Coffee has been revving people up since the 15th century and with thousands of studies on caffeine, scientists have solved pretty much every mystery besides Neslo (Nescafe plus Milo). Add the cream of that scientific knowledge to your cup to maximise its benefits for…
YOUR HEALTH
The University of Scranton in the US found coffee to be a significant source of antioxidants, protecting against cancer and heart disease. Harvard researchers also found drinking more than four cups daily protects against gallstones and liver cirrhosis. This is thanks to its soluble fibre, which also explains your midmorning toilet visits.
BUT
“Coffee doesn’t provide the same variety of antioxidants that fruit and veggies do, and they’re harder to absorb,” says the Scranton study author, Professor Joe Vinson. And there’s a bitter taste in the post-dinner cup: Drunk within an hour of a meal, coffee reduces absorption of iron and immune-boosting zinc, the University of Lyon found.
YOUR HEART
Easing fears of heartbreaking news for heavy drinkers, Harvard researchers tracked 128,000 people for 20 years and found drinking more than six cups of coffee a day didn’t increase heart disease risk. Even better news: In 2007, US scientists at Brooklyn College found men who drank four cups of coffee a day had a 53 per cent lower risk of dying of heart disease than those who never took a sip.
BUT
Caffeine constricts your arteries, raising your blood pressure. “However, if you don’t have hypertension to begin with, the temporary blood pressure increase isn’t a problem,” says cardiologist Dr Matthew Sorrentino. “Plus, the impact on blood pressure tends to be significantly lower in regular caffeine drinkers because their bodies become tolerant to its effects.”
YOUR BRAIN POWER
Beyond merely preventing you from nodding off during that 9am meeting, one to two cups of coffee before tasks can increase your short-term recall and alertness, according to a University of Arizona study. “Caffeine also has a mild mood-elevating effect,” says Dr William Lovallo, professor of psychiatry and behavioural sciences at the University of Oklahoma. “That’s because it releases dopamine, which stimulates the area of your brain responsible for pleasure.”
In the longer term, caffeine has been found to slash your risk of developing Alzheimer’s by as much as 60 per cent and Harvard researchers have also found that drinking four cups a day can halve your risk of developing Parkinson’s disease.
BUT
Drink more than four cups per day and that caffeine hit merely relieves withdrawal symptoms rather than lifts your mental abilities above the caffeine-free competition, according to researchers at Bristol University. To ensure your java keeps you full of beans, limit yourself to just two cups a day and sink your mug 10 minutes before crunch time.
YOUR WAISTLINE
Caffeine’s an appetite suppressant, which also turns up the calorie-burning heat of your heart rate and metabolism. “Drinking six cups per day combined with exercise and a low-fat diet can boost fatburning by up to a fifth,” says Catherine Collins, chief dietitian at St George’s Hospital in the UK.
BUT
“Without diet and exercise changes, there’s currently no proof it has any significant effect on its own,” says Collins. That delicious Italian biscotti lurking on the saucer won’t help either.
YOUR MUSCLES
Caffeine pumps up your nervous system, increasing heart rate and breathing, which primes your body for peak performance. And it may also have a direct effect on your muscles. Experts reckon it triggers a release of extra calcium in your muscles, “and this means stronger muscle contractions,” says Dr Terry Graham, professor of nutritional sciences at the University of Guelph in Canada.
BUT
“Other chemical compounds in coffee appear to counter-act caffeine’s ability to impact your exercise session,” says Dr Graham. So to achieve these positive effects, you’re better off using caffeine pills or caffeinated energy drinks.
YOUR ACHING HEAD
Big night? Stick the kettle on. Caffeine increases production of stomach acid, helping your body absorb pain-relief drugs more quickly, according to research in the Archives of Neurology.
BUT
Go cold turkey and your grey matter won’t thank you. “Sudden caffeine withdrawal invariably causes headaches, so wean yourself off by cutting your intake by half every other day,” advises Dr Frankie Phillips of the British Dietetic Association. Or swap beans: Arabica beans have about 1 per cent caffeine, while Robusta pack double that. “Roasting reduces caffeine content, so a stronger taste can actually mean less caffeine,” according to the British Coffee Association’s Zoe Wheeldon.
YOUR SMILE
An espresso a day may keep the dentist away. The chemicals in coffee prevent tooth decay by stopping bacteria from attaching to your enamel, Milan University researchers found.
BUT
A scrape could still be needed. “It prevents bacteria from sticking to your enamel by sticking to the enamel itself, which can cause discolouring,” says Dr Amolak Singh of the General Dental Practitioners’ Association. Our tip: Brush with a toothpaste containing bicarbonate of soda to keep your whites pearly.
Article from: http://www.menshealth.com.sg
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