Coffee and Health Benefits

Coffee is an excellent source of health and energy for many consumers worldwide. Coffee has been criticized for being solely a product of caffeine, but coffee has proven healthier than one would think with regard to its ability to fght diseases and promote longevity by protecting body cells, the liver, the colon, and the heart. Ninety percent of Americans consume caffeine every day (Brian, 2000). For those who once sacrificed their coffee drinking ways, the physical and mental advantages of coffee consumption are healthy and exciting.

The caffeine, in coffee has many effects on the body. Caffeine has a medical name of trimethylxanthine and a chemical formula of C8HION402. In plain form, it is a white crystalized powder that has a bitter taste. People in the medical field use this substance as a heart stimulant and at times, a mild diuretic. In coffee or teas, the caffeine is used more recreationally as an energy booster. Caffeine is very addictive and acts in similar ways to drugs such as amphetamines, heroine, and cocaine.

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Although caffeine is much milder than these drugs, they manipulate similar channels of the brain resulting in their highly ddictive qualities (Brian, 2000). For example, caffeine and adenosine are drugs that act inside the body after consumption. Specifically, the brain creates adenosine so that the nerve cells can slow down and decrease activity. This initiates drowsiness, oxygen absorption during sleep, and causes dilated blood vessels. Interestingly to a nerve cell, caffeine, and adenosine look the same. So consequently, the adenosine receptors will attract to the caffeine.

The adenosine would normally slow down activity levels, but instead it is sped up. When adenosine is inactive, blood vessels will onstrict, often resulting in headaches (Brian, 2000). Next, when the pituitary gland notices high activity, a" flight or fight" response occurs. Messages are passed to the hormones that control the production of adrenaline. Adrenaline production effects the body in various ways. Brian (2000) states, "Your pupils dilate. Your breathing tubes open up. Your heart beats faster. Blood vessels on the surface constrict to slow blood flow from cuts and also to increase blood flow to muscles.

Blood pressure rises. Blood flow to the stomach slows. The liver releases sugar into the bloodstream for extra energy. Muscles tighten up, ready for action. " This is why many coffee consumers believe their heart rate increases, hand temperature drops, muscles tense, and they become excited. As a result, caffeine releases dopamine, a brain chemical that stimulates alertness and pleasure. Because caffeine can manipulate and trick the body into believing it is adenosine, the neurotransmitter controlling certain pleasure centers in the brain will also be deceived into allowing higher levels of pleasure to occur.

Alertness is another result because the function of the adenosine, which slows down activity, is blocked. This enables the brain to keep focus and maintain high levels of function. In general, cognitive abilities, logic more cups of coffee a day (Methods of healing, 2010). The results of coffee increase many cavities of the mind, making it very difficult not to like results of coffee. Likewise, understanding how the body deals with coffee-caffeine intake helps to inform consumers on how it interacts with other components of the body. Several studies produce claims that coffee protects and fights against health problems.

For example, body cells, the liver, the heart, the colon, the lungs, various diseases, epression, headaches, and heart burn benefit from coffee consumption. These positive results are mostly effective because coffee is a very excellent source of antioxidants. As another result, coffee consumption affects brain function. An ample connection between the amount of antioxidants present in coffee was found in a study by Joe Vinson, Ph. D. , a chemistry professor at the University of Scranton. Antioxidants are substances from food or drink that help prevent or decrease oxidative damage or free radicals.

Free radicals cause molecular damage, which weakens the system (Tsang, 2009). In another study by Vinson, it was found that Americans obtain their number one source of antioxidants from coffee. This means that coffee, recorded as 1,300 mg daily, was above any other source of food or drink. This includes fruits and vegetables. The latter results included: " black tea (294 mg), bananas (76 mg), dry beans (72 mg/day), corn (48 mg/day), red wine (44 mg/day), beer (42 mg/day), apples (39 mg/day), tomatoes (32 mg/day), and potatoes (28 mg/ day)" (Med page today, 2005).

These results show the impressive coffee consumption levels in comparison to other foods and drinks. As a result, coffee protects body cells because of anti-oxidants. They act as a protective layer. Anti-oxidants in coffee protect DNA, lipids, and proteins from possible cell destruction. For example Phytochemicals, such as cinnamate, esters and chlorogenic acid are cancer-reducing protectants. These protectants are prevalent because of the helping anti-oxidants.

As an illustration, "Rutgers University carried out a study in July 2007 that showed regular exercise combined with daily doses of caffeine can increase the destruction of pre-cancerous skin cells in mice. Once again, the findings have not yet been tested n humans, but the indication is that it will have similar effects (University of south florida health, 2009). " This information indicates that coffee be able to protect against possible formations of skin cancer. As another result, coffee stimulates respiration rates and helps complete performance tasks with greater ease.

When the caffeine increases metabolism, it also increases the breathing. Exercising the lungs makes them stronger and less susceptible to diseases. Sometimes doctors use caffeine to help weak or premature infants to open the airways in the lungs (Shields, 2007). Caffeine helps the lungs in many ways, including asthma. Regular coffee drinkers have about 1/3 less asthmatic symptoms than those of non-coffee drinkers according to a Harvard researcher who studied 20,000 people (Ultimate coffees info, 2010). " This means that struggles with asthma are shown to decrease with coffee consumption. A study of over seventy thousand Italians showed that there was a significant reduction in the appearance of asthmatic symptoms among patients who regularly drink coffee. The risk of asthmatic symptoms fell by 28% when patients drank three or more cups of coffee every day. (Ultimate coffees info, 2010)" Again, ccording to Ultimate coffees (2010), "In 1992, the Second National Health and asthma and coffee study found that the risk of symptoms from patients with asthma going into the study fell dramatically (over 29%) when patients who regularly drank coffee, compared with patients who did not drink coffee on a regular basis.

In addition, the risk of patients suffering from wheezing fell almost 13%. A relationship was also found between the amount of coffee consumed and the effects gained by the asthmatic patients. Those who drank more coffee had fewer symptoms; those who drank less coffee had more symptoms. This proves that coffee does help people with asthma. Coffee also protects the liver. Caffeine initiates higher performance, resulting in higher defenses and protection against cancerous developments. Caffeine helps to release stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, resulting in signals to the liver to pump sugar into the bloodstream.

These signals help the liver to run more efficiently. Brain (2000) states, "Two cups a day causes an 80 percent drop in cirrhosis of the liver. " Similarly, coffee protects the heart and the colon. Coffee consumers with type-2 diabetes are less likely to die from cardiovascular disease. Harvard University students took a study on 126,000 people over an 18-year period. Studies say that coffee drinkers reduced heart problem chances in men by 54% percent and women by 30%. In another example by the Nurses' Health study at Harvard Medical School, caffeinate coffee did not link to colon cancer either.

No evidence showed any connection whatsoever. Brain, (2000) states that "Two cups a day gives you 20% less risk of colon cancer. In short, studies disprove the connection of coffee and heart disorders and colon cancer (Kirchheimer, ). The possibility of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease are said to benefit from coffee. Again, the caffeine derivatives are the main protection against the disease. Strong disease fighting defenses decrease chances of many illnesses.