A study carried out using data from 135,000 people and published in the Journal of Harvard School of Public Health not only questions the harmful effects attributed to coffeebut highlights its possible positive qualities on health.

If a few years ago researchers began to discover the salutary virtues wine and later tea, beer and chocolate, now it seems to be the turn of the most used stimulant drink in the West.

We tell you how to make coffee with homemade ginseng in the following video:

The conclusions are still provisional, and the authors of the research and the American Neurological Association affirm that it is premature to say that coffee can protect the brain, for example from Parkinson’s, but they corroborate the increasingly accepted theory that there are no «bad» or «good» foods.

The issue is much more complex and It depends more on the overall balance of the diet, lifestyle and adaptation to the environment in which one lives.

Benefits and properties of coffee

A coffee bean contains a complex mixture of substances that go far beyond their simple caffeine content.

For example, unfiltered coffee is a great source of cafestol and kahweol, two diterpenes that are involved in the fact that coffee can raise cholesterol levels, one of its proven negative effects. Now, these two substances are largely retained by coffee machine filtersespecially if they are made of paper.

On the other side of the scale many Epidemiological studies indicate that coffee can also be good or even very good for preventing certain chronic diseases, for example:

• Improves type II or non-insulin dependent Diabetes. According to numerous studies, coffee acts on glucose tolerance and insulin receptors and can improve the clinical course of this disease.
• Helps protect against Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. Coffee can exert a neuroprotective effect on dopaminergic neurons, that is, those that produce dopamine, a neurotransmitter that fails in Alzheimer’s disease. Parkinson’s. On the other hand, the exciting action of coffee is also a neurostimulant and could improve the progression of type dementia. Alzheimer’s by protecting adenosine receptors.

Studies on coffee show that neither those who completely abstain from coffee nor those who drink more than four cups reduce their risk of developing Parkinson’s disease.

• Improves asthma. It has also been proven that those who drink coffee regularly have less asthma. The explanation is attributed to the fact that calema is a methylxanthine, like many of the bronchial dilator drugs used for this disease. The issue is not trivial, since a reduction of up to 28% in asthma attacks has been observed in those who drink this drink.
• It is suitable for liver diseases. Some of them, like the gall stones or cirrhosis, also improve. In the case of stones, because coffee is a stimulant of bile secretion and the elimination of bile towards the intestine. By stimulating bile secretion, the bile is more fluid and the risk of stone formation is reduced. In regards to the cirrhosisthere is no clear idea of ​​the mechanisms by which this happens, but we do know that the risk of suffering from it is 15% lower among those who drink coffee. But let’s not forget that the main cause of cirrhosis, in many cases, is alcohol abuse, and that alcoholics do not usually drink a lot of coffee, since it reduces or inhibits the effects of the former.

Contraindications: negative effects of coffee on health

One of the false myths attributed to coffee is that it causes osteoporosis. This is not true in principle, as numerous studies have shown, but yes sugar promotes osteoporosis that is added to coffee, or pasta or pastries that can accompany it, since these foods increase the elimination of calcium from the body.

Not everything has to be advantages, because it seems that The heart does not improve much if you drink a lot of coffee. This drink can raise blood pressure, or stimulate stomach secretion in case of ulcer or gastritis.and the same thing happens with nervous diseases such as anxietythat can be enhanced among coffee drinkers.

There are dubious data on whether or not coffee increases cancer riskdoubtful because the presence of numerous antioxidants in its composition makes it possible to have protective effects.

have been made studies involving people who drank huge amounts of coffeeup to twenty cups a day, which is clearly an exaggeration, and in these cases the beneficial effects of coffee could be better confirmed, which would be attributed to its antioxidant substances as in the case of cocoa.

It is considered a Responsible or moderate consumption is that of someone who drinks a maximum of three cups a daya figure that pregnant women should not exceed because abusive consumption can lead to uterine spasticity and a greater risk of spontaneous abortions or delayed fetal growth.

What is the best coffee for health?

There is also the question of knowing how to choose a good coffee and prepare it properlybecause not everything is the same.

For example, the arabic varietywhich is what quality coffees correspond to, it is better than the robust varietyand in general it has slightly less caffeine.

Arabica coffees offer tasty drinks even in simple infusion (filter coffee maker)while robusta requires processes that squeeze all the «flavor» from the bean, such as in coffee makers that pass water vapor through very finely ground coffee.

In regards to the roasting methods, naturally roasted coffee will be preferred over roasted coffeesince in the latter case sugar has been added to the roasting process to give it the taste and foam that this type of coffee generates when prepared in an espresso machine.

In general, gentle roasting is better than intense roasting.because although in the latter case the flavor is increased, the grain is also distorted more.

The very harsh coffees They have a greater amount of tannins and, in general, antioxidants.

When it comes to coffee decaffeinated, has not been shown in any study to have an additional benefit on non-decaffeinated coffee, quite the opposite, due to the chemical solvents with which caffeine is usually removed.

Besidesfreeze-dried coffee would occupy last place in health benefitsand also in gastronomy.

Studies indicate that The best coffee is the one that is presented without any additives, manipulations or modifications other than natural roasting. Fair trade coffee, Arabica variety and organic cultivation, is therefore preferable; and use filter coffee makers and coffees dried at low temperature

It is preferable consume it in moderationsince any excess or dependence is counterproductive.

If you feel bad, simply get rid of it.it is not a miracle food, nor a panacea. It is not advisable to drink coffee as a routine or «to wake up», demanding more from the body than it can give. You can also try different drinks to avoid becoming addicted to caffeine.