All About Coffee
Coffee is a dark, slightly acidic brewed beverage prepared from roasted beans from a plant belonging to the genus Coffea and produces a stimulating effect in humans.
Coffee is a drink that’s famous all around the world, but it was first discovered in Ahmed-al-Ghaffar in Yemen. This drink is served hot, with coffee cake, donuts, or another dessert.
The most common type of beans grown and used to brew coffee is C. Arabica and C. Robusta, traditionally cultivated by planting around twenty seeds in a hole at the start of the rainy season. There are side effects of coffee along with its benefits due to the presence of caffeine in it.
Coffee beans undergo several processes before becoming recognizable roasted coffee. The high demand in coffee production led to the introduction of instant coffee for consumers’ convenience. Black coffee is the healthiest form of coffee to drink.
Coffee is a rich source of magnesium, vitamin B12, and caffeine. Coffee brewed more than once leads to a bitter taste. Coffee’s an intricate mixture of chemicals.
Without any further due, let's check out the list of the side effects of coffee.
1. Anxiety
The first one on the list of side effects of coffee is Anxiety.
Anxiety is a normal emotion one mainly experiences in a stressful environment. Caffeine is known to increase one’s alertness about their surroundings. It works by blocking adenosine and releasing adrenaline hormones at the same time.
Caffeine-induced anxiety disorder is one of the four caffeine-related symptoms listed in the DSM. A high dose intake of coffee is known to increase nervousness and jittery feeling in people. A moderate dose of coffee increases one’s heartbeat and breathlessness.
2. Insomnia
Next on the list of the side effects of coffee is Insomnia!
Insomnia is a sleep disorder in which one isn’t able to sleep or maintain a healthy amount of sleep required by the body to function properly. The biggest advantage of drinking coffee is its ability to keep a person fresh and help them stay awake., but anything in excess isn’t good for one.
A higher caffeine intake increases the time one takes to sleep and decreases total sleep timing. Students often suffer from insomnia as they overdo their caffeine intake during exams and pre-workout.
3. Addiction
Addiction to anything is harmful but caffeine is one of the worst side effects of coffee.
Coffee addiction is harmful, as excessive consumption of caffeine over time affects the health and social life of an individual.
Caffeine addiction is much more difficult to overcome as compared to other forms of addiction as it releases chemicals similar to cocaine and amphetamines. The frequency of caffeine intake plays a role in individuals’ dependency on it. This kind of dependency takes place quickly.
4. Fatigue
Next on the list of the side effects of coffee is fatigue.
Fatigue’s a feeling of overall tirelessness and lack of energy. Drinking coffee won’t lead one to experience fatigue but over time it’ll happen. Consumption of coffee on empty stomach leads to acid reflux in individuals.
Caffeine is known to boost the energy system of an individual but it can cause the opposite effect by leading to rebound fatigue once caffeine leaves one’s body. One can prevent rebound fatigue by drinking coffee throughout the day, but that’ll lead to problems in one’s sleep cycle.
5. Acne
Acne is the side effect of coffee on our list.
Acne’s a skin condition that occurs when one’s hair follicle gets plugged with oil and dead skin that later causes the rise of blackheads, whiteheads, and red bumpy skin.
Caffeine doesn’t cause acne but makes it a lot worse. Caffeine makes an individual alert about their surroundings and increases their stress level. The release of stress hormones like cortisol takes place which leads to the release of oil by sebaceous glands making one prone to acne and breakout.
6. Weight Gain
Coffee is known to be used as a pre-workout by a lot of people as it helps in boosting an individual’s metabolism that promotes weight loss.
The weight gain that takes place by drinking coffee is due to the additional things like sugar syrup, sugar cubes, whipped cream, etc. that one likes to add to it.
7. Osteoporosis
Our next side effect of coffee is harmful and shouldn't be taken lightly.
Osteoporosis is a bone-related disorder that causes one’s bone to become weak and brittle. Drinking coffee leads to an increase in urinary excretion that leads to the removal of calcium from individuals’ body that in turn causes osteoporosis.
Caffeine also prevents the bone from absorbing calcium thus making bones weak and prone to fracturing.
8. Fertility issues
This side effect of coffee is often observed these days.
Caffeine in excess prevents conception if one’s trying for a baby and in worse cases, it leads to a miscarriage. Women who drink coffee seem to take longer to conceive and have a miscarriage or low birth weight than one’s not drinking.
Caffeine in men affects the quality of sperm whereas for women it affects their ability to conceive.
9. Glaucoma
Glaucoma is an eye condition that damages the optic nerve, it’s the leading cause of blindness. Caffeine is responsible for an increase in pressure inside the eyes within thirty minutes and lasts till ninety minutes after coffee consumption. It is one of the dangerous side effects of coffee.
Glaucoma develops when fluid builds up in the front part of the eyes and increases pressure on optic nerves thus making coffee a leading cause of the increase in the number of individuals suffering from glaucoma.
10. Digestive Disorders
Coffee in excess due to the presence of caffeine causes irritable bowel moment, diarrhea, constipation, and other digestive disorder. This side effect of coffee is very common these days.
Coffee seems to help in peristalsis by causing movement in colon muscles, thus it can prove to be useful at times in moderate quantity. Consumption of caffeine release acid that causes heartburn symptoms and causes an upset stomach.
11. Increase In Heartbeat
The stimulatory effect of caffeine causes an increase in a heartbeat, which leads to atrial fibrillation [ a type of irregular heartbeat], mainly caused by youngsters drinking coffee in excess.
Caffeine has stimulant properties, responsible for an increase in fight and flight hormones. This effect varies from person to person depending on age, gender, and genetics.
Though helpful for a few people yet this will be considered a side effect of coffee.
12. Collagen Inhibition
Collagen’s the main structural protein in the extracellular matrix, in different connective tissue responsible for stretchy and bright skin.
Caffeine inhibits collagen production and biosynthesis thus affecting the brightness and wound healing ability of one’s skin. Once there’s a drop in collagen level individual’s skin starts to sag, and wrinkles appear.
13. Urination Urgency
The caffeine in coffee has a direct effect on the bladder’s smooth muscles. Coffee irritates the muscles of the bladder leading to an involuntary contraction of muscles, thus igniting the feeling of urgency for urination.
This only happens if one’s intake of coffee is high. It also increases an individual’s frequency to urinate and is another problematic side effect of coffee.
14. Hallucinations
Cortisol is a hormone-regulated by caffeine in the human body. In a high-stress environment, the cortisol level increases in the body, thus leading an individual to have hallucinations [ things heard and seen that don’t exist in reality].
A higher amount of coffee intake combined with stress leads an individual to have a psychotic breakdown like hallucinations and delusional behavior.
15. Muscle Breakdown
Caffeine blocks skeletal muscle anabolic signaling through AMP thus mediating the process of the rapamycin signaling pathway that in turn negatively affects muscle growth and protein synthesis.
Rhabdomyolysis is a fatal condition in which damaged muscle enters the bloodstream leading to kidney failure. Caffeine plays an important role in causing rhabdomyolysis in an individual if its intake is high.
16. High Blood Pressure
This comes handy for the people dealing with low BP issue but is a side effect of coffee for the mass.
Caffeine due to its stimulatory effect on the nervous system is responsible for an increase in an individual’s blood pressure.
The release of adrenaline due to high coffee intake is responsible for an increase in blood pressure that causes a stroke or heart attack as it damages the arteries over time by not allowing them to widen. The caffeine effect on blood pressure is temporary yet effective.
17. Menstrual Cramps
Next on our list of the side effects of coffee is a very common issue faced by the women.
Coffee makes menstrual cramps worse as caffeine blocks a hormone that makes blood vessels smaller thus slowing down the blood flow in the uterus.
Coffee also makes one bloat and have inflammation in the stomach thus making menstruation a lot worse. Drinking coffee causes high-intensity pain but this pain also depends on one’s genetics and caffeine tolerance.
18. Breast Cyst
Women are observed to have a lot of side effects of coffee.
Research has led to the conclusion that the presence of caffeine in coffee causes the formation of cysts in the breast as it causes hormonal imbalance.
Caffeine doesn’t directly play a role in the formation of a cyst. Breast tissue density in each individual is responsible for the effect of caffeine on one. Caffeine worsens the pain tolerance in one’s breasts as it makes them tender and prone to hurting.
19. Ovarian Cyst
Another side effect of coffee observed by females.
Caffeine reduces the activity of the fallopian tube responsible for carrying the ovum to the uterus.
There isn’t any evidence about caffeine being responsible for causing ovarian cysts as such but if ones suffering from it, it’s generally advised to avoid intake of coffee on daily basis. Coffee may be responsible for inhibiting tumor suppressant mechanisms due to mutations in the DNA of an individual.
20. Allergy
This side effect of coffee is rare and not seen very often.
Caffeine allergies aren’t as common as some of the other allergies like a nut, seafood, gluten, etc. Individuals suffering from caffeine allergy metabolize caffeine slowly. It develops when one’s immune system perceives caffeine as a harmful invader.
The immune system produces antibodies that travel to one’s cell thus causing an allergic reaction and symptoms like hives, rashes, etc.
21. Bleeding Disorders
Caffeine is a type of blood thinner as it reduces blood clotting. Caffeine doesn’t cause bleeding disorders but aggravates it if ones suffering from it. One suffering from any kind of bleeding disorder should avoid coffee.
Drinking coffee along with medicines causes a slowing in blood clotting thus making one prone to bruising and bleeding.
22. Headache
Caffeine is responsible for the narrowing of blood vessels thus if one stops drinking coffee the blood vessels enlarge thus causing an increase in blood flow around the brain ending in a headache.
23. Dizziness
Dizziness is a feeling of light-headedness and a loss of balance. Consumption of caffeine often leads to a feeling of dizziness and migraine. This is a side effect that an individual suffering from caffeine sensitivity experiences.
24. Interference In Estrogen Levels
Caffeine is responsible for interference in estrogen production in women and yet another side effect of coffee for the females. It can either increase or decrease the level of estrogen depending on the ethnicity and genetics of the women. This also depends on the type of coffee and how it is been drunk.
25. Miscarriage
The last one on our list of the side effects of coffee is a disaster, both emotionally and physically.
Caffeine intake in excess often leads to women miscarrying their baby or the birth of a baby with low birth weight. Mothers drinking more than 200gm of coffee in a day risk losing their baby in a miscarriage.
This brings us to the end of our list of the side effects of coffee.
A cup of coffee in moderation doesn't cause any harm just like any other edible or drinkable stuff. It has a lot of benefits if taken in moderation.
It becomes harmful once it becomes someone's addiction and its intake increases significantly thus leading to hormone imbalance. However, any of these side effects of coffee should not be taken lightly.
Hope you guys are safe and not going through any of the side effects of coffee. So share your coffee experiences in the comment box below.