Coffee is simple, but it's very misunderstood. Here's some things I've learned about it recently...

Coffee - The Myths and Benefits.

Another Steemit Original

Foreword

Coffee. Who can say definitively if it's good or bad for us, but as I like to think, Nothing is bad for us in proper moderation. People will tell you it's bad for you to drink alcohol, but many doctors recommend a glass of red wine with our dinner? Too many myths around foods and beverages, and today, I plan to smash down some of the most common; about our beloved Coffee.

Myths

Caffeine is bad for you.

Not particularly.

Studies by the Mayo Clinic show no significant link with moderate usage of caffiene with any known disorders, not caused psychosomatically. In fact it's been shown to decrease your risk of diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Type 2 Diabetes, Liver Disease and even some cancers.

^{Image: fitlabradio.com}

Caffeine is a dangerous and addictive drug.

Drug? Yes.
Dangerous? Depends on your usage.

Caffeine, is a psychoactive drug belonging to the methylxanthine class, and it's the most popular and widely consumed in the world. It's dependence liability rating is quite low psychologically, while being physically rated as moderate. It can produce the effects of a mild drug of dependence, with known withdrawal symptoms including irritability, sleepiness, headaches, and general erratic thought patterns and behavior.

Caffeine temporarily blocks the action of Adenosine receptors and prevents drowsiness that would normally be onset by the Adenosine. It is also known to stimulate portions of the autonomic nervous system (increased blood pressure and heart rate, and increased urine output are just some of the symptoms associated with chronic use.)

^{Image: Shutterstock, via Raw Story}

Coca-Cola and energy drinks like Red Bull contain more caffeine than coffee.

False.

Coca-Cola (Classic) - less than 3mg per fl. oz

Coca-Cola (Diet) - more than 3mg per fl. oz

Red Bull - less than 9.5mg per fl. oz

Average Cup of Coffee - 12-25mg per fl. oz

^{Image: vilsual.ly, via leanitup.com}

Drinking caffeinated beverages increases your risk of heart disease.

This is completely unproven, with the American Heart Foundation conducting studies to find out more, yielding conflicting results. The truth of the matter is, no direct link has been identified with heart disease, and moderate consumption(1-2 average cups per day) does not appear to be harmful.

Don't worry kids, Harold's just copped a case of the feels.

^{Image: Imgur}

Caffeine will sober up a drunk person

False again.

Caffeine will boost your metabolism, but it won't lighten your liver and kidney's workloads, or get rid of the leftover alcohol that hasn't yet been digested. Sure, it'll boost your heart-rate, helping speed up the process but that's about as far as the help goes.

Most experts warn to stay away from coffee while drunk, as it affects the way the dopamine released from alcohol works in your body. Normally, you know you're drunk when that dopamine has either worn out, or your tolerance to the dopamine has built up, causing you to feel sluggish, drowsy, and even dizzy. Caffeine will awaken those receptors again, and you may fool yourself into another round or even worse, convince yourself that you're okay to drive home.

So there's just a myths and misconceptions about caffeine cleared up. There are many more, and I can go into much more detail about those, but in the spirit of keeping things entertaining, lets move on to the actual benefits of this Nectar of the Gods, shall we?

The Beneficial side of Caffeine

Many doctors will tell you it's a good thing to enjoy a few cups, some more than others. Depending on your lifestyle, a little my be too much, while others may be able to drink it all day with little no no effect.

As well as the aforementioned health benefits for Parkinson's, Alzheimer's etc, did you know that caffeine can aide in boosting your memory function, or even stimulate the hair follicles, often prompting hair to regrow in balding men? It's true!

Caffeine is also known to be very good for internal cleansing, which has lead to it being used in an enema since back in the 1st World War. Sounds disgusting to some, but it's said to work very effectively and rapidly, with the effects lasting sometimes up to 3 times as long.

Suicide rates also take a turn when caffeine is involved, and possibly even moreso when you take into account the effect of just stopping to talk to a friend over a coffee, even for just a minute.

Men are at a much lower risk of Erectile Dysfunction, and those with a lower sperm count or even less active sperm are also being encouraged to drink coffee, as it can increase sperm production and quality!

Conclusion

So there you have it, I certainly didn't know all of that going into this, and I hope I've taught some of you even just one thing. There are many more benefits and myths on coffee and caffeine and I'd like to go over those heavier at a later time, so maybe show some support if you like that idea.

I really enjoyed writing this, and it took about 10 hrs of research, fueled by a whole 12-cup pot of brewed Arabica. Now that's over, I'm going to go to the toilet, and make another brew :P

Don't forget to check out my post on the History of Coffee, and drop me a line there if you'd like to see more of that.

Thanks for stopping by!
Hope to write again for you very soon...
alt

^{Some sites used in my research, check em out for some more handy information :)

http://www.caffeineinformer.com/

http://www.medicaldaily.com/

http://www.mayoclinic.org/

http://www.menshealth.com/}