Coffee and caffeine .. What is the amount allowed?

The subject of coffee is controversial, considering who asks the question is either a wonderful drink or poison leads to addiction. By asking scientists,
it has been portrayed as something unusually bad. In this article we will review together some of the information you should know about coffee and caffeine

In fact, coffee is a simple beverage with bioactive compounds. It is a major source of antioxidants for many people. Studies have shown that coffee drinkers have a lower risk of certain diseases such as type 2 diabetes, neurologic infections and liver disease.

However, what was a little useful does not necessarily mean that many healthy or safe! So what is the amount that coffee is classified as harmful to humans? And how much can we get the most benefits with the least possible damage ?!

What is the amount of caffeine per cup?

Caffeine is the active ingredient in coffee, one of the most widely used psychotropic substances in the world. The caffeine content of a coffee cup varies greatly from 50 to 400 mg per cup. A cup of home-made coffee can contain 50 mg, while a 16-ounce Starbucks can contain more than 300 mg.

As a general rule we can assume that a cup of coffee weighing 8 oz will contain about 100 mg of caffeine. Several studies suggest that 400 mg of caffeine, or about 4 cups of coffee, is safe for most healthy adults. Keep in mind that there are many other sources of caffeine besides coffee, including tea, soft drinks, energy drinks, chocolates and some medical drugs.

What are the symptoms of excessive coffee?

When we talk about the health effects of coffee, there are short-term and long-term symptoms . Let's talk about short-term symptoms first, often related to caffeine itself.

Caffeine works primarily in the brain where it affects the function of neurotransmitters and has a stimulant effect. If you drink a lot of coffee in a short period of time, you will experience the following symptoms associated mostly with the brain and digestive system.

Here are some common symptoms of eating a large amount of caffeine:

Insomnia
Anxiety
Dizziness
Stomach disorder
Irritability
Insomnia
Shiver
Accelerating heart beat
If you experience these symptoms after drinking coffee, you may be sensitive to caffeine and may be forced to reduce your intake (or simply avoid caffeine altogether). A person may die from an overdose of caffeine, but this is impossible for coffee alone; you will have to drink more than 100 cups in one day!

How likely is the body to eat different amounts of caffeine or coffee?

Caffeine affects humans in different ways as many genes that affect our sensitivity to caffeine have been discovered. These genes are related to enzymes that break down caffeine in the liver, as well as brain receptors that are affected by caffeine. The effect of caffeine on sleep is linked to heredity; some people can drink coffee and go to sleep directly without a problem, and there are others who may remain awake all night!

You can carry too much or too little caffeine depending on your genetic makeup, most humans are almost in the middle between this and that. For people who eat caffeine daily - in the form of coffee, for example - their bodies have a bearing capacity for those who drink it sporadically or rarely!

It is also important to know that a person's health can affect his body's sensitivity to caffeine. If you are suffering from anxiety, panic attacks, irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, diabetes or some medications or any other medical condition; Your body may not be able to tolerate this substance.

What is the effect of coffee on human life?

Some studies have suggested that coffee can help you live longer! What about long-term effects, such as the period in which a person lives?

A leading study in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2012 published about 402,260 people between the ages of 50 and 71.
The following graph shows the relationship between coffee consumption and death risk during the 12-13 year study period

We can conclude from the graph that the best rate of consumption, which offers you the lowest risk of death is 4-5 cups daily, other studies have indicated the association of eating four cups or 4-5 cups less risk of death.

However, we note that this is still under study and has not been decided decisively. A recent study indicated that eating 4 cups or more a day was associated with an increased risk of death rather than a decline in people under the age of 55.

How can you prevent coffee from getting some diseases?

Drinking coffee is associated with a decrease in the risk of several different diseases. The following are some of the main results:

Diabetes Type 2 : The more coffee you drink the lower your risk of type 2 diabetes. One study indicated a 7% reduction per cup per day.
Cirrhosis : Drinking 4 cups or more of coffee brings the highest risk of liver cirrhosis (up to 84%), an acute consequence of certain liver diseases.
Liver cancer : The risk of liver cancer is reduced by 44% per cup daily.
Alzheimer's disease : A study of the relationship between drinking 3-5 cups a day reduced the risk of Alzheimer's disease by 19%.
Parkinson's disease : Coffee is associated with a decreased risk of Parkinson's disease, with the biggest drop from drinking more than 5 cups a day.
Depression: Studies suggest that eating more than 4 cups of coffee per day is associated with a 20% lower risk of depression and 53% less risk of suicide.

We can say that the optimal daily intake of 4 to 5 cups of coffee, but it should be borne in mind that all studies rely on direct observation can not be confirmed that coffee causes a low rate of disease! However, people who regularly drank coffee were less likely to get the disease.