Coffee and Caffeine: Benefits and Risks

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The inalienable cup of coffee represents a typically Italian ritual, the result of a habit so deeply rooted as to bring numerous experts, of the most varied disciplines, to pronounce themselves periodically on the benefits and risks of the beloved drink.

There are those who study their psychological aspects, those who investigate their organoleptic characteristics and those who, like us, are concerned with studying their relationship with human health.

Benefits of Coffee

Of the many nutritional components of coffee, caffeine is undoubtedly the most well-known and studied, as it has important properties, such as:

• the stimulatory effect on gastric and biliary secretion (which is why it is believed that a coffee at the end of a meal facilitates digestion);
• the tonic and stimulatory effect on cardiac and nerve function (which is why many people appreciate its energetic effect, which is useful, among other things, for not falling asleep after a hearty meal);
• the lipolytic effect, that is, it favors weight loss (caffeine stimulates the use of fats for energy and thermogenesis, increasing the amount of calories burned by the "man machine");
• the anorectic effect (coffee taken in large doses decreases the appetite).

In addition to caffeine, many substances are contained in coffee, whose potential beneficial role for the body is still under study. In particular, different components have been isolated with marked antioxidant, antimutagen and anti-inflammatory properties, which are in any case insufficient to compensate for the risk deriving from a high consumption of coffee.

Coffee risks

The repercussions of caffeine on human health are dose dependent. A high consumption of coffee, which we will define in quantitative terms in the next paragraph, exposes the organism to various risks:

• when it is excessive, the stimulatory effect on gastric secretion can cause damage to the digestive system - due to the high acidity of the juices poured into the stomach - (this is why coffee is contraindicated if you suffer from ulcer, gastritis or gastroesophageal reflux);
• the tonic and stimulatory effect on cardiac and nervous function, can be harmful for people suffering from insomnia, hot flushes and hypertension; as the dose increases, caffeine causes tachycardia, pressure fluctuations and tremors even in healthy people.
• The lipolytic effect, that is to say slimming, is canceled and even overturned if sugar (+ 20 calories per teaspoon) or milk (+ 10 calories if coffee is stained) is added to the coffee.
• The inhibitory effect on the absorption of calcium and iron can favor the establishment of anemic and osteoporotic conditions.

How much coffee to drink

A reasonable limit is set in the intake of 300 milligrams of caffeine a day. Since an espresso provides on average 60 mg of caffeine and a moka type 85, the accounts are soon made. However, since caffeine is present in over 60 plant species, including chocolate and tea, the contribution of other foods should also be considered.

Based on these considerations, a limit of three cups of espresso per day is generally set - for women and men of slight build - and four cups for males who have a stronger physical constitution (robust, for the record, is also the coffee species - Coffea robusta - richer in caffeine).

In pregnancy it is a good rule to limit coffee consumption as much as possible, as high doses of caffeine are dangerous for the health of the fetus.