You drink an average of 148 liters of coffee per year. Did you perhaps think that those five cups a day are not healthy? Then we now have good news for you.
The Dutch are real coffee lovers. With an annual average of 148 liters of coffee per person, we are in the top ten coffee-drinking countries in Europe. Only Scandinavians, Austrians and Swiss drink even more. Almost all Dutch over-50s (except 2 percent) drink ‘a cup of coffee’ every day, on average five times.
Chances are you are reading this while enjoying a cup of coffee. But what do you actually get with that? Many. Numerous studies have shown that there are more than eight hundred different substances in coffee, which together determine the taste and smell. A number of these substances are known to affect the body and mind. We list the most important ones.
1. Caffeine: Boosts You
Caffeine is the most active ingredient in coffee. It is rapidly absorbed into your blood. As soon as three to four minutes after you swallow the coffee, half the caffeine is in your bloodstream. At least if you drink it black, because milk and sugar slow down the absorption.
Still, it takes two and a half hours for the boosting effect of caffeine to reach its peak. Caffeine has a stimulating effect on your brain. It dispels fatigue and improves responsiveness (and memory a bit too). The gastrointestinal tract also reacts to caffeine. Many people swear by a cup of coffee on an empty stomach for a good bowel movement.
Too much ‘pep’ can cause problems with falling asleep, restlessness, tremors, dizziness, ringing in the ears and even heart palpitations. From what amount this occurs varies from person to person. For someone who is very sensitive to caffeine, one cup of coffee late at night can make it difficult to fall asleep.
2. Kahweol & cafestol minimal effect on cholesterol
Coffee beans shine. That’s because they contain a little oil. This oil contains the fat-soluble substances kahweol and cafestol. These substances can slightly raise cholesterol levels. Kahweol and cafestol remain on the filter or in the coffee pod; only with unfiltered coffee do they end up in the coffee itself.
Unfiltered coffee is, for example, coffee made in a cafetiere or percolator, or boiled coffee as is customary in Greece, Turkey and Scandinavia. A little kahweol and cafestol also ends up in the coffee when making espresso and at certain coffee machines (‘fresh brew’).
The cholesterol-raising effect is only small. Are you an espresso lover and want to switch to filter coffee because of your cholesterol level? With a daily consumption of five cups, your cholesterol levels are then expected to drop by only 2 percent.
3. Antioxidants: Protect Against Disease
Amazingly, coffee is a great source of antioxidants, even greater than tea. Antioxidants protect the body against free radicals that damage cells in the body and can cause disease.
The substances caffeic acid and chlorogenic acid, which occur in coffee, belong to the polyphenols, a large group of antioxidants. These substances help protect the body’s cells against the harmful effects of smoking, sunlight and aging.
4. Minerals and vitamin B3: to stay vital
Did you know that drinking coffee also provides you with various minerals and vitamin B3? TNO has analyzed how much a daily portion of five cups of coffee contributes to the recommended daily allowance (RDA):
- Potassium: 26 percent of the RDA (beneficial for blood pressure)Vi
- tamine B3: 15 percent of the RDA (needed to get energy from food)
- Magnesium: 12 percent of the RDA (good for muscle function)
- Manganese: 10 percent of the RDI (needed to get energy from food)
- Copper: 8 percent of the RDI (for healthy skin)
- Chromium: 6 percent of the RDA (necessary for insulin to work)
5. Dietary fiber: good for bowel movements
It almost sounds too good to be true: coffee beans contain fiber – just like cereals, vegetables and fruit. Some of these end up in brewed coffee. Coffee therefore contains between 0.5 and 0.8 grams of fiber per 100 ml, according to Spanish research. The highest level was measured in instant coffee and the lowest level in filter coffee.
The fiber content is not very high, but with a normal coffee consumption of five cups a day, this amounts to almost 10 percent of the recommended amount of fiber per day (30 to 40 grams). Because nine out of ten Dutch people do not get enough fiber, every little bit is welcome.
Fiber is good for bowel function and bowel movements. Some fibers have a beneficial effect on blood pressure and cholesterol levels, but it is not yet known whether this also applies to the fibers from coffee.
6. Water: maintains moisture levels
There are many healthy substances in the ‘black gold’, but of course a cup of coffee mainly contains water. To be exact: 99 percent. And that is also healthy, because we need 1.5 to 2 liters of fluid daily to maintain the moisture content of our body – we consist of 50 to 60 percent water.
Drinks without calories are preferred: water, coffee and tea without sugar and diet soft drinks. That coffee would be counterproductive because it is diuretic is a persistent myth.
Caffeine from coffee may cause you to urinate earlier, but the amount of urine per day remains the same. Your body therefore no longer loses moisture by drinking coffee.
