When you were a kid, you probably hated coffee like me.
But now as an adult and parent, you know that it's different.
Just the aroma and smell of freshly brewed coffee, plus the creamer and sugar added and you knew that it's probably one of the best ways to kick start your day.
Today I'd like to share what I've learned after doing tons of research about one of the world's most favorite beverage: COFFEE, the second most traded commodity after oil.
These are the harmful negative and side effects of coffee as reported in research and studies. I hope you enjoy and learn a lot from this article.
I've created this article because this is one of the biggest struggles of people who would like to improve their health. A lot of people have been “addicted” to coffee, myself included. And while occasional coffee drinking is not bad, drinking too much in day can actually be detrimental to your health.
I promise that you'll learn a lot more about coffees in this article and if you have any questions please don't hesitate to leave a comment below this article or contact me.
The 15 Harmful, Bad Negative and Side Effects of Coffee
Coffee lover? We'll see how coffee can affect your life negatively.
#1 Coffee can cause anxiety, nervousness and restlessnes
Caffeine is highly present in coffee.
And because caffeine is a central nervous stimulant, it can cause anxiety, nervousness and restlessness in a person especially in large amounts.
Caffeine has both positive and negative effects and it varies per individual.
If you have been experiencing anxiety and nervousness lately, it's important that you talk with your Healthcare provider before you take coffee as this can exacerbate your particular situation.
#2 Coffee stimulates the release of HCL (Hydrochloric Acid)
First, what is HCL? Hydrochloric acid is type of strong acid released in our stomach that aids in stomach digestion. It helps breakdown foods into simpler nutrients.
But HCL is only released by the gastric glands by our parietal cells (also known as Oxyntic cells) during presence of food. When food is present in our stomach, certain hormones and receptors triggers the release of HCL to meet with the food.
But research shows that coffee stimulates the production of HCL as well. It seems that roasted products are responsible for the gastrin-release of coffee.
#3 Coffee can cause heartburn problems
This is already given and is related to the 2nd negative effect.
When HCL is released in our stomach and there's little to no food to digest, it can cause contraction and pain in our upper abdomen.
Medically, heartburn is called Dyspepsia, and while it's not usually a major cause of concern, chronic or prolonged dyspepsia would probably need medical attention.
#4 Coffee can exacerbate ulcers
While there are many causes or reasons for developing ulcers, it's important to avoid coffee especially when you already have ulcers. Ulcer is a medical condition that signifies damage to your gastrointestinal tract.
HCL can cause increased stomach pain for patients with ulcer because the acidity irritates the ulcerations.
#5 Coffee as a laxative
If you don't know what laxatives are, they are used to help with your bowel movements. Laxatives is also known as a stool softener. Research shows that 3/10 people who drink coffee suffers from increased bowel movements when drinking coffee.
Research shows that the cause of this is because of increased peristaltic movements in the distal portion of the large intestine.
What causes the stimulation of the distal portion of the large intestine is still unknown. Some studies suggest that it could be because of increased acid secretion.
Watch this video and discover why does coffee make you poop:
#6 Caffeine is not safe for Pregnant or Breast-Feeding Mothers
If you are pregnant or breast-feeding is generally not safe to drink coffee because it contains caffeine. While some pregnant women can still enjoy a cup of coffee anything more than one cup can be harmful to you and your baby.
Don't worry, there are tons of coffee alternatives out there. Juicing and blending is actually a great alternative. You might experience some withdrawal symptoms when trying to wane coffee but this is completely normal and is part of the process.
Watch this video to find out if it's okay to drink coffee?
#7 Coffee can trigger loss of calcium
Coffee has an inhibiting effect on the release of anti-diuretic hormone from the pituitary gland. ADH or the antidiuretic hormone stimulates the production and release of Aquaporins in our kidneys which in turn increases the reabsorption of water back to our bodies.
But since coffee inhibits the release of ADH, it has a diuretic effect which causes us to secrete urine more. And the secretion of urine can also trigger loss of calcium. Low calcium levels has been shown to be related with the development of Osteoporosis.
Watch this video on why do we PEE more when we drink coffee?
#8 Coffee increases eye pressure
Coffee can increase your eye pressure and it is something that's dangerous for people with Glaucoma.
The increased in eye pressure from coffee can be related to increase blood pressure, which is another side and negative effect of coffee.
#10 Coffee can increase flare ups
For those who are suffering gout, you just know how painful and difficult it is to deal with those gout flare ups. Those gout attacks can really be delibitating and painful.
Coffee can trigger those attacks but there are also some research and evidence that it could help avoid joint pain.
According to Elinor Mody, MD, there might be some theory on some coffee component, particularly chlorogenic acid that might be associated with lower incidence of gout.
#11 Homocysteine
Increased homocysteine levels in the blood stream is a risk factor for Cardiovascular (CVD) or Heart disease.
Caffeine has been found out to be partially responsible for increasing homocysteine levels, but Coffee can affect the metabolism of homocysteine after several hours of intake.
#12 Coffee can increase sugar intake
Do you drink your coffee black? I usually don't. And most people don't either.
We love to add sugar, flavor, creamer and high-fat content milk in our coffee. And this increases our intake of sugar too. And high increased intake of sugar can be a risk factor for the development of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and other metabolic diseases.
#13 Coffee contains Acrylamide
Acrylamide is a type of carcinogen that is found when starch is heated or burned. It is virtually found in most foods processed today including roasted coffee.
More research on this subject matter is needed though as almost all foods that contain starch and burned/heated will contain Acrylamide but to a smaller degree.
#14 Can affect iron absorption
Are you anemic? Do you have iron-deficiency issues? Then watch out for coffee consumption. There are numerous studies here and here, that suggests that a cup of coffee can reduce iron absorption by as much as 39%.
Apparently, the Polyphenols or phenolic compounds includes cholorogenic acid which is very high in coffee. These compounds generally prevent the absorption of iron in our diets. There are even certain coffee types that inhibit iron absorption as much as 60%
#15 Stress and Tension
If you've been a “daily” coffee drinker and you've tried to reduce or even stop taking it, you might experience typical “withdrawal symptoms” of coffee which includes stress, headaches, irritability, lethargy, and sleepiness.
There are some research that suggests coffee may indeed be related to stress, anxiety, tension and depression. Interestingly, the effects is also different between genders. The female population seems to be less stressed than the male population.
Conclusion
I've shared out 15 negative and harmful side effects of drinking coffee and it's mostly associated with Caffeine. From here, there are are 3 options you could make:
1. Ignore this information and continue drinking coffee.
2. Make coffee that's a little bit healthier.
3. Remove coffee entirely from your diet. Watch out for “withdrawal symptoms” though.
Did you learn and loved this article? Please share them in your networks.
Infographic on the Health Effects of Caffeine
Ever wondered about the health effects of caffeine in your body? Here's an infographic that I got here and it shows how caffeine can affect your health. (Source)
