Coffee is a stimulant which tricks your body and brain into thinking it is on top of its game by blocking adenosine (a neurotransmitter than makes us tired), increasing adrenaline production and delaying dopamine reabsorption. It also raises cortisol levels, blood pressure and heart rate. The WHO also confirms that drinking coffee that is very hot (70 degrees celsius and above) can cause aesophageal cancer. But if we avoid coffee that is too hot, will it do us good or bad?
The answer: it is good for some, but not so good for others. If you are genetically a slow metabolizer of caffeine, then your adrenaline levels will spike, and you have a greater risk of heart diseases, the more you drink coffee. If you are a fast metabolizer of caffeine, the health risk actually decrease when you drink more coffee.
Let the science speak about the pros and cons.
- Article on the attitudes towards coffee since the 19th century (The Atlantic)
- The World Health Organization announces that drinking coffee may prevent cancer.
- Series of videos and articles on coffee - Nutritionfacts.org
- Benefits of coffee on our health - Business Insider
- Coffee raises cholesterol, but using a filter diminishes that effect - Nutritionfacts.org
- Coffee raises adrenaline, heart rate and blood pressure - NCBI
- Coffee enhances physical performance - meta-analysis by BJSM
- Slow metabolisers should avoid coffee - Nutritionfacts.org
- The CYP1A2*1C allele makes you a slow metaboliser - SNPedia
- Can Olympic athletes have caffeine - National Coffee
- Pure caffeine powder is potentially lethal - Sydney Morning Herald
