems interact in order to make educated guesses about coffee’s potential effects on my patients.Ĭaffeine is one of coffee’s primary constituents with psychoactive activities. In my naturopathic practice, I use evidence from epidemiological and experimental studies. ![]() Therefore, research studies that show a given effect on the body from an acute single dose bear little relevance to the chronic ingestion of caffeine. For example, researchers have shown that we can build tolerance to the cardiovascular effects of caffeine within two to three days. Yet most coffee drinkers drink coffee daily.Īs a number of studies have shown, single-dose experiments don’t necessarily reflect the effects of our regular routines. For example, the half-life of caffeine is shorter in smokers than non-smokers, while the half-life of caffeine is doubled in women taking oral contraceptives.įinally, most research studies observe and measure the effects of a single dose of caffeine rather than the effects of chronic ingestion. ![]() There are also differences in individual sensitivity to caffeine, likely due to the genetic traits related to caffeine metabolism, as well as lifestyle influences. Second, there are vast differences in coffee’s pharmacological constituents depending on the type of bean used in the study, the methods of roasting, and the varying ways of preparing coffee, not to mention the differences between commercially available instant coffee versus freshly roasted organic coffee. Comparing coffee drinkers with non-coffee drinkers thus misses a number of important variables. They’re also more likely to be health-conscious in other ways, making health-promoting lifestyle choices such as exercise. On the other hand, people who avoid coffee often do so for health-related reasons. In other words, people who drink a lot of coffee also tend to drink and smoke, and be out of shape. Epidemiological studies, which try to find relationships between multiple lifestyle factors, can be hard to interpret.įor one thing, coffee drinking is correlated with other dietary and lifestyle behaviours such as alcohol and nicotine consumption and a sedentary lifestyle. It’s hard to get a clear picture of coffee’s health effects. What we think and experience is as much “us” as what our body does. The complicated interplay of our neuroendocrineimmune systems suggests that there is no clear division between mind and body. Emotional and mental demands, especially if prolonged, cause our stress hormones to increase, which means our immune systems don’t work as well. The neuroendocrineimmune system consists of the processes and structures that form our central nervous systems, our hormonal systems, and our immune systems, all of which are linked in complex relationships.įor example, many of us know that when we are stressed, we get sick more easily. In some cases, coffee even appears to be protective.īut many North Americans now consume coffee in large quantities, which can significantly damage our neuroendocrineimmune system over the long term. In moderation, coffee poses minimal health risks for most people. Doctors validate coffee’s health benefits yet worry about its contribution to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and even cancer.Ĭoffee is more popular than ever, which contributes to its contradictory status. Some governments have subsidized coffee crops others have imposed steep taxes and duties on them. Coffee has been praised by certain religions and prohibited by others. Over the ages, some of the world’s greatest composers, thinkers and statesmen have extolled coffee’s virtues, while others have denounced it as a poisonous, mind-corrupting drug. 7, 2020.Throughout its long history, coffee has endured both accolades and opposition. ![]()
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