A cup of black coffee, cappuccino, an espresso shot, latte macchiato, cortado, flat white, with whipped cream, with sugar, and even decaf; coffee drinking is popular. Trendy coffee shops and take-away counters have sprung up like mushrooms in recent years. While coffee drinking used to be popular only among adults, nowadays more and more young people are also drinking a cup of coffee with all kinds of syrups, toppings, and other specialities. But how good is coffee drinking really for our health? We discuss it in this blog.
The effect of a cup of coffee
Coffee drinkers often say that the first cup of coffee of the day is their favourite. Many people see coffee as a boost for the brain to really get into action. Without coffee, they say they don't even function properly. What is this due to?
The most important substance in coffee is caffeine, a stimulant found naturally in coffee beans, tea leaves, cocoa beans, and other plants. It affects the central nervous system and has various effects on the body.
The stimulating effect of caffeine usually begins within 15 to 45 minutes after consumption and can last for several hours, depending on factors such as individual sensitivity to caffeine and the amount consumed.
What does caffeine do in the body?
Caffeine can stimulate the activity of the sympathetic nervous system, releasing adrenaline, which leads to an increase in heart rate and blood pressure. This gives a feeling of alertness and a temporary burst of energy. This is why many people drink coffee to stay awake and perk up. Due to the release of adrenaline and the resulting increase in heart rate, performance can improve during sports or other physical exertions. That's why caffeine is often added to energy and sports drinks.
In addition, caffeine has even more effects on the body. Caffeine can boost metabolism, stimulating the breakdown of fat cells to be used as an energy source.
Finally, caffeine can temporarily improve feelings of well-being and mood, making some people feel happier after consuming it.
Sleepless nights after a cup of coffee
The half-life of coffee is about 5 hours. This means that five hours after drinking a cup of coffee, the amount of caffeine in the blood is still half the amount of caffeine from your cup of coffee.
Not everyone breaks down caffeine equally quickly and effectively; this is related to the enzyme CYP1A2. This enzyme is responsible for 95 percent of your caffeine metabolism. Genetic variants of this enzyme have a significant influence on the functioning of CYP1A2 and thus determine your rate of caffeine breakdown. People with one or two unfavourable copies of the CYP1A2 gene metabolise caffeine much slower and therefore feel a greater and, above all, longer effect from coffee.
This explains why one person can calmly drink coffee late in the day and sleep perfectly, while another lies in bed bouncing off the walls, staring at the ceiling for half the night.
The disadvantages of coffee
If you drink too much coffee in a day, you may experience symptoms such as:
- Restlessness
- Rapid heart rate or palpitations
- Anxiety
- Headache
- Irritation
- Tremors or shaking
- Difficulty falling or staying asleep
In individuals who also have a different function of the Cyp1A2 enzyme, an increased blood pressure also regularly occurs in addition to these symptoms.
Does everyone experience the aforementioned disadvantages of drinking coffee? No. This depends on how well and quickly someone can metabolise coffee and how much coffee someone has drunk.
Coffee drinking & stress
Do you regularly experience one (or more) of the following complaints?
- Palpitations
- Restless mind
- Anxiety and stress
- Chest tightness
- Feeling agitated
Caffeine stimulates the production of the stress hormone cortisol, especially when drunk on an empty stomach. Many people like to start their day with a nice cup of coffee, but we still advise against doing so. When you cut down on coffee, you can achieve great results: more calmness, fewer stress symptoms, and less feeling agitated.
A good and tasty alternative to coffee is, for example, cocoa. You can make a chocolate drink from it or a hot chocolate with (plant-based) milk. Charlotte Labee Supplements has a Cacao Mix with an added mushroom blend, maca extract, Brazilian ginseng and more!
