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36 WWW.UNWLA.ORG “НАШЕ ЖИТТЯ”, ЛИСТОПАД 2018 YOUR COFFEE IS SERVED by Ihor Magun, MD FACP Perhaps the most common beverage consumed on a regular daily basis is coffee. There are several reasons f or this, but the main reason is that c offee makes us feel good because of its many positive attributes. Scientists have known for many years that coffee stimulates the release of the neurotransmitter dopamine. This , in turn, literally produces that feelin g of euphoria. Simply put, coffee is able to tap into virtually every reward system our brain has evolved. So what is this wonderful beverage so many of us drink every day ? It is actually a shrub of the bedstraw family that yields coffee seeds, two of whi ch are contained in each berry. It is native to the Old World tropics , and most of the world’s coffee is grown in tropical regions of America. The core component of coffee is something called caffeine, which is a central nervous stimulant and considered the world’s most widely consumed psychoactive drug. It is present in caffeinated beverages such as coffee and tea and also found in energy boost drinks, chocolate and certain soft drinks (artificially incorporated) . Caffeine is even sold in tablet form. The effect of caffeine on the body is dependent on the quantity of milligrams consumed. A ctual caffeine content depends on a number of factors: origin, processing, preparation method and brewing time. The average caffeine content of an 8 - o unce cup of brew ed coffee is 95 mg , espresso has 63 mg, while decaf has about 3 mg. Instant coffee usually contains less caffeine tha n other types of coffee; caffeine con- tent of one cup can vary from 30 mg to 90 mg. Up to 400 mg of caffeine a day appears to be safe for m ost healthy adults to consume . This translates into about four cups of coffee. Consuming coffee produces certain effects within one hour of consumption and the se effect s may continue for four to six hours. Caffeine stimulates the nervous system , which giv es you energy, makes you feel more awake and alert. It can increase your blood pressure , but this elevation is minimal and usually dissipates if you drink coffee on a regular basis . It also interferes with the absorption of calcium in the body and is a di uretic (i.e., it i ncreases the body’s need for urination ) . Caffeinated coffee is sixty percent more efficient in activating the digestive system ; because it relax es colonic muscles, it facilitat es bowel move- ments. On the other hand, t oo much caffeine can lead to headaches, dizziness, insomnia, anxiety, restless- ness, rapid or abnormal heart rhythms, and dehydration . T o a certain extent , it can also create depend- ency — the need to ingest greater quantities to achieve the same effect. It is important to note t hat h igh caffeine ingestion in postmenopausal women can accelerate bone loss. All of this naturally leads to the subject of decreasing coffee consumption. The effects of abrupt w ithdrawal from caffeine usually last for a day or two if you consume two or mo re cups per day. The usual s ymptoms of withdrawal are a mild head- ache and fatigue. Over that past several decades, coffee has been extensively studied. The findings indicate that t here has been no increase of risk of cancer or heart disease. In fact, rese arch shows that coffee has many health benefits including improvement in cognitive function ; it also offers protection against Parkinson’s disease, type two diabetes, liver disease and liver cancer. Some studies actually show decreased overall mortality an d possibly lower cardiovascular mortality. A recent article in JAMA ( The Journal of the American Med- ical Association ) reported that women who consumed two to three cups of caffeinated coffee on a daily basis were fifteen percent less likely to develop depr ession compared to women who drank less than one cup per day. So w ho should limit or avoid caffeine? Research on this matter has yielded conflicting reports about caffeine intake during pregnancy. The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists c on- cluded that consumption of up to 200 mg of caffeine is safe. In women who are breast - feeding the limit climbs to 300 mg. Individuals who have issues with anxiety, fast heart rhythms, sleep disorders, ulcers and intolerance to caffeine in any way should limit or avoid its consumption. I f you have any concerns, use your judgement and follow the advice of your physician. A final word: C offee is delicious and brings people closer together. Who among us does not enjoy sharing a cup of coffee with a friend or loved one ? That said, I wish all the coffee drinkers reading this column all the physical and emotional benefits good coffee brings .
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