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What are the benefits, effects, and side effects of coffee?

Mar 03, 2025 Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Bai Hongmei
Introduction
Under normal circumstances, the benefits and effects of coffee include enhancing alertness, promoting metabolism, improving intestinal motility, enhancing physical performance, and protecting cardiovascular health. Side effects may include sleep disturbances, gastrointestinal discomfort, increased heart rate, calcium loss, and reduced iron absorption. To minimize potential side effects of coffee, it is recommended to consume it in moderation daily.

Generally speaking, the benefits and effects of coffee include refreshing the mind, promoting metabolism, improving intestinal motility, enhancing physical performance, and protecting cardiovascular health. Its potential side effects include sleep disturbances, gastrointestinal discomfort, increased heart rate, calcium loss, and reduced iron absorption. A detailed analysis is as follows:

I. Benefits and Effects of Coffee

1. Refreshing and Awakening the Mind

Caffeine in coffee can stimulate the central nervous system, helping individuals relieve fatigue, enhance attention and reaction speed, make thinking more agile, and improve work and study efficiency.

2. Promoting Metabolism

Caffeine can accelerate the body's metabolic rate, enabling the body to consume calories more efficiently even at rest, which helps maintain a healthy weight and may aid in weight control.

3. Improving Intestinal Motility

Coffee can stimulate gastrointestinal motility and promote the secretion of digestive fluids, aiding in the digestion and absorption of food, and helping to prevent and alleviate constipation to some extent.

4. Enhancing Physical Performance

Consuming an appropriate amount of coffee before exercise can increase muscle strength, improve endurance and explosive power, delay the onset of fatigue, and enhance the effectiveness of physical activity.

5. Protecting Cardiovascular Health

Some components in coffee, such as phenolic compounds, have antioxidant properties that help lower blood cholesterol levels and offer certain protective benefits for cardiovascular health.

II. Side Effects of Coffee

1. Sleep Disturbances

The stimulating effect of caffeine can inhibit adenosine receptors in the brain, preventing the brain from entering a resting state, leading to difficulties falling asleep, light sleep, and vivid dreams. Long-term effects may lead to insomnia.

2. Gastrointestinal Discomfort

Excessive coffee consumption can stimulate gastric acid secretion, possibly leading to excess stomach acid, causing symptoms such as stomach pain, heartburn, and indigestion, and may worsen the condition of individuals with gastritis or gastric ulcers.

3. Increased Heart Rate

Caffeine can stimulate the sympathetic nervous system, causing an increased heart rate and higher myocardial oxygen consumption. For individuals with poor cardiac function or existing cardiovascular diseases, this may increase the burden on the heart.

4. Calcium Loss

Caffeine in coffee can bind with calcium in the body, increasing calcium excretion. Long-term heavy consumption may lead to calcium loss, increasing the risk of osteoporosis, especially requiring attention among the elderly and women.

5. Impaired Iron Absorption

Polyphenolic substances in coffee can bind with iron from food, forming insoluble complexes that hinder iron absorption. This may worsen anemia symptoms for individuals with iron-deficiency anemia or insufficient iron intake.

To reduce potential side effects of coffee, it is recommended to consume coffee in moderation daily and avoid drinking coffee in the evening or within 4-6 hours before bedtime to prevent sleep disturbances.

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