About coffee and health
What kind of relationship are they in? Do they get along or do they have disagreements from time to time? What would a talk show where health confesses to coffee look like... Health: I'm solid and fragile at the same time. A lot of factors affect me in good and bad ways. How will I be after living with you for many years?
Coffee: I can be strong and gentle, energizing and inducing a pleasant atmosphere. Of course, I won't sit down with everyone, but I'm generally one of those people who maintain a superior relationship with my health while following certain rules.
Health: What do you mean by that?
Coffee: For me too, I am a great servant but a bad master. As soon as someone allows caffeine to take over, they risk a host of difficulties, and you certainly don't benefit from it. So the rule of thumb is - keep your daily caffeine intake to no more than 400 mg. Most experts recommend three to four cups of coffee a day. That's an amount that won't break you. On the contrary!
Health: Am I going solid? Surrounded by sufficient prevention against all sorts of attacks in the form of acute and chronic diseases?
Coffee: Absolutely! And I have the science to back it up. I can reduce the risk of developing heart disease by 15%, even the risk of heart attack by more than 20%. I just have to be treated carefully, of course, by people who don't have their high blood pressure under control. I'm also good with the kidneys. People who drink me regularly in appropriate doses face up to a 70% lower risk of death from chronic kidney disease. And while I'm on the subject of numbers, for every cup drunk throughout the day, the risk of developing type II diabetes drops by 6%.
Health: That's great news for me. But I'm sure you know that in addition to the physical side of my body, I also cater to the mental side.
Coffee: I have a lot to offer in that regard, too. In fact, according to many studies, I'm good at preventing a number of neurodegenerative diseases - that's the dreaded diagnoses of our time - Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, among others. I am able to slow down the progress of the latter, and those who drink me regularly reduce the risk of developing dementia or the aforementioned Alzheimer's disease. Moreover, I also reduce the risk of depression - supposedly by up to 8% with every cup I drink per day. And as for the immediate effects, I can almost pull up on a moment's notice to fight fatigue, and all athletes will appreciate that I improve their performance.
Health: Sounds like you can work wonders with me.
Coffee: Thanks for the compliment. I'm not omnipotent, of course. And besides, I'm not alone in the game. Anyone who pits fatty foods, a bunch of stress, and not enough sleep against me is not going to be affected by my effects over time. I need support from multiple sides - a lifestyle in which I don't have to play first fiddle at all - in fact, I shouldn't. I'll be part of the whole orchestra that should sound in harmony with each other. Under such conditions, as a powerful antioxidant, I can then pull that imaginary ace out of my sleeve.
Health: And that?
Coffee: I've been increasingly associated with longevity in recent years. There's talk that I can extend life expectancy.
Health: Now to make that life worth living.
Coffee: We both have to take care of that. I dare say that good health and good coffee are excellent prerequisites for a happy life.
Sources:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29590460/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7353179/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26944757/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26339067/