Seven myths about coffee

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Coffee is one of the safest stimulating drinks as long as its consumption does not exceed the recommended dose of two to three cups a day, but around this powerful “concoction” there are numerous myths that we will try to elucidate in the following lines.

Coffee facilitates digestion

It is common in many countries to finish lunch or dinner with a cup of coffee and this effectively responds to the caffeine contained in the aromatic drink stimulates the secretion of saliva and gastric juices and promotes digestion.

But beyond that virtue, the Journal of the American Medical Association published that coffee consumption considerably reduces the appearance of gallstones and according to researchers at Harvard University, adults who drink two to three cups of coffee are 40 percent less likely to suffer from this ailment because it seems that caffeine can prevent the crystallization of cholesterol, Main component of gallstones.

Coffee interferes with the activity of some medications

Certainly some medications such as contraceptives and drugs for the heart or ulcers, reduce the body’s ability to eliminate caffeine by the kidneys, this can cause insomnia, irritability and palpitations. In addition, caffeine reduces the sedative effect of some tranquilizers and, if taken with some antidepressants, can cause a severe high blood pressure crisis and heart rhythm disturbances.

Children should not drink coffee

At this point there is discord because although Dr. Judith Rapaport, chief of child psychiatry at the National Institute of Mental Health in the United States, says she is “skeptical about any claim that caffeine causes hyperactivity in children, based on our own research and the weight of scientific evidence”; Other specialists report a higher level of response in caffeine consumption in children than in adults. Either way, Rapaport herself advises parents to apply common sense when offering their children normal portions of caffeinated foods and beverages, including fizzy drinks and tea.

Pregnant women should not drink coffee

Moderate coffee consumption does not cause adverse effects on the health of pregnant women, nor does it affect the fertility of women in general. To support this, Dr. James Mills, chief of the pediatric epidemiology section of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development in the United States, says that “we have a large database on caffeine in pregnancy from different studies. Overall, the information supports the safety of moderate consumption of this substance during pregnancy.”

Caffeine causes breast disorders

There is no scientifically supported relationship to ensure the relationship between caffeine intake and fibrocystic disease of the breast benign pathology that presents as lumps according to the studies of Dr. Laurie Green, tocogynecologist at the Pacific Medical Center of California. This approach is also endorsed by the American Medical Association’s Council on Scientific Affairs and the National Cancer Institute.

Coffee creates addiction

While it is true that caffeine can establish a relationship of dependence towards it, this evil would never be as dangerous as those caused by other highly addictive drugs such as cocaine and heroin, which do cause serious effects on health, social and psychological behavior. In the strictly medical sense, caffeine addiction would involve consuming it in an abusive way, but once the person reaches their normal daily level, they usually feel satisfied and do not want to consume more. In addition, almost no patients report major disorders when they reduce coffee consumption over the course of several days instead of doing it in one go, according to Dr. Charles O’Brien, chief of psychiatry at the Veterans Administration Medical Center and professor of psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

Coffee raises pressure and upsets the heart

A moderate intake of coffee produces a circumstantial and brief increase in blood pressure but that does not translate, at all, into an increase in the risk of heart attack or other coronary heart disease. On the other hand, the issue could become serious when caffeine is mixed with stress, because according to a study published in the American Journal of Hypertension, this combination can be risky for those who suffer from hypertension. Like any stimulating substance, which cannot be abused, it causes a state of hyperactivity in the body at all levels, including cardiovascular, due to the secretion of catecholamine.

Coffee is one of the safest stimulating drinks as long as its consumption does not exceed the recommended dose of two to three cups a day, but around this powerful “concoction” there are numerous myths that we will try to elucidate in the following lines.

Coffee facilitates digestion

It is common in many countries to finish lunch or dinner with a cup of coffee and this effectively responds to the caffeine contained in the aromatic drink stimulates the secretion of saliva and gastric juices and promotes digestion.

But beyond that virtue, the Journal of the American Medical Association published that coffee consumption considerably reduces the appearance of gallstones and according to researchers at Harvard University, adults who drink two to three cups of coffee are 40 percent less likely to suffer from this ailment because it seems that caffeine can prevent the crystallization of cholesterol, Main component of gallstones.

Coffee interferes with the activity of some medications

Certainly some medications such as contraceptives and drugs for the heart or ulcers, reduce the body’s ability to eliminate caffeine by the kidneys, this can cause insomnia, irritability and palpitations. In addition, caffeine reduces the sedative effect of some tranquilizers and, if taken with some antidepressants, can cause a severe high blood pressure crisis and heart rhythm disturbances.

Children should not drink coffee

At this point there is discord because although Dr. Judith Rapaport, chief of child psychiatry at the National Institute of Mental Health in the United States, says she is “skeptical about any claim that caffeine causes hyperactivity in children, based on our own research and the weight of scientific evidence”; Other specialists report a higher level of response in caffeine consumption in children than in adults. Either way, Rapaport herself advises parents to apply common sense when offering their children normal portions of caffeinated foods and beverages, including fizzy drinks and tea.

Pregnant women should not drink coffee

Moderate coffee consumption does not cause adverse effects on the health of pregnant women, nor does it affect the fertility of women in general. To support this, Dr. James Mills, chief of the pediatric epidemiology section of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development in the United States, says that “we have a large database on caffeine in pregnancy from different studies. Overall, the information supports the safety of moderate consumption of this substance during pregnancy.”

Caffeine causes breast disorders

There is no scientifically supported relationship to ensure the relationship between caffeine intake and fibrocystic disease of the breast benign pathology that presents as lumps according to the studies of Dr. Laurie Green, tocogynecologist at the Pacific Medical Center of California. This approach is also endorsed by the American Medical Association’s Council on Scientific Affairs and the National Cancer Institute.

Coffee creates addiction

While it is true that caffeine can establish a relationship of dependence towards it, this evil would never be as dangerous as those caused by other highly addictive drugs such as cocaine and heroin, which do cause serious effects on health, social and psychological behavior. In the strictly medical sense, caffeine addiction would involve consuming it in an abusive way, but once the person reaches their normal daily level, they usually feel satisfied and do not want to consume more. In addition, almost no patients report major disorders when they reduce coffee consumption over the course of several days instead of doing it in one go, according to Dr. Charles O’Brien, chief of psychiatry at the Veterans Administration Medical Center and professor of psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

Coffee raises pressure and upsets the heart

A moderate intake of coffee produces a circumstantial and brief increase in blood pressure but that does not translate, at all, into an increase in the risk of heart attack or other coronary heart disease. On the other hand, the issue could become serious when caffeine is mixed with stress, because according to a study published in the American Journal of Hypertension, this combination can be risky for those who suffer from hypertension. Like any stimulating substance, which cannot be abused, it causes a state of hyperactivity in the body at all levels, including cardiovascular, due to the secretion of catecholamine.

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