Coffee, the new hero!
Coffee is a bean, and so as all beans, coffee also has some bioactive ingredients and numerous benefits. These active ingredients interact to give health benefits, It had just been recently proven by the Harvard school of public health by a research conducted on over 520000 people, and other supportive research has also been published over advantages of drinking coffee for various ethnic groups.
Coffee is rich in antioxidants and is mild stimulant it helps the brain to get alert and increases the metabolism, so its seen to be advantageous in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases both connected with neural function. However, the study also shows benefits of heart diseases, stroke and liver diseases, in a way help to increase the longevity and increase life years.
If we consider the Indian Ayurveda system and think about coffee, then it falls under the pitta genic food category, one that produces heat and acid in the body. Ayurveda is all about the three Dosha, and the balance between the three is the key to health, this is maintained by taking a balanced diet. If one takes more of pitta genic food, the balance may go off so as per Ayurveda coffee should be had considered in moderation and is required for healthy digestion and alertness affects the ambition and aggressiveness too as pitta foods produce these qualities and are necessary for us in a small amount.
The study suggests up to 3 cups a day or 300mg to get the advantage, and so anything in excess is not going to give more benefit, moderation is the key, and one should be sensible not to start drinking more thinking more will be beneficial
10 cups won't provide you with anything except acidity heartburn and anxiety, as it is stimulant it can become addictive too.
From a Nutrition point, coffee is antioxidant. It can reduce the free radicals in the body. But it can also interfere with absorption of iron when has with food or when drinking too much; it can leach calcium from bones so be careful if you have osteoporosis, arthritis or blood pressure, it can also affect the blood sugar so be cautious if you have diabetes.
Kids nowadays have been seen drinking coffee, which could affect their temperament and behavior. It can causes anxiety and insomnia and lead a child to hyperactivity and ADD or ADHD.
Lastly on a funny note often asked will coffee cause constipation or diarrhea, it will cause both!!! Yes, when a typically coffee drinking person has diarrhea we recommend tea to stop it and vice versa, and there is no research done on this, it's just going on since long, maybe the answer lies with our Dadimaa!
