A cup of coffee?

The number of fans of this invigorating drink exceeds 3 billion people. And probably, there would have been even more if coffee had not been so controversial.

As much has been written about the benefits of coffee as there are about its dangers. About magic - no less than about demonism. And the debate about who our coffee is - an enemy or a good friend, is it worth drinking it or better not, the end-edge is not visible. It seems that scientists will discuss forever: you just look at the results of recent studies.
1. Coffee makes you feel better than chocolate. So, if the day has not set, drink a cup of an invigorating drink - with the same effect, save a bunch of calories. But note: decaffeinated coffee will not help.
2. Do not drink fatty coffee foods. Marie-Soleil Baudouin from the University of Gelf (Canada) found that this combination leads to a sharp increase in blood sugar, in a healthy person this indicator reaches the value of the risk group for diabetes.
3. An evening cup of coffee selects an hour of night sleep. A new study confirmed: coffee drunk a few hours before the end of a call can indeed reduce sleep time by an hour. Or make it more hectic.
4. Three cups of coffee a day prolong the lives of older people by 10% - this conclusion was reached by scientists after 12 years of monitoring the state of health of 400,000 pensioners. The results, published in the New England Journal of Medicine (New England Journal of Medical), indicate that a fragrant drink, if you drink it regularly, improves the condition of the cardiovascular system, brain,respiratory tract and many other organs. In addition, coffee lovers are less prone to injuries, diabetes and infections.
5. Coffee and caffeinated products negatively affect female breast size. Scientists came to this unexpected conclusion after observing 300 women. For those who drank more than three cups of coffee a day, their breast volume decreased by almost 18% of their original size. And the mutating gene is to blame for this, which, when interacting with caffeine, changes the size of the bust. This gene is found in 50% of women.
6. In a stressful situation, coffee helps women, but men, on the contrary, interfere. During the experiment, the fair sex, who drank an invigorating drink, was 100 seconds faster at puzzles and memory tests than those who were not offered coffee. But men who drank coffee, on the contrary, pondered their decisions 20 seconds longer and memorized information much worse.
7. With this drink you can manipulate people. Scientists of the Australian University invited 140 volunteers for a discussion about important social issues. Half drank coffee during the discussion, while others drank tea or drinks altogether. After the second cup of coffee, the subjects, having heard the opponent’s counterarguments, refused their opinion! Those who drank other drinks stood their ground. As experts explain, large doses of caffeine cause a feeling of euphoria. Together with adrenaline, it makes it difficult to concentrate and maintain confrontation.
Know the measure
■ After which cup of coffee from an ally turns into an enemy? Doctors say individual caffeine susceptibility matters.Some people can drink two or three cups in a row and not feel any effect, others only have one to stay up all night. You must also take into account the type of coffee that you drink: in arabica coffee from 0.8 to 1.5–2% caffeine, in robusta - from 1.5 to 2-3%. And of course, brewing strength matters. Can Turkish coffee be compared to regular, diluted milk?
■ To avoid overdose, experts advise drinking strong coffee with water. Or seize a banana. The mechanism is as follows: with an excess of caffeine, the potassium-calcium balance is disturbed, which can lead to muscle pain and cramps. Banana is just a great source of potassium. And if you take a glass of milk or a piece of cheese as an additional medicine, then the calcium level will easily recover.
Coffee Rules
■ Coffee and most dishes are not compatible. They degrade the taste and properties of each other. Coffee inhibits the absorption of nutrients from other products, in particular iron. And he, in turn, loses invigorating properties. There is no habit more vicious than drinking coffee with cakes.
■ Coffee can be used as a daily snack and as a remedy that fights appetite for 2-3 hours. Sugar is not needed, milk is acceptable.
■ Drink coffee slowly, in small sips, enjoying its taste and aroma.
And the smell ...
To make the coffee aromatic, the grains are dried, washed, and then 36 hours are kept in a special solution or roasted.
You can fry in different ways:
■ slightly, in a Scandinavian way: a drink brewed from such grains is soft and goes well with milk and cream;
■ to a dark brown color, in French or Italian: this coffee has a bitter taste, it is stronger than all others;
■ Espresso, that is, almost to a black color. Ground grains are quickly brewed, and the drink has a very bright, rich taste.
Note: if you think that instant coffee is weaker than ground coffee, then you are mistaken. There is no less caffeine in it.
The article was published on the basis of the journal "Good advice" 5/2014
Text: Marina Davydova. Photo: Legion-Media
Material prepared by Julia Dekanova