Waking up in the morning, many of us are trying to start a new day with a cup of fragrant coffee.

According to the International Coffee Organization (ICO), every day on the planet consumes 1.6 billion cups of this drink.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) states that the United States consumes an average of 300 mg of caffeine per day per person - the equivalent of 2-4 cups of coffee.

Such a rule is officially considered "moderate consumption of caffeine".

According to the results of many studies, this amount of caffeine can have a multifaceted positive effect on health. But there are scientists who are sure that even one cup of coffee a day can badly affect the condition of your body.

Who should I trust?.

In this article we will try to analyze the facts.

Coffee is a natural stimulant.

The main active substance of coffee is the alkaloid caffeine, which is found in more than 60 different natural plant sources, including tea leaves, cocoa seeds and cola nuts.

Caffeine acts as a short-term stimulant, activating the central nervous system. It helps to overcome fatigue and improves concentration.

According to the medical service of the University of Michigan, the stimulating effects of caffeine are felt as early as 15 minutes after consuming coffee and can last up to 6 hours.

Besides coffee, our main sources of this alkaloid are tea, energy drinks and chocolate. Caffeine is also found in many prescription and over-the-counter products, including combined colds and headaches.

Potential health benefits.

In addition to the ability to overcome drowsiness and fatigue, caffeine is known for its other positive effects on human health.

Last year, an American online edition of Medical News Today reported an interesting study. Scientists have suggested that eating 3 cups of coffee a day lowers the risk of liver cancer by 50%.

Earlier studies have shown that 4 cups of coffee a day is an opportunity to reduce by half the risk of oral and throat cancer.

The use of caffeine is also associated with a positive effect on the brain.

Recently, scientists from the Harvard School of Public Health have demonstrated that the same 4 cups of coffee a day can reduce the risk of suicide in adults, and taking just 200 mg of caffeine per day improves long-term memory.

Other scientific studies have shown a role for caffeine in the prevention of type 2 diabetes, Parkinson's disease, cardiovascular disease and stroke.

Is caffeine a socially acceptable drug?.

Not surprisingly, caffeine is so widespread in our society. After all, numerous studies confirm his health benefits, and there are so many products with caffeine today.

But Steven Meredith, a researcher at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, believes that many people forget the main fact - it is a psychoactive substance that penetrates well through the blood-brain barrier and stimulates the central nervous system.

In an interview with one of the medical publications, he said: "Unlike most psychoactive substances, the use of caffeine is socially acceptable, and this kind of narcotic is widespread. In fact, caffeine is the most common psychoactive substance in the world. Moreover, the vast majority of caffeine users use this substance regularly without obvious harm ".

Negative effects of caffeine.

Of course, every medal has a downside. Especially if it is a question of such a complex biologically active substance as caffeine.

Researchers at the Mayo Clinic say that consuming more than 500-600 mg of caffeine a day can lead to insomnia, nervousness, anxiety, irritability, stomach problems, tachycardia, and even muscle tremors.

But some experts believe that even moderate amounts of caffeine can harm health. Last year, it was already reported about the dangers of caffeine in pregnancy. According to the researchers, the use of women in this position for 300 mg of caffeine a day increases the risk of giving birth to children with low body weight.

As for healthy adults, the doctors did not come to a consensus here either. Some even argue that 4 cups of coffee a day for a long time is the way to premature death, mainly because of the risk of cardiovascular events.

Not at all, caffeine works the same way.

Stephen Meredith says that the effects of caffeine in different people manifest themselves in different ways. This can explain why the opinions of scientists are so ambiguous.

For example, people with anxiety disorders are more sensitive to the anxiogenic effects of an invigorating drink. Meredith argues: "Caffeine in different people can be rendered harmless at different rates. For example, smokers metabolize caffeine 2 times faster than non-smokers ".

But the metabolism of caffeine is slower in young children, pregnant women and people with liver disease - the latter is not surprising, as in the transformation of caffeine involved hepatic enzyme systems. In addition, some drugs slow the metabolism of alkaloid, increasing the risk of intoxication.

Rob Van Dam, a lecturer at the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, says that the effects of caffeine depend on the genetic characteristics of each person, as well as on the factors of his lifestyle.

"Thus, some people may have trouble falling asleep, tremor, or nervousness with the use of relatively low doses of caffeine. It is very useful to know about this and to reduce the dose if symptoms occur, "adds Rob Van Dam.

Addiction and withdrawal syndrome.

Given the stimulating effects of caffeine, Stephen Meredith, in an interview with MNT, said that in some people this alkaloid causes a real addiction: "Caffeine activates many of those behavioral and neuropharmacological mechanisms that activate so-called street drugs".

Like many other stimulants, caffeine is associated with a variety of positive subjective effects, such as increased sociability, well-being, excess energy. For this reason, a small percentage of caffeine consumers develop dependence.

Meredith believes that some people become physically addicted to caffeine, and with a decrease in dose or discontinuation of reception in these individuals there is a real withdrawal syndrome.

Symptoms of caffeine withdrawal include:.

• Weakness.

• Depression.

• Headache.

• Irritability.

• Poor concentration.

• Nausea and vomiting.

"Addiction can become so strong that some individuals are not themselves able to reduce the caffeine rate, despite the awareness of the risk of physical and psychological consequences," says the researcher..

Children should beware of caffeine.

Meredith says that on the basis of available data on the negative effects of caffeine on children and adolescents, doctors should discuss the use of caffeine with parents.

The vast majority of American pediatricians recommend this population to avoid caffeine, especially because the effect of caffeine on the developing brain of the child is not fully understood.

"Caffeine disrupts sleep, and sleep plays a critical role in learning. Some laboratory studies suggest that caffeine reduces the ability to learn from young rodents. Psychologists are also concerned that the vaccinated pattern of caffeine consumption in young people can lead to problems with alcohol and drugs in the future, "adds the scientist.

The FDA has about the same opinion as American pediatricians. In May last year, the administration announced that it was going to investigate the safety of caffeine in food, especially in products for children and adolescents.

FDA experts are concerned that many foods and beverages, such as syrups, sweets, chewing gum, can contain caffeine, and are actually used uncontrollably by the younger generation.

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