People love coffee for many reasons. This is both the habit of stimulating oneself with energy drinks and the lack of certain minerals. Scientists consider caffeine to be a weak alkaloid, to which the body quickly gets used, and upon withdrawal, severe discomfort appears. Many people, adhering to proper nutrition, are ready to give up any food, but not the loyalty to a flavorful drink and the habit of drinking coffee in the morning.
- Where does the habit of constantly drinking coffee come from?
- Why does the need for caffeine appear?
- The effects of coffee on health
- Coffee as a symbol of pleasure
Why is there a need for coffee?
The need for coffee also arises due to the fact that the body lacks minerals. Grains have an antioxidant effect, stimulate the functioning of certain brain structures and contribute to improved well-being. Thanks to coffee drinks, the body is cleansed of toxins.
- Vitamin B3 takes part in the synthesis of good cholesterol, which reduces the risk of atherosclerotic plaques. One freshly brewed cup of coffee contains the daily requirement of potassium.
- The lack of manganese in the body can also be compensated for with a cup of coffee. It plays an important role in maintaining the level of hemoglobin, which transports oxygen throughout the body. If you have a strong desire to drink your favorite drink, there may be a problem in the hematopoietic system.
- Grains contain a lot of proteins and amino acids. These unique substances, which give coffee a bitter taste, make a person want to drink it every day.
Of course, consuming uncontrolled amounts of caffeine is very harmful, since it can cause headaches, anxiety, tremors of the limbs, and heart problems. But in normal doses, caffeine is even beneficial for the body. It is often recommended for people suffering from migraines. Caffeine can also be prescribed in tablet form to pregnant women to normalize blood pressure.
Caffeine provokes anxiety syndrome
Caffeine, as many lovers of caffeinated drinks believe, increases alertness, productivity and reduces drowsiness. However, people who consume large amounts
, more often than others demonstrate
nervousness
and feel
a strong sense of anxiety
, which is a consequence of the stimulating effect of this psychostimulant.
Caffeine controls our feelings of fatigue, giving us the ability to stay alert for a long period of time. This happens because caffeine blocks adenosine.
is a chemical compound produced by our brain. Additionally, caffeine causes our brain to release more adrenaline.
significant doses enter our body
caffeine, all of the above effects will be much more pronounced. This means that our body in this case faces increased nervous excitability and pronounced anxiety.
Speaking of quantitative expression, it is believed that such symptoms will be inevitable if the average person consumes more than a thousand milligrams of caffeine per day. There is also such a thing as sensitivity threshold
to caffeine. And if this particular person has a low threshold, the problems described above can be expected from significantly lower doses of caffeine.
What does the research show?
One study of 25 healthy adult men found that stress levels increased significantly
compared to those who took a placebo.
Moreover, the level of those who consumed caffeine very rarely and those who did it on a regular basis was approximately the same.
This suggests that caffeine affects stress levels, regardless of whether it is consumed regularly or periodically, that is, to develop resistance to this psychostimulant
impossible. Scientists admit that this is only preliminary research, so more material needs to be collected to draw final conclusions.
However, the picture emerges as follows:
The vast majority of people get their caffeine fix every day through drinking coffee. This dose depends on many factors
– on the type of coffee beans, on the method of preparing the drink, and so on. Ultimately, however, it is the amount of coffee you drink that determines whether your dose exceeds or falls short of the recommended limit.
And if increased anxiety, stress and nerves – this is about you
, it is quite possible that coffee makes a
significant contribution
to the development of this condition. Try reducing your daily coffee intake for at least a few days (preferably weeks) to see how much caffeine affects your life.
A moment of history
We have known about coffee since the 9th century, in which, according to one legend, the wonderful properties of the fruits of the coffee tree were discovered by an Ethiopian shepherd. From Africa, the coffee drink spread first to the East and then to Europe.
The invigorating effect of coffee is based on a special purine alkaloid - caffeine.
It can be found not only in coffee beans, but also in tea leaves, mate and some other plants.
It was first isolated in 1819, not from coffee beans, but from tea leaves. They were able to synthesize it 76 years later - in 1895. Formally, caffeine is classified as a psychoactive substance because it affects brain function. But how exactly?
What component of coffee affects and gives this effect (laxative and diuretic)?
Ultimately, the researchers concluded that drinking coffee stimulates the production of the hormone gastrin. It, in turn, stimulates the stomach to produce more gastric juice and increases the motility of the colon. This, in turn, can - for some more, for others to a lesser extent - stimulate intestinal motility and, as a result, make you feel the need to defecate.
Moreover, from the experience of various coffee lovers, it can be noted that different varieties and types of coffee can act in different ways from the point of view of the laxative effect - some more intensely, others practically not at all.
Coffee as a need
Recently, the opinion has become widespread that you want coffee when the body lacks certain minerals or vitamins. We did not find any references to medical studies of this fact anywhere. But it has been proven that coffee beans contain hundreds of components.
- One of the specific components of coffee beans is chlorogenic acid. Only in coffee, and in no other product, is it contained in such large quantities. Together with tannins, chlorogenic acid gives a bitter-tart coffee taste. It is a good antioxidant and cleanses the body. When grain is roasted, the content of chlorogens in it decreases, but they do not disappear without a trace. Perhaps the need for chlorogenic acid is precisely covered by a cup of coffee.
- The grains have a high protein content, up to 20%. A lack of protein can also make you want to drink a good cup of coffee.
- The grains contain about 20 amino acids. Their content is insignificant, but the body needs them in small quantities. If you're craving coffee, you may simply need to replenish your amino acid balance.
Conclusion
The desire to drink a cup of coffee has several sources.
- Habituation of caffeine and other coffee substances that activate certain chemical processes in the brain.
- The body's need for active substances and amino acids contained in coffee beans.
- Search for psychological comfort, positive associations that you want to experience again.
Drinking a cup of coffee is rarely prompted by one reason; most often they act in a complex manner.
How a habit is acquired
Once ingested, caffeine quickly enters the bloodstream. Brain structures, through sensory receptors, begin to produce dopamine, norapinephrine and adenosine. Changing the concentration of these hormones causes an increase in intellectual abilities.
A coffee drink can improve tone, mood, and improve memory. This leads to a sense of well-being. But this effect does not last long, so a person constantly craves coffee. However, if the daily dose exceeds 6 cups, then addiction develops, which is difficult to overcome.
From the point of view of habit development, everything happens differently. The desire to drink coffee all the time is explained by the presence of alkaloids and caffeine in this drink. The habit of caffeine becomes the cause of addiction. In its absence, withdrawal syndrome begins to develop in the body.
If a person realizes that he is developing an addiction, there are several tips to help get rid of it:
- you need to regulate your daily routine and allocate more time for sleep, since coffee is usually needed to cheer you up;
- artificial lighting disrupts the biological clock. Sleep patterns become disrupted, which leads to rapid fatigue, lack of sleep and the inability to concentrate without a cup of coffee. In this case, a fixed bedtime will help, as well as dimming the lights an hour and a half before.
If you decide to overcome addiction
We get used to coffee only after we start drinking large doses of this drink for quite a long time. You won't become a coffee lover if you drink 3-4 cups a day. Doctors consider this dose safe. If you drink more, there is reason to think about it. First, it’s worth determining what exactly you depend on - the aromatic coffee itself or the caffeine it contains. If you stop drinking coffee but increase your intake of tea and chocolate, your body will continue to receive caffeine. It is also found in carbonated sweet drinks, such as Pepsi and Coca-Cola.
For many, a cup of coffee becomes a kind of ritual, a habit developed over the years.
Getting their next dose of caffeine is not as important to them as simply doing some coffee-related activities. They like to grind grains into aromatic powder, pour it into a pot or coffee maker, brew an invigorating drink, and then happily drink a cup or two. This is more of a psychological habit than a truly physiological addiction.
Many people like to drink espresso, Americano or cappuccino at a coffee shop. It’s cozy there, you can sit with friends and have a nice conversation while sipping a fragrant drink. Some drink it for company, at work or on vacation with friends
This is more of a psychological habit than a truly physiological addiction. Many people like to drink espresso, Americano or cappuccino at a coffee shop. It’s cozy there, you can sit with friends and have a nice conversation while sipping a fragrant drink. Some people drink it for company, at work or on vacation with friends.
To successfully get rid of caffeine addiction, you need to understand why you need it.
If you really understand that addiction has appeared and want to get rid of it, it is important to build a competent and effective strategy of behavior. It will consist of the following important steps:
- Drink less drinks and foods that contain caffeine.
- Reduce your coffee consumption by about half.
- You can replace coffee with tea, preferably green.
- Avoid chocolate, carbonated drinks and strong black tea.
- Try replacing coffee with a decaf version. After a month, you can try to give it up too. Replace it with green tea, berry infusions, and herbal infusions.
If you realize that you are addicted not so much to caffeine as to the coffee ritual, then the strategy will be slightly different:
- First, change your usual diet. New eating habits will help you renew the drinks you prefer to drink. Replace coffee with green tea, rosehip infusion or other aromatic drinks. You can choose delicious herbal tea.
- Try to change the coffee shop to a cafe or restaurant.
- You may need to change the company you dine with, for example. Sometimes a change of environment is enough to soon forget about coffee addiction.
Why does coffee make you sleepy?
The invigorating effect of caffeine is replaced by increased drowsiness. For some people, coffee even acts as a sedative. Why?
It's about the same adenosine receptors. While caffeine takes their place, we are alert and focused. But the adenosine produced by the body does not go away. On the contrary: the body is tired, but does not “notice” the effect of adenosine production, which means it produces more and more of it.
Adenosine accumulates and, once caffeine begins to break down and release receptors, it restores the status quo and we begin to feel drowsy.
Due to genetic characteristics, the adenosine receptors of some people are not very sensitive to caffeine at all, so drowsiness does not go away, but, on the contrary, increases
The effects of caffeine are influenced by:
- congenital features;
- some diseases;
- metabolic rate;
- habits;
- physical activity.
Therefore, predicting exactly how caffeine will affect you is very difficult.
The method of taking it also affects how caffeine is absorbed.
Any coffee with milk (latte, cappuccino) reduces the effect of caffeine, and grapefruit juice increases it.
In addition, theobromine, another purine alkaloid, has a hypnotic effect.
It is found in coffee beans and has the opposite effect of caffeine: it slows the heart rate and calms the nervous system.
Interpretation of body signals
The most important fact that everyone without exception should keep in mind: the body asks from you exactly what it is used to receiving from you.
For example, if you are used to eating buns, then this is what your body will require. At the same time, you don’t even know that the body lacks nitrogen, which is also found in meat and nuts. And this will not harm your figure, unlike baked goods.
It is very important to learn to correctly recognize the body’s signals and in the most painless way to compensate for the lack of vitamins and microelements by eating healthy foods. Do you have occasional cravings for certain foods?
Not really
Do you have occasional cravings for certain foods?
Not really
Coffee with milk during pregnancy
Women expecting a baby are sometimes unable to cope with their addiction to coffee and drink it with milk. Coffee with milk for pregnant women is indeed healthier than black coffee, but under one condition: if you drink coffee and milkshakes no more than 1-2 times a month.
The effect of coffee on the body during pregnancy:
- coffee changes hormonal levels. As a result, a woman, whose nervous system is already unstable, experiences anxiety and mood swings;
- coffee impairs the absorption of iron, which leads to anemia and is extremely harmful for the child;
- coffee constricts blood vessels, which impairs the supply of nutrients to the fetus;
- Coffee with milk, just like black coffee, contributes to the leaching of calcium from bone tissue and damage to teeth. Milk does not compensate for calcium deficiency. Coffee is especially dangerous for pregnant women over the age of 30;
- Sometimes coffee provokes nausea and increases toxicosis.
Coffee with milk during breastfeeding (lactation)
The network is full of assurances that you don’t need to give up coffee with milk when breastfeeding. Moreover, the same would-be advisers claim that children under 7 years old should not have coffee under any circumstances. They also do not recommend that nursing mothers eat chocolate, strawberries, cucumbers and oranges, which are a hundred times poorer in allergens than coffee.
The body of a child under 4 months of age does not break down caffeine, but accumulates it. Together with mother's milk, 1–1.5% of caffeine enters the baby's stomach. That is, after every cup of coffee the mother drinks, even with milk, the child receives 0.5–1 mg of caffeine. And this substance stays in the baby’s body for a long time. Is it any wonder that the child does not sleep and is capricious?
Caffeine affects not only the nervous system, but also the composition of the blood: it interferes with the absorption of iron. Let us add that coffee constricts blood vessels, which impairs lactation.
When breastfeeding, drinking coffee is strictly prohibited during the first 4 months of the child's life. If the child is older than 6 months, then the mother can afford 1-2 cups of coffee per month (at least 3 hours before feeding), but you need to be prepared for the baby to be capricious.
You ate a bun - move around
What else can you recommend to bun lovers? Movement! Flour products are carbohydrates that, when broken down, provide energy to the body, so you should not eat any carbohydrates in the evening, especially before bed. If you eat flour in the first half of the day and move actively, or even better, play sports, then by the end of the day you will use up all the energy you received from carbohydrates and its excess will not be stored as fat.
Tradition and invitation to conversation
For many, coffee becomes a symbolic drink. This has been the case since ancient times. And what could be better than a conversation over a cup of cappuccino? When pleasant moments in life are associated with taste and smell, feedback connections arise in the brain. Therefore, the desire to drink your favorite espresso arises when you want to relax and unwind.
Sometimes a person associates taste with loved ones. This occurs due to the associative ability of memory.
For example, you drank espresso with your beloved man on the first date. What thoughts will arise when you smell the aroma of this drink again? That's right, pleasant and positive. And you'll want to drink coffee.
Monitor the amount of flour products you consume (and their calorie content)
Of course, the amount of carbohydrates consumed is also important. Even a small amount of white bread without bran (no more than 2 pieces), which you ate in the first half of the day, will not affect your weight in any way. For those who count calories, it should be noted that the calorie content of 100 g of white bread is about 270 kcal, and rye bread is minimal - 200 kcal. A piece of gray bread made from mixed flour (rye-wheat) weighing 100 grams has a calorie content of approximately 210 kcal. Whole grain bread, although it has a calorie content of 250 kcal per 100 g of product, due to whole grains, has a lower GI and is generally less harmful to the figure.
Symbol of pleasure
Many marketers use the smell of a freshly brewed coffee drink to attract customers. Doctors consider this the best psychological technique that almost always works. People pay attention to a pleasant aroma not only because they want to drink a drink right now. It simply gives the brain a signal, and the person remembers the pleasant moments associated with gatherings over a cup of espresso.
People want coffee not only to lift their mood, but also because many have already developed a ritual of starting every day with at least a small cup of the drink. An Americano or cappuccino is suitable for this.
Despite all this, you need to understand that coffee addiction is very similar to nicotine or alcohol addiction. Sometimes the absence of a cup of coffee at a person’s usual time can lead to a headache, a deterioration in general well-being, and an inability to concentrate. Therefore, it is better to monitor the amount of coffee you drink per day so that this wonderful drink really brings pleasure without any harm to the body.
Recommendations for use
How much coffee to drink is decided individually. If you do not drink enough clean water during the hot season and do not limit yourself to coffee, the effect of the drink can increase several times. For this reason, people with various disorders of the nervous system should carefully monitor the amount of caffeine they consume.
To really perk up after drinking a cup of coffee, you need to give preference to a drink made from ground beans rather than instant. It contains the maximum amount of active substances and alkaloids, which disappear in the processed product.
But it is problematic to say for sure what effect coffee will have on a particular person. This area is still being researched by scientists.
If you want to cheer up, you should limit yourself to consuming substances that stimulate the nervous system. There are ways to feel a surge of energy with health benefits, for example, a contrast shower.
Set a goal
It could be anything - losing weight, the desire to fit into your favorite jeans, improving your health, getting rid of acne on your face, etc. Without desire, motive, and a clear, formed goal, nothing will happen. If you still find it difficult to force yourself, there is another way - keeping a diary. Write down every meal there and leave a comment: did you eat this bun because you were really hungry, or out of idleness, boredom, anxiety? By reviewing your notes, you will be able to understand the real motives for eating, because, as practice shows, we do not always eat because of hunger.
Review your diet
An irresistible craving for flour is often associated with an incorrect diet. Long breaks between breakfast and dinner will prompt you to snack on buns from a nearby coffee shop. An ideal nutritional schedule should be close to the following:
- From 7 to 9 (depending on what time you wake up) – breakfast.
- At 11 we have a light snack - a handful of nuts/yogurt/apple.
- At one o'clock in the afternoon - lunch.
- Around 15 or 16 – light snack again. The ideal option would be chopped vegetables - cucumber, pepper, carrots, celery.
- At 18: dinner.
If you are a night owl and your day starts at 12 noon, stagger your meal times to suit your individual schedule. Remember that if you went to bed around one in the morning, your snack should take place at two in the afternoon, otherwise a breakdown will be guaranteed.
Drink water
The most banal but effective way to lose weight.
You should drink two to three glasses of clean drinking water throughout the day, but you definitely shouldn’t force it into yourself. Every time you feel the need for something sweet or starchy, take a few sips of water and eat an apple slice. You'll see, this will help you cope with your cravings for buns. About the expert:
Anna Ivashkevich is a clinical psychologist-nutritionist, nutritionist, member of the National Association of Clinical Nutrition.
Published on the portal marieclaire.ru
Say no to margarine
In addition to GI, weight gain can be affected by eating flour products with the addition of margarine.
Therefore, it is very important to read the information on the labels about the composition of the bread and its expiration date - in the case of high-quality bread, it cannot exceed three days. If it is larger, preservatives are probably added to such bread. Margarine adds calories to the product. The content of bran, grains and seeds in baked goods saturates it with microelements and vitamins, so this bread is the most healthy and causes a longer feeling of fullness with a smaller volume of consumption due to “slow” carbohydrates. The latter are broken down and absorbed gradually, without causing a sharp increase in the level of glucose and insulin in the blood.
Don't eliminate all flour from your diet at once
Such a “fall into the pool” will not lead to anything good - on the contrary, a breakdown will be even more real.
If you have finally decided to give up flour, remember that you should gradually reduce your consumption of baked goods (and other foods that you have decided to give up - sugar or salt, for example), otherwise you run a very high risk of becoming depressed. Do you like coffee with two spoons of sugar? We reduce their number to one. Do you like to eat a box of cookies in one working day? Reduce to 4-5 pieces. Do you like bread? Get rid of the white, take rye or bran. Every day, reduce your intake of the foods you want to avoid.
Look for alternatives
I would like to separately highlight the breads that people who watch their figure love so much.
You need to be extremely careful with them, because they look small and light, but have a fairly high calorie content. So, a pack of bread is equal in calories to a whole loaf of bread! If you still prefer bread, choose rye and with bran and whole grains. For people who, for medical reasons or other reasons, adhere to a gluten-free diet, there are baked goods made from buckwheat, corn and rice flour. About the expert:
Ulyana Viktorovna Rumyantseva Endocrinologist, nutritionist at SM-Clinic, Ph.D.
