For coffee lovers, the morning begins with a cup of aromatic and natural drink, the active ingredient of which is caffeine. It stimulates the central nervous system, helps boost energy, improves mood and speeds up brain function. On the other hand, this substance can cause anxiety, headaches, nausea, and increase blood pressure. The end result depends on how long the coffee lasts, how many cups you drink, and when you drink it.
Impact on the body
Basics
Caffeine, also known as mateine or guaranine, is a natural alkaloid that appears as white crystals with a rich bitter taste and no odor. In moderate quantities, it makes a person more resilient and efficient.
Every sip of coffee enters the bloodstream through the stomach. At this time, excitation and conditioned reflexes intensify, and motor activity increases.
Caffeine affects the brain, affects receptors and sends impulses to the body. As a result, a person feels energetic and cheerful.
Caffeine is found in cappuccino, latte, espresso and other drinks that are not based on coffee beans.
The alkaloid can even be found in decaffeinated liquid, as described in the article “What is Decaffeinated Coffee.” People with weak hearts and blood vessels, nursing women should take this fact into account.
Beneficial features
In small doses, caffeine relieves fatigue and drowsiness, increases physical and mental activity, and helps you get ready and concentrate on work.
The substance increases the frequency and intensity of heart contractions. For the cardiovascular system, this becomes a kind of gymnastics, and it gradually gets used to pressure changes. Therefore, coffee is the prevention of strokes.
Caffeine stimulates the production of secretions in the stomach and also helps to get rid of excess weight. The amount of free fatty acids in the blood increases. This stimulates metabolism, and subcutaneous fat burns faster.
The alkaloid increases muscle activity in athletes and helps withstand intense loads.
Guaranine increases the production of neurotransmitters in the brain. It has been scientifically proven that coffee lovers are less susceptible to the destructive effects of stress, are less likely to suffer from depression and are not prone to suicide.
Watch the dosage - do not drink more than 3-4 cups per day.
How many cups of coffee per day do you drink?
1-23-4
What happens if you drink a lot of coffee - conclusion
Drinking coffee in large quantities and at the wrong time does more harm than good or pleasure, so it is not recommended to drink a lot of coffee.
If you drink a lot of coffee at once, you may experience a caffeine overdose. Regularly exceeding the coffee norm is fraught with overstrain of the nervous system, insomnia and even exacerbation of chronic diseases.
The safe amount of coffee for a healthy person is 1-3 cups per day.
Drink coffee in reasonable quantities and have fun!
Denver experiment
The essence of the study
The Denver experiment was conducted in 2020 at the Congress of American Somnological Societies. The purpose of the study is to dispel the myth that coffee saves you from insomnia.
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A group of 48 volunteers was formed. During the week before the convention, they slept 10 hours a day. Then, over the course of 5 days, sleep duration was reduced to 5 hours. During the experiment, people were given a placebo or 200 mg of caffeine twice a day - a dose that is equal to two cups of strong coffee.
The subjects were tested regularly. Scientists checked their reaction speed, degree of drowsiness and mood. Those who took caffeine had the best results. However, after three nights the indicators deteriorated sharply. People were more tired and irritable than those who did not take this substance.
results
The results of the experiment proved that caffeine is not a panacea for sleep deprivation. It is enough to sleep less than usual for three nights, and its effect weakens.
It's all about the increased concentration of adenosine, which is responsible for transmitting energy and signals to the body. When this neurotransmitter binds to receptors, a person begins to feel drowsy.
Expert opinion
Vadim Kudryavtsev
Coffee expert, professional barista and simply in love with this aromatic drink.
Ask the barista a question
Caffeine temporarily blocks adenosine, but does not replace proper sleep. Before a hard week of work, you need to sleep 2-4 nights for 10 hours. This trick will help you replenish your sleep reserves and maintain efficiency and energy for as long as possible.
The main thing is individual sensitivity to caffeine
There is evidence that such doses are not suitable for everyone and will be too large for many. The fact is that in recent years the phenomenon of individual sensitivity to coffee has been proven. It depends on how quickly the body metabolizes (breaks down) caffeine. It’s like with alcohol: in some people it breaks down quickly, in others it doesn’t. And now all people are divided into fast and slow caffeine metabolizers.
In the West, there are special genetic tests to determine individual sensitivity. It's all about the CYP1A2 gene, located on chromosome 15; it encodes the enzyme of the same name. About 10% of people are very fast metabolizers of caffeine, the rest break it down more slowly. The vast majority (about half of people) break it down 4 times slower than very fast metabolizers.
The rate at which caffeine is broken down plays a big role in human health. Coffee is beneficial for fast metabolizers, but it is better for slow metabolizers to avoid it in large doses. Why this is so, explains endocrinologist, nutritionist, creator of the author’s nutrition program Vadim Krylov:
“The benefits and harms of coffee have been studied in large and serious studies. For example, in people who quickly break down caffeine, 1-2 cups of the drink per day reduces the risk of heart attacks and strokes by about 20%. 3-4 cups of coffee are also beneficial, but a little less: they reduce the risk of these conditions by 12%, and 4-6 cups - by only 3-6%. For those who break down caffeine slowly, 1-2 cups per day, on the contrary, increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes by 3-6%, 3-4 cups by 12%, and 5-6 cups by almost 20%.
In our country, I have not come across genetic tests on sale that can be used to determine fast or slow caffeine metabolizers. But you can do without them. If a person, after drinking a cup of coffee, feels a sense of tone, vigor, joy, then he is a fast metabolizer. Coffee is good for him. For slow metabolizers, such effects appear after 4-5 hours, and not immediately. Coffee is bad for them."
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How long does the effect last?
The half-life of caffeine lasts up to 5 hours. Within 15-45 minutes after drinking a cup of coffee, people experience an energy boost, their mood improves and their performance increases.
In a relatively short period of time, a person manages to do a lot of things, his brain is actively working and generating fresh ideas and thoughts.
Once the caffeine begins to break down, your symptoms will go away. Euphoria may be replaced by a loss of strength, an attack of drowsiness and increased irritability.
If you drink coffee frequently, your body will begin to develop a tolerance to caffeine and your symptoms will not be noticeable. For some people they last longer than for others. There are no clear deadlines - it all depends on your health status, weight, age and dose.
Benefits of drinking coffee
Ground, freshly brewed, and not too strong coffee is considered healthy. Instant coffee, which is sold in cans and brewed with boiling water, has virtually no benefits. If we are talking about high-quality coffee, then its beneficial properties are manifested in the following:
- Coffee is an excellent antioxidant that rivals most fruits and vegetables. If you don't like fruit, then this is a great alternative to saturate your body with antioxidants;
- Coffee improves blood circulation , which means it contributes to a complete supply of blood and oxygen to the entire body, including the brain. This helps you concentrate better, improves mental performance;
- The coffee aroma easily relieves nervous tension , adjusts the body to a positive mood, and activates brain function;
- Drinking a cup of coffee during the day reduces the risk of developing liver pathology by 20%;
- The drink stabilizes the emotional background;
- Coffee prevents the development of skin cancer;
- Coffee increases strength in athletes and increases energy;
- Two cups of strong drink during the day reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 50%;
- The habit of drinking coffee every day improves your mood!
We've sorted out the positive properties of coffee, now let's find out how this wonderful drink can harm you?
Three stages of sensitivity
On average, coffee begins to affect our body within 30-45 minutes. But each person is individual, so the timing may change. People have different sensitivity to caffeine. Scientists distinguish three stages.
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Hypersensitivity: The body reacts sharply to even minimal amounts of caffeine. A dose of 100 mg or less may become critical.
Normal sensitivity: such people can consume from 200 to 400 mg of the substance per day without harm to their health.
Reduced sensitivity: observed in 10% of people. For them, 500-700 mg is a safe daily dose. There are no side effects, even if you drink the drink at night.
Sensitivity is affected by age-related changes in the body, the state of the cardiovascular and nervous systems, as well as body weight.
What is your caffeine sensitivity?
NormalReduced
Our standards are stricter
What does this mean in practice? Typically, a serving of espresso (30-40 ml) contains 60-70 mg of caffeine. By drinking one cup, you will receive even a little more than an adequate daily dose. And with two cups, you will get closer to the upper limit of your acceptable consumption level. At the same time, other drinks with caffeine (tea, cocoa, cola, energy drinks, etc.) are not yet included in the norm.
It must be said that our standards are very strict. In the world they are much freer. Thus, in the USA, Canada and most other Western countries, consumption of up to 400 mg of caffeine per day is considered normal. And this already corresponds to about 6 cups of espresso. Or 7 250 ml mugs of instant coffee (each 60-65 mg caffeine). Or 4 large (350 ml) glasses of cappuccino or latte (each containing about 75 mg of caffeine) with a cup of espresso. It feels like coffee lovers’ mood improves when they see these numbers. But…
Who is dangerous to drink coffee? More details
From vigor to addiction
One step will help you get the maximum effect: drink a cup of coffee 30 minutes after eating, and then take a nap for 15-20 minutes. This is called caffeine sleep.
How the body absorbs caffeine depends on the type of drink. More substance is found in brewed natural coffee and espresso. Lower concentrations are in instant.
Find out more in the article “How much caffeine is in a cup of coffee.”
If you exceed the dose of caffeine, you can expect consequences. Instead of a stimulating effect, the functioning of the nervous system is disrupted. In some cases, caffeine addiction has been reported.
When it stops working
Now let's find out how long coffee lasts. This depends on the characteristics of the body and the period of decay of the active ingredient.
Once caffeine begins to break down in the body, its effects weaken. On average, half-life occurs in 5 hours. If 40 mg of a substance enters the body, then after 2-3 hours 20 mg will remain, and after another 2-3 hours it will completely disintegrate.
Over time, resistance to the active substance develops.
If you drink coffee daily, its severity and duration of impact are reduced. The drink will not give the same vigor as before. And even this effect will be short-lived.
When does a cup of coffee take effect?
Coffee affects every body differently. Its effect depends on a combination of factors:
- brewing strength
- volume of drinks
- human weight
- stomach fullness
- human physical activity
The effect of drinking coffee does not begin immediately. Interestingly, doctors recommend drinking a glass of plain water after drinking a cup to dissolve the caffeine concentrate in the body. And then after half an hour a person will feel the expected effect:
- mood improves;
- concentration of attention increases;
- brain activity increases;
- the level of observation also becomes high.
Consequences
When the invigorating effect completely disappears, caffeine tolerance appears within a few days: from 1 to 4. This condition is dangerous. Trying to cheer up, a person will increase the dosage. This will lead to the following consequences:
- increased nervous excitability;
- stomach pain;
- severe diarrhea;
- heart rhythm disturbances;
- breathing problems;
- uncontrollable anxiety attacks;
- sleep disorder;
- lethal: 5 to 10 g of caffeine (up to 15 cups of coffee) over 5-8 hours is considered fatal.
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Indisputable evidence
Thus, it has been proven that four cups of aromatic natural drink a day help restore strength and vigor, but just three days without sleep not only does not neutralize the positive effect, but also leads to conflicts, stress and chronic fatigue.
That is, caffeine is nothing more than a short-term solution to the problem.
What is the effect of coffee, as explained by Tracy Doty:
- The neurotransmitter in the body itself calculates how much coffee will influence when overtired. It's called adenosine.
- The person did not get enough sleep - the level of the neurotransmitter adenosine increased in the brain. It binds to its receptors to trigger the desire to sleep.
- The man drank coffee and blocked adenosine receptors. That is, in fact, the “cunning substance” caffeine has taken the place of adenosine.
- But the body continues to experience a lack of sleep, and after a few days coffee stops working, unable to cope with the task. Because the level of adenosine has increased very much.
Thus, coffee may well save you for a day or two, but its abuse during lack of sleep will lead to bad consequences. Coffee stimulates the brain if you don't get enough sleep and even improves your mood in the short term. But the best way to cope with difficult days is to get enough sleep, restoring your strength naturally. If we Moreover, a small cup of coffee has a stronger effect on a well-rested person and does not leave consequences in the form of irritability and negativity.
Who shouldn't
Reducing or eliminating the consumption of coffee drinks is necessary for people who suffer from:
- severe sleep disorders;
- nervous excitability;
- atherosclerosis;
- problems with the musculoskeletal system – calcium is quickly removed from the body;
- liver and kidney diseases;
- hypertension;
- glaucoma;
- pathologies of the cardiovascular system;
- polycystic diseases - caffeine stimulates the growth of tumors.
Doctors also recommend that breastfeeding women give up coffee or reduce its consumption. Caffeine enters the baby's body through breast milk and makes him restless and irritable. The child will have problems sleeping in the future. You need to wait at least 3 hours between a cup of coffee and feeding.
Removing caffeine from the body
Milk in coffee softens the harmful effects on the body.
Caffeine acts from 2 to 7 hours, depending on the dose taken. Residues of the substance can remain in the body for up to 8-14 hours. It should be borne in mind that women need a little more time to completely eliminate caffeine from the body than men.
Drinking plenty of liquid will help reduce the level of the substance. Regular drinking water removes caffeine through the kidneys. In addition, it is possible to reduce the effect of coffee on the body in advance by adding milk or cream or ice cream to the drink during preparation.
How does coffee affect sleep?
The effects of caffeine may last throughout the day. Sometimes this leads to sleep problems. A person may not sleep well or not sleep at all.
Adults and healthy people can drink 1 to 3 cups of espresso without consequences. The optimal amount of caffeine is determined independently, depending on the individual characteristics of the body.
Expert opinion
Vadim Kudryavtsev
Coffee expert, professional barista and simply in love with this aromatic drink.
Ask the barista a question
People who have problems sleeping should not drink coffee in the evening. Yoga classes and special breathing exercises will help minimize the effects of caffeine. Having developed a clear sleep pattern, you can refuse additional stimulants.
Check out other features in the article “Can I drink coffee at night.”
Duration of effect on different categories of people
There is no specific time limit. The duration depends on the dose, age and weight. The average period during which the effects of caffeine wear off is considered to be 4-5 hours. It's also worth considering other products that contain caffeine.
The effect of coffee on the male body
If you consume natural coffee excessively over a long period of time, this can lead to a decrease in the activity of the male sex hormone testosterone due to “false” energy generated due to caffeine, which is a diuretic. A
surge of energy occurs, the intensity of metabolic processes increases, and the level of physical activity increases. Abuse of the drink will negatively affect potency and mood.
The effect of coffee on a woman's body
Pregnant women should be especially careful with the strength and quantity of coffee.
By drinking 6 cups of coffee a day, women can reduce the risk of diabetes by a third. Caffeine also helps you lose extra pounds. But you should not drink coffee during pregnancy. If you drink 4 cups of an invigorating drink, the risk of baby death in the womb increases by 33%.
Adult reaction to coffee
The reaction of the adult body to coffee is most often positive, if you do not overdo it with the amount you drink. It is worth paying attention to the individual characteristics of the body. Considering the average dose of 2-3 cups, there will be more benefit than harm.
The effect of coffee on children
If for adults a certain “dose” of activity and strength is sometimes simply necessary, then the child’s nervous system (still at the stage of development) may experience overstimulation from coffee.
Children should be allowed to try coffee with extreme caution. Coffee removes calcium from the child’s body, which is so important for a growing body. This will lead to problems with bone formation and poor heart function. Also, the effects of drinking coffee will be visible during puberty. A teenager may experience deviations in the form of memory impairment and increased nervous excitability.
