Watch Out for These Steps When Consuming Coffee

Nutrition and Diet Specialist Nur Ecem Baydı Ozman explained nine points that should be known about coffee consumption, providing important warnings and recommendations. Some turn to coffee to "start the day fresh", others to "socialize", some to "concentrate on work", and others to "shake off fatigue"… As a result, coffee consumption, which has become indispensable to the modern age, has been rising rapidly across almost every segment of society in recent years! However, be careful! Nowadays, as coffee appears in countless forms with different types and preparation methods, if certain rules are not followed, it can cause serious health damage rather than benefit! Flavors, syrups, sweeteners, creams and enticing cold mixtures consumed excessively for cooling purposes can pave the way for numerous health problems ranging from diabetes to obesity! Acıbadem Kozyatağı Hospital Nutrition and Diet Specialist Nur Ecem Baydı Ozman commented: "Coffee should not be viewed as an innocent beverage that can be consumed without limit. Because the excess caffeine in its content can cause negative effects such as anxiety, fatigue, insomnia and elevated blood pressure, while flavored and sugary syrups, creams and milk powders added to coffee can make it a beverage that is very harmful to health." These ingredients, with their high calorie values, can also lead to weight gain and even invite diseases related to diabetes or obesity. Therefore, one must be careful when consuming coffee," he says.

Can create dependency

Most of us consume coffee to wake up or stay more alert. The caffeine in coffee helps us stay awake, but when coffee is consumed continuously, tolerance can develop, meaning a higher amount of coffee may be needed to achieve the same alert or awake state. This can lead you to consume more coffee over time and thus expose yourself to the harms of excess caffeine.

Can lead to excessive calorie intake

Did you know you can get excess calories from coffee? Coffee types generally contain 2-3 kcal per 100 ml or one teacup, which is not a significant amount of calories. However, when milk powder, cream, sugar, milk and the like are added while consuming coffee, the calories in coffee increase, and when coffee with these added extras is consumed excessively, it can cause fat accumulation in the body and consequently pave the way for diseases such as obesity and diabetes.

Do not consume coffee after 5:00 p.m.

Nutrition and Diet Specialist Nur Ecem Baydı Ozman says: "The sleep-disrupting effect of caffeine is well known. Therefore, caffeine should preferably be consumed during the day. Scientific studies recommend ending coffee consumption at least 6 hours before sleep or before 5:00 p.m. The closer coffee consumption gets to bedtime, the more it can impair sleep quality and shorten sleep duration."

Daily caffeine intake should not exceed 400 mg!

A maximum daily caffeine intake of 400 mg is appropriate for a healthy adult. For pregnant or breastfeeding individuals, this amount is 200 mg per day. An 80 mg espresso contains 80 mg of caffeine, while one glass or approximately 200 ml of filter coffee contains 90 mg of caffeine. These amounts can vary depending on the type and strength of the coffee. To avoid exceeding the maximum daily caffeine dose, it should be noted that caffeine is also obtained from tea, cocoa and other beverages besides coffee, so the total consumption of these types of beverages along with coffee should not exceed three to four glasses per day. Children and teenagers should stay away Especially in recent years, as coffee variety has increased, coffee, which was previously seen as only an adult beverage, has become a very frequently consumed drink at childhood. Nur Ecem Baydı Ozman, noting that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children and adolescents stay away from caffeine, says: "Research does not specify safe doses for children and adolescents, so it would be safer for children or teenagers not to prefer it. With flavors, syrups, sweeteners, creams and enticing cold mixtures consumed excessively for cooling purposes, coffee consumption in both children and young people and adults can pave the way for numerous health problems ranging from diabetes to obesity." Can increase water loss from the body Coffee can have a diuretic effect, meaning it can increase water loss from the body through the kidneys. What is important here is that if we consume coffee, we must ensure that we drink a sufficient amount of water daily. Other caffeinated beverages like coffee or tea do not replace water. Therefore, we should multiply our weight by 30 ml and consume that amount of water regularly every day. For example, a 60 kg person should consume approximately 1,800 ml of water daily. When we drink little water and consume coffee frequently, water can be lost from the body, and due to insufficient water consumption, edema can develop in the body. Although coffee itself does not directly cause edema, if sufficient water is not consumed along with coffee consumption, edema can occur in the body as a result. Can you drink coffee immediately upon waking? Nutrition and Diet Specialist Nur Ecem Baydı Ozman says: "Some sources recommend not consuming coffee immediately upon waking in the morning, preferably consuming coffee 1-2 hours after waking. Because when we wake up in the morning, the cortisol hormone, which is already elevated and rises further with coffee consumption, can cause excessive secretion leading to problems such as anxiety, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and bone loss as well as a decrease in immune system function. Additionally, drinking coffee on an empty stomach can cause stomach problems. However, a cost-benefit analysis should still be done here (if a person needs to wake up by drinking coffee in the early morning hours, for example; if they are going to drive and need to stay awake for this, and if they do not feel any negative effects from drinking coffee early, it can be left to the person's decision as long as it is not constant). Excessive amounts can damage cardiovascular health When consumed in moderate levels, coffee can protect cardiovascular health, but when consumed above the recommended maximum doses, it can increase the risk of coronary heart disease. When coffee is consumed without filtering, its atherogenic effect, meaning the narrowing of blood vessels, can increase. Conversely, when coffee is consumed filtered, this effect decreases and in this form, coffee has more positive effects on cardiovascular health. People who already have hypertension or cardiovascular disease should be much more careful about the amount and preparation of their coffee consumption. Coffee in no way burns fat Nutrition and Diet Specialist Nur Ecem Baydı Ozman says: "Adding butter, coconut oil, lemon, cinnamon and the like to coffee for fat burning are incorrect applications, and these do not make coffee a fat-burning product. Drinking coffee before exercise also does not provide meaningful contribution to fat burning. Fat burning can only be achieved by creating a calorie deficit in the body, namely through a balanced diet and regular exercise. In this sense, choosing coffee to lose weight or burn fat would be an incorrect practice."