Mind that cup of coffee

Addiction can be of many types. Some get addicted to alcohol and some are addicted to coffee. Favoured by millions of people, coffee is a beverage which is consumed by most of us on a daily basis.

Though drinking coffee makes one feel fresh and energetic, there are many side effects associated with it. The negative effects of coffee are mainly due to caffeine. These effects start appearing gradually.

According to an article published in a Britain daily ‘Daily Express’ a cup of latté coffee every day can add around 4.5 kg to one’s weight annually. Reacting on the report, Pallavi Vaish, a dietician, informs Metrolife about the ill-effects. “Coffee has caffeine which acts as a stimulator for the body. It is all the more harmful for those who are sleep deprived.
Caffeine can also cause cancer. It has an acidic effect which can cause digestion problems too.”

Also, a person on medication should avoid coffee as it interferes with the medicines and hence, the effective result of it on the body. This can cause serious problems as it blocks the medicines from being effective 100 per cent. Also, young children should not be given coffee as it is difficult for them to digest it. Their liver cannot metabolise caffeine and hence, it remains in the body for four to five days. This can lead to sleeplessness and irritability.

We all know that coffee adds calories and hence adds weight. But, still why this addiction to this beverage? “India has a culture of cafés which provide numerous kinds of coffee under one roof. We don’t have many options in tea. Also, these fancy cafes have libraries and air condition led settings. It is a great place for youngsters to hang out,” says Minakshi.

Pregnant women should avoid coffee as much as possible as it might lead to birth defects among children, miscarriage, premature birth and low birth weight, informs Minakshi.
Coffee can also lead to yellowing of the teeth. For those who want to quit, they can try green tea, lemon tea, various vegetable soups without cornflour and preservatives.

Coffee is known to alter blood pressure and heart rate as well. It even leads to frequent urination. It is known to disturb the absorption of essential minerals and nutrients which are required for the functioning of the body. This can cause adverse effects in the body and can lead to diseases which are caused due to the lack of these minerals and vitamin such as A, B and C.

Coffee also creates hassless in absorption of minerals like iron, zinc and calcium in
the body.