Coffee carries a lot of misunderstandings, often drinking coffee to prevent diabetes

Interviewed experts:

Secretary General of Hainan Coffee Association Fu Changming

Professor, Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Peking University

When the first coffee beans were picked, baked, ground, and brewed with mellow and hot coffee, the most romantic invention was spread around the world. According to the statistics of the International Coffee Organization, the world consumes 400 billion cups of coffee a year, and 14,000 cups per second are drunk. In Finland, an average of 1,100 cups of coffee per person per year, and nearly nine adults in the United States start with a cup of coffee. Even in Japan and South Korea, where the oriental tea culture is prevalent, the annual per capita consumption of coffee is about 300 cups. Although there have been many studies on the health of coffee in recent years, the Chinese people's enthusiasm for it has not been high. Every year, only about 5 cups per person are consumed. Many people mention " caffeine " as an enemy. Is coffee beneficial or harmful to health? How to get more health benefits? In the face of many right and wrong about coffee, "Life Times" comprehensive research at home and abroad and interview relevant experts to find the answer for you.

Why is coffee controversial?

Many people think that drinking coffee is a kind of "enjoyment" of sin. One of the reasons is that coffee contains a lot of caffeine. Drinking too much may lead to discomfort such as increased heart rate, sleep disorder, nausea and vomiting , and high blood pressure, and may also cause poisoning. In this regard, Fu Changming explained that the premise that caffeine can cause harm to the human body is “excessive”. Coffee contains more than 200 substances, in addition to caffeine, as well as protein, fat, niacin, tannic acid, alkaloids, potassium, dietary fiber and other nutrients. Therefore, if you equate coffee and caffeine, you will get coffee. The caffeine content is also closely related to the variety of coffee beans. At present, there are two major coffee tree species in the world, namely Arabica and Robusta coffee beans. The former has the best quality and the widest planting, and the caffeine content is about 1% to 1.7%, nearly twice as low as the latter. Most of the instant coffee sold on the market uses Robusta beans.

Another focus of coffee controversy is "addiction." British studies have found that caffeine is a stimulant for the central nervous system. Drinking coffee often can cause mild dependence on the body. If you don't drink it suddenly, you will have headaches, fatigue, anxiety and inability to concentrate. But these symptoms will disappear in a few days and will not be as addictive as other drugs, and will not cause physical and mental health damage.

Another charge of coffee is called "high calorie", which is actually a mess of instant coffee. "Strictly speaking, instant coffee is basically not coffee, its coffee content is low, and there are more additives. Only 2 grams of coffee powder is used in 17 grams of instant coffee. The worst coffee beans are used for instant coffee, the cost is very low, the industry is very Drink less." Fu Changming said. The reporter looked at the ingredient list of a brand of instant coffee and found that there were non-dairy creamers, fats and carbohydrates, while the non-fat fatty acid contained in the non-dairy creamer was not good for health.

Others believe that coffee is the chief culprit in bone loss. However, Professor Hu Dayi, a famous cardiovascular expert in China, and a former World Heart Alliance president Mario Marao and other experts have written a book "101 Reasons for Coffee Innocent", which is a counter-offer for coffee. The human body contains about 1100 grams of calcium, 99% of which is deposited in bones and teeth, so there is no reduction in bone calcium due to coffee diuresis. But the coffee is causing many wrong things. One thing to note is that coffee can cause sleep disorders. The study found that the stimulation of caffeine lasted for 6 hours, and afternoon drinking also affected the quality of sleep at night.

Pure coffee has many health benefits

“We usually refer to coffee as pure coffee, which is coffee without adding any other substances.” Fu Changming said that it has low calorie and contains a variety of nutrients. Drinking in moderation is good for health.

Reduce the risk of cancer. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology found that drinking coffee every day reduced the risk of developing primary liver cancer , the most common type of liver cancer, by 40%. There are also studies that often drinking coffee can reduce the risk of ovarian cancer in women.

Enhance memory. Dr. Jacklin London, senior dietitian at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, USA, said that proper caffeine intake is good for both short-term and long-term memory and helps prevent cognitive decline.

Protect the cardiovascular system. After studying 25,000 subjects, Korean researchers found that people who drank 3-5 cups (about 200 ml per cup) of coffee a day had a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. The National Cancer Research Center of Japan said that people who drank 1 cup of coffee a day had a lower risk of death from stroke than those who did not.

Prevent diabetes . A study conducted by Harvard University for 126,000 people showed that people who drink coffee often have a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Helps to live longer. According to academic papers published by professors of pediatrics at Indiana University of Medicine, the death rate of people who insist on drinking coffee is lower than that of ordinary people. Fu Changming also said that Chengmai County, the hometown of longevity in Hainan, is rich in coffee. The average life expectancy is 77.79 years old, which is 6.59 years longer than the national average life expectancy. The long-lived old people here have the habit of drinking pure coffee.

In addition, Dr. Frank Hu, a professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health in the United States, also found that drinking coffee can reduce the risk of fatty liver, reduce the risk of suicide by 50%, and promote digestion. And prevent constipation and other effects.

Enjoy healthy coffee time

The health benefits of coffee can only be more effective if they are properly consumed. Do the following to get healthy coffee.

Choose pure coffee. If you are making it at home, you can buy coffee beans, or buy coffee powder directly, then brew with hot water. Fu Changming pointed out that 1 gram of coffee powder is the best brewing ratio for 15 ml or 18 ml of water. Those who are not used to drinking pure coffee can put less coffee and put more water to gradually adapt. If it is difficult to adapt, Ma Guansheng suggests that you can add a little sugar or fresh milk, but don't add creamer to avoid offsetting the original benefits of coffee. Hanging ear coffee is also a good choice. Capsule coffee is also popular nowadays. It is made by grinding coffee beans into special capsules and can be directly put into hot water for brewing. It is as simple as a tea bag. Because it saves time, it is also called “office. coffee". Fu Changming said that this is a trend in the future. If you are drinking coffee in a cafe, it is best to choose American coffee without creamer and sugar.

Do not exceed 3 cups a day. People's tolerance to coffee varies from person to person. The American Dietary Guidelines for the study of caffeine concluded that healthy people drink 3 to 5 cups of coffee a day as part of a healthy diet. Many domestic experts suggest that it is best not to exceed 3 cups a day (about 200 ml per cup).

Morning is the best time. American neuroscientists calculate the best time to drink coffee every day from 9:30 to 11:30. This is due to the interaction of caffeine with an important hormone, cortisol, in the human body, which is optimal during this time. Need to be reminded that it is best not to drink coffee on an empty stomach; do not drink after dinner, so as not to affect the quality of sleep.

Special people should pay attention. A number of British and American studies say that pregnant women should reduce the amount of coffee intake, do not exceed 2 cups per day; high blood pressure patients should pay attention to coffee time, try not to get up in the morning to drink coffee, to avoid rapid rise in blood pressure.