Thursday, April 2, 2009

Is Coffee Good Or Bad For You?

If you ever conduct a survey on the topic: “What wakes you up in the morning? What boosts your energy level and makes you feel fresh and activated?” …You will no doubt get this answer: Coffee or tea, both of which have a high level of caffeine, the coffee having a larger amount.

Caffeine is basically a drug which is gathered from tea leaves, kola nuts and coffee beans. It is widely used in medicines, chocolates, and even flavorings. Caffeine is highly addictive which enslaves its addict and increases his reliance on caffeine.

Caffeine addiction is one of the biggest problems in the world today, but people will never admit that they are facing this problem. Caffeine is widely popular because it helps to keep the body more alert, it increases the heart rate of the body, and it also increases the sugar level in the blood.

But caffeine’s negative symptoms are manifold. Regular use of caffeine causes the water level of the body to drop as caffeine is a diuretic causing frequent urination. It also reduces the span of deep sleep and the person becomes so addicted to caffeine that if its level per day is reduced the person will show negative behavior. Frustration, nausea, migraines, fatigue, lack of concentration and muscle pain are some of the symptoms of withdrawing from caffeine.

Caffeine should be avoided by pregnant women as it is known to have negative effects on the unborn child. Caffeine can enter the placenta and the fetus can be negatively affected by its strong effect and it can increase the risk of miscarriage. Caffeine is associated with lower birth weight of the infant and increased pain during labor. Pregnant women should cut out caffeine in their diet totally or confer with their doctor for more consultation.

A person will become more prone to panic attacks and nervousness if his intake of caffeine is three to four cups a day. Adrenaline level also shoots up due to caffeine which causes insomnia. This wakefulness is especially experienced by night shift workers as they cannot catch shut-eye even in the day. Dark circles under the eyes, edginess and jumpy nerves are a few more disadvantages of a high dosage of daily caffeine.

People also acquire cardiac problems and diabetes because of the rise in the heart rate, blood pressure and blood sugar level. Moreover those suffering from gastric problems and stomach acidity should guard themselves and take caution with caffeine as it also causes stomach aches and increases the bowel movements. Bowel disorders are a very common side effect of caffeine.

Caffeine can trigger yearnings for food and thus result in obesity and weight gain. The disadvantages of caffeine seem limitless standing opposite to its advantages. Though coffee can revitalize the body, its effect remains only for four to six hours. Later the body hungers for the instantaneous power. This can induce dependence of caffeine. A healthy life can only be achieved if a person discontinues relying on caffeine for instant vivacity. Reducing caffeine from the daily diet should be accepted as a challenge.

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