Coffee- A Friend Or Enemy?

Someone has rightly said that “Coffee smells like freshly ground heaven”. Truly, for millions of people around the globe, coffee is the best stress-buster.

Coffee, a native of Ethiopia, is one of the most popular beverages. It is prepared from roasted coffee beans. Today you can choose from hundreds of varieties of coffee depending on your taste.

Depending on the quality of coffee beans and the way they are roasted, there are several variants in coffee. Some of these are: American (regular) roast, French roast, Viennese roast, Instant coffee, decaffeinated coffee etc.

A lot of research has been done on whether coffee is harmful or beneficial for human health and contradictory results have come out. The main problem is that coffee does not benefit in any way if it becomes an addiction.

The main constituent of coffee is caffeine, which is a widely used drug. Caffeine acts as a stimulant and helps reduce fatigue and tension.

Other short-term effects of caffeine can be an increase in heartbeat, increase in blood pressure, a calming effect on bronchial muscles etc.

Coffee is known to have a laxative effect on the body. It contains soluble cellulose fibres which help the body absorb important nutrients. It also helps in controlling cholesterol levels and fight constipation.

One of the latest benefits of coffee to have been discovered is that it can cut down the risk of skin cancerdefine. Coffee consumption may also reduce the risk of a person getting type 2 diabetesdefine.

The effect of coffee on cardiovascular system is still not clear. Some say it is good, while others believe it is unhealthy.

Coffee contains powerful anti-oxidants which help fight gout symptoms.

But coffee is harmful for our body in many ways. Once you become a habitual coffee drinker, the temporary stimulation effect stops. In fact, the person feels depressed and irritable even after gulping several cups of coffee.

Coffee has also been found to have a negative effect on the eyes. A research has shown that it can cause severe vision impairment and in some cases, people can even go blind.

Sleep patterns might also get disturbed if one drinks coffee just before going to bed.

Unfiltered coffee contains a substance called cafestol which increases the level of cholesterol in the human body.

Coffee is beneficial for our health if consumed in moderation. As the wise saying goes “Excess of everything is bad”.

So the next time you pick a cup of coffee, you decide whether it is your friend or foe.