Coffee

Coffee as a drink, usually served hot, is prepared from the roasted seeds (beans) of the coffee plant. Due to its popularity, coffee is, in monetary terms, the second largest traded commodity in the world (after oil). It is one of mankind's chief sources of the stimulant caffeine. Because of this, coffee's nutritional benefits are disputed, sometimes labeled a cure-all, other times labeled a health hazard (see caffeinism).

Health

Coffee as a stimulant

Coffee contains caffeine, which acts as a stimulant. For this reason, it is often consumed in the morning, and during working hours. Students preparing for examinations with late-night "cram sessions" use coffee to maintain their concentration. Office workers take a "coffee break" whenever their energy is diminished.

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Recent research has uncovered additional stimulating effects of coffee which are not related to the caffeine. Coffee contains an as yet unknown chemical agent which stimulates the production of cortisone and adrenaline, two stimulating hormones.

Related Topics:
Cortisone - Adrenaline

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For occasions when one wants to enjoy the flavor of coffee with less stimulation, decaffeinated coffee (also called decaf) is available. This is coffee from which most of the caffeine has been removed, by the Swiss water process (which involves the soaking of raw beans to absorb the caffeine) or the use of a chemical solvent such as trichloroethylene ("tri"), or the more popular methylene chloride, in a similar process. Extraction with supercritical carbon dioxide has also been employed. There are also tisanes that resemble coffee in taste but contain no caffeine (see below).

Related Topics:
Decaffeinated coffee - Solvent - Trichloroethylene - Methylene chloride - Supercritical - Carbon dioxide - Tisane

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Caffeine dependence is widespread and withdrawal symptoms are real. See the caffeine article for more on the pharmacological effects of caffeine.

Related Topics:
Caffeine - Pharmacological

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Benefits

Coffee increases the effectiveness of pain killers—especially migraine medications—and can rid some people of asthma. Some of the beneficial effects may be restricted to one sex, for instance it has been shown to reduce the occurence of gallstones and gallbladder disease in men. It also reduces the incidence of diabetes in both sexes, but reduces the risk by about 30% in women and over 50% in men. Coffee can also reduce the incidence of liver cirrhosis and prevent colon and bladder cancers. Coffee can reduce the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma, a variety of liver cancer (Inoue, 2005). Also, coffee reduces the incidence of heart disease, though whether this is simply because it rids the blood of excess fat or because of its stimulant effect is unknown. At the annual meeting of the American Chemical Society in Washington, D.C. on August 28, 2005, chemist Joe Vinson of the University of Scranton presented his analysis showing that for Americans, who as a whole do not consume large quantities of fresh fruits and vegetables, coffee represents by far the largest source of valuable antioxidants in the diet.http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/hsn/20050829/hl_hsn/anothercoffeeperkantioxidants

Related Topics:
Pain killer - Migraine - Medication - Asthma - Gallstone - Gallbladder - Diabetes - Liver - Cirrhosis - Colon - Bladder cancer - Hepatocellular carcinoma - Heart disease - Fat - American Chemical Society - Washington, D.C. - August 28 - 2005 - Chemist - Joe Vinson - University of Scranton - Antioxidant

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Many people drink coffee for its ability to increase short term recall and increase IQ. It also changes the metabolism of a person so that their body burns a higher proportion of lipids to carbohydrates, which can help athletes avoid muscle fatigue.

Related Topics:
Short term recall - IQ - Metabolism - Lipid - Carbohydrate

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Some of these health effects are realized by as little as 4 cups a day (24 U.S. fl oz, 700 mL), but others occur at 5 or more cups a day (32 U.S. fl oz or 0.95 L or more).

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NOTE: Health benefits of decaffeinated coffee have not been found.

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Risks

Caffeinism, a condition which mimics mental illnesses ranging from anxiety and bipolar disorder to schizophrenia and psychosis, is among the more worrisome effects of acute or chronic coffee consumption.

Related Topics:
Caffeinism - Anxiety - Bipolar disorder - Schizophrenia - Psychosis

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Many coffee drinkers are familiar with "coffee jitters", a nervous condition that occurs when one has had too much caffeine. Coffee can also increase blood pressure among those with high blood pressure, but follow-up studies showed that coffee still decreased the risk of dying from heart disease in the aggregate. Coffee can also cause insomnia in some, while paradoxically it helps a few sleep more soundly. It can also cause anxiety and irritability, in some with excessive coffee consumption, and some as a withdrawal symptom. There are also gender-specific effects, in some PMS sufferers it increases the symptoms, and it can reduce fertility in women, also it may increase the risk of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women, and there may be risks to a fetus if a pregnant woman drinks 8 or more cups a day (48 U.S. fl oz or 1.4 L or more).

Related Topics:
Blood pressure - High blood pressure - PMS - Fertility - Osteoporosis - Postmenopausal - Fetus - Pregnant

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A February 2003 Danish study of 18,478 women linked heavy coffee consumption during pregnancy to significantly increased risk of stillbirths (but no significantly increased risk of infant death in the first year). "The results seem to indicate a threshold effect around four to seven cups per day," the study reported. Those who drank eight or more cups a day (48 U.S. fl oz or 1.4 L more) were at 220% increased risk compared to non-drinkers. This study has not yet been repeated but has caused some doctors to caution against excessive coffee consumption during pregnancy.

Related Topics:
2003 - Danish - Stillbirth

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Decaffeinated coffee is occasionally regarded as a potential health risk to pregnant women, due to the high incidence of chemical solvents used to extract the caffeine. These concerns have almost no basis, however, as the solvents in question evaporate at 80 to 90 °C, and coffee beans are decaffeinated before roasting, which occurs at approximately 200 °C. As such, these chemicals, namely trichloroethane and methylene chloride, are present in trace amounts at most, and neither pose a significant threat to unborn children. Women still worried about chemical solvents in decaffeinated coffee should opt for beans which use the Swiss water process, where no chemicals other than water are used, although higher amounts of caffeine remain.

Related Topics:
Solvent - Trichloroethane - Methylene chloride

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The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published a study in 2004 which tried to discover why the beneficial and detrimental effects of coffee are conflicting. The study concluded that consumption of coffee is associated with significant elevations in biochemical markers of inflammation. This is a detrimental effect of coffee on the cardiovascular system, which may explain why coffee has so far only been shown to help the heart at levels of 4 cups or less a day (20 fl oz or 600 mL or less).

Related Topics:
2004 - Inflammation - Cardiovascular system

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Caffeine is toxic in high enough doses. It is unlikely though, that a toxic dose will be ingested in the form of common drinks. In concentrated forms, such as pills or powders, it can be taken in sufficient quantities to cause vomiting, unconsciousness, and even death. A single box of caffeine pills can be fatal if taken at one time.

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The health risks of decaffeinated coffee have been studied, with varying results. One variable is the type of decaffeination process used; while some involve the use of organic solvents which may leave residual traces, others rely on steam.

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A study has shown that cafestol, a substance which is present in boiled coffee drinks, dramatically increases cholesterol levels, especially in women. Filtered coffee only contains trace amounts of cafestol.

Related Topics:
Cafestol - Cholesterol

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