Contents:
- Medical Video: Black Coffee Benefits: 9 Proven Health Benefits of Drinking Black Coffee Daily
- What is caffeine?
- Where can caffeine be found?
- How does caffeine work in the body?
- Benefits of caffeine for health
- 1. Lose weight
- 2. Improve sports performance
- 3. Prevent a decrease in brain function
- 4. Effects of caffeine on health
- 5. Increase blood pressure
- Risk of consuming too much caffeine
- 1. Harmful to the fetus and baby
- 2. Reducing female fertility
Medical Video: Black Coffee Benefits: 9 Proven Health Benefits of Drinking Black Coffee Daily
You might know caffeine because of its presence in your favorite coffee. But did you know that tea, chocolate and soda are also sources of caffeine? The consumption of caffeine increases along with the consumption of coffee and tea, this makes caffeine an interesting object of research. Many studies have been conducted to find out what effects caffeine has on health.
What is caffeine?
Trimethylxanthine or caffeine, is a stimulant compound that is naturally found in several types of food. Quite often caffeine is said to be equivalent to amphetamines, cocaine, and even heroin. This is because caffeine and the types of drugs work in the same way, which stimulates the work of the brain. In its original form, caffeine is a white crystalline powder that feels very bitter. In the medical world, caffeine can function to stimulate the heart's work and can increase urine production or be diuretic.
Where can caffeine be found?
Coffee, tea and chocolate are plants that naturally contain caffeine. But then caffeine is also included in sodas, energy drinks, even gum. Some drugs such as diet drugs and laxatives can also contain caffeine. Caffeine that is processed with potassium and sodium can also function as a drug to help the process of breathing in premature babies. Children who experience difficulty breathing after certain operations can also use drugs that contain caffeine.
How does caffeine work in the body?
Caffeine is one of the compounds that works by stimulating the central nervous system. Once consumed, caffeine will be absorbed from the blood into the body's tissues. The highest concentration of caffeine in plasma is 15-120 minutes after caffeine is digested by the body. The work of caffeine is related to the work of adenosine, a compound that functions as a neurotransmitter inhibitor and can bind to receptors found in the brain. Under normal conditions, adenosine helps the sleep process and suppresses nervous system activity. Adenosine can also dilate blood vessels in the brain so that the brain can absorb a lot of oxygen while sleeping.
In our body, the nervous system sees caffeine similar to adenosine so that caffeine will then bind to adenosine receptors in the brain. But caffeine works in contrast to adenosine. Caffeine will use all adenosine receptors in the brain so that our body cells can no longer detect adenosine. As a result, the work of the body's cells will become more active because there is no relaxing adenosine. This makes the brain interpret the danger in the body to trigger the production of adrenaline, a hormone that works in the mechanism "fight or flight ".
Benefits of caffeine for health
1. Lose weight
Caffeine can help you lose weight or prevent weight gain. This is because caffeine can suppress appetite and stimulate thermogenesis. Thermogenesis is a body mechanism that works by converting food into heat and energy. Although not yet fully proven, especially the effects of caffeine on weight loss in the long term, but not a few body slimming products that use caffeine as one of its components.
2. Improve sports performance
Caffeine is known to increase performance when doing endurance sports or endurance (such as marathons). Eating caffeine mixed with carbohydrates after exercise can help restore glycogen levels in muscles faster. Besides that caffeine can also relieve symptoms of muscle aches that usually appear after exercising up to 48%. Although it has been proven to help improve performance during sports endurance, but the effect of caffeine for high-intensity and short-term sports (such as sprints or running 400 meters) is still not clearly known.
3. Prevent a decrease in brain function
Caffeine consumption is associated with a reduced risk of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. Some studies have linked a protective relationship between caffeine consumption in the long run and the risk of developing Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Other studies also reveal that caffeine consumption can slow down the process of brain function caused by aging.
4. Effects of caffeine on health
The effect of caffeine on each person can vary depending on the level of sensitivity of a person to caffeine. In general, caffeine can cause insomnia, anxiety, tremor in the muscles, increased heart rate, abdominal discomfort due to increased stomach acid, headaches, a diuretic effect that can cause dehydration. Specifically the effect of caffeine on health is:
5. Increase blood pressure
Caffeine can cause a surge in blood pressure after consumption. Some researchers revealed that caffeine might inhibit hormones that help relax and dilate blood vessels. Caffeine also triggers the body to secrete adrenaline, which can increase blood pressure. A study was conducted on those who have high blood pressure and those who don't. In patients with hypertension, 250 mg of caffeine can cause an increase in blood pressure which lasts for 2-3 hours. While those who do not have hypertension, consumption of 160 mg of caffeine alone can increase blood pressure.
Risk of consuming too much caffeine
Keep in mind, even though caffeine in a reasonable portion can provide some goodness, there are times when you have to avoid consuming caffeine. Also do not consume it in amounts too large because there are a number of adverse effects on the body that might occur due to caffeine that is too high.
1. Harmful to the fetus and baby
Research has found caffeine consumption of more than 300 mg can cause miscarriages or stunted growth and heart problems in the fetus. While consuming caffeine during breastfeeding can cause babies to feel anxious and have difficulty sleeping because the caffeine consumed by the mother can be passed on to the baby through breast milk.
2. Reducing female fertility
Some studies have revealed that caffeine consumption can reduce muscle activity in the fallopian tubes which is responsible for carrying eggs from the ovary to the uterus. Caffeine inhibits the work of cells that function to help contract the fallopian tubes so that the egg cannot go down to the uterus and is fertilized by sperm.
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