·
Is coffee connected to cancer?
When cancer patients
visit Lindsay Malone, RD, at Cleveland Clinic, they often tell her they’ve cut
out coffee because they assume it’s unhealthy. Coffee, however, is on the list
of cancer-fighting foods published by the American Institute for Cancer Research
because of its high antioxidant content. “Cancer starts with DNA damage,” says
Malone. “The antioxidants in coffee protect your cells and keep them healthy.
If you have any DNA damage from, say, secondhand smoke or environmental
pollutants, antioxidants can help repair cell damage.” Various studies have
linked coffee to decreased risk of liver, breast, prostate, and melanoma skin
cancers, among others.
·
Is coffee bad
for my heart?
For most
healthy people, caffeine can cause a short, temporary increase in blood
pressure, but isn’t harmful in the long run. “Avid coffee drinkers can build up
a tolerance to the caffeine and may not experience such effects after a cup,”
says Leigh Tracy, RD, LDN, of Mercy Medical Center. People with high
blood pressure, however, should talk to a doctor to see whether they should
limit caffeine. “Those with high blood pressure should pay particular attention
to how they feel when they drink coffee,” says Jennifer Powell Weddig, RDN, a
professor of nutrition at Metropolitan State University of Denver. “They may
find that their heart rate gets faster or notice palpitations.”
·
Does coffee
raise cholesterol levels?
Cafestol, a
compound in coffee, is a potential stimulator of increased LDL cholesterol.
“The catch is, it’s found in the oily portion of coffee,” says Weddig. “If you
use a paper filter to make your coffee instead of something like a French
Press, you lose that component.” Mesh filters, like those in a French press,
will not eliminate the cafestol. However, if you don’t already have elevated
LDL cholesterol, you likely don’t need to be concerned, says Weddig.
·
6 / 9
Will coffee cure
a hangover?
If you’re
feeling groggy after an eventful night, coffee might help. “If you didn’t get
high-quality sleep, which contributes to a hangover, coffee will stimulate the
central nervous system and improve focus,” says Malone. It doesn’t, however,
clear out the alcohol in your system, so skip the end-of-the-night cup of
coffee. It won’t help you sober up.
·
Does coffee
cause women's breasts to shrink?
A study published in
the British Journal of Cancer found that women who drank three or
more cups of coffee daily had breasts that were 17 percent smaller than those
who drank less coffee. Each additional cup increased effects. Researchers say
too much caffeine can affect hormones, which impacts breast size. Still, it’s
an “all-things-in-moderation” situation. “They will get smaller,” lead
researcher Helena Jernström of Lund University in Sweden told The Telegraph. “But
the breasts aren’t just going to disappear.”
·
Does coffee stunt
growth?
It’s what
your mother told you when you wanted a sip, but there’s no truth to the idea
that coffee or caffeine stunt growth, says Malone. “There is some research that
caffeine can leach calcium from the bones, but older adults seem to be more
susceptible to that than younger populations,” she says. The amount is so
small, however, that slightly increasing milk intake can make up for the loss
in calcium. The calcium-leaching effect of one cup of coffee can be balanced
with two tablespoons of milk.
By Kelsey Kloss
মন্তব্যসমূহ
একটি মন্তব্য পোস্ট করুন