TRUTHS AND MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT COFFEE / How accurate are the three most widespread theories about a favorite beverage?

Coffee is many people's favorite morning stimulant and pleasure for the rest of the day. Studies have been suggesting for some time that coffee is good for health, even though it used to have a bad reputation. 

“Coffee isn’t unhealthy,” says German nutritionist Anna Floegel, who has studied dozens of studies on the popular beverage. 

“Moderate consumption is associated with a generally reduced risk of developing a disease,” Floegel points out. 

The scientist researched several long-term studies involving tens of thousands of people. They were asked questions about life habits and the diseases they suffer from were recorded. 

Coffee drinkers live longer

Coffee lovers can be especially pleased with one of the results. “Those who drink coffee live longer, no matter where they live,” she said. But coffee has long had a poor health reputation. Why?

Because of the wrong approach to research, Floegel claims. Too little attention has been paid to the key thing that often ‘goes along’ with coffee - smoking. 

The fact is that smokers drink more coffee and that smoking-related diseases have been unfairly attributed to coffee in the past. 

Recent studies have shown that coffee has a certain preventive effect on liver and bladder cancer, and the same is true for type 2 diabetes. 

Nor is the risk of developing high blood pressure associated with coffee consumption, Floegel points out. 

So, the general rule is - coffee can be drunk without remorse and benefits health. It remains to be seen how coffee affects the body. These are the three most common theories: 

First: Coffee causes dehydration 

Incorrectly. “Coffee is a natural diuretic, but it can be added to the amount of fluid you consume per day, like water,” Floegel says. 

It is generally recommended to consume 1.5 to two liters of fluid per day.

Second: The more coffee you drink, the harder it will be to fall asleep 

Incorrect. How quickly caffeine is metabolized depends on the person, Floegel explains. 

"Someone can have half a cup and it'll be enough to turn night into day, and someone else can drink four of them and sleep like a baby." 

And there is the question of the body's habit of this drink. If you drink a lot of coffee regularly, one cup does not have a stronger effect on sleep. 

Third: Coffee affects digestion

That's right. For many, it is part of the morning routine. A cup of coffee to start the day and go to the toilet. This can mainly be attributed to caffeine, Floegel says because it has a stimulating effect on metabolism.

But even that is not a general rule. The extent to which coffee stimulates the digestive system is individual and again depends on the individual's organism.  

By: Olivia J. - Gossip Whispers