The healthiest way to drink coffee

Many studies are published all the time on the relationship between drinking coffee and various diseases, cognitive phenomena, metabolism, mental effects and even on the consequences of regular caffeine consumption on life expectancy. Dr. Uma Naidu, a nutritional psychiatrist and also a professional chef, recently published an article in CNBC, in which she reviews the effects of drinking coffee on the brain, the recommended amount per day and practical ways to maximize the health benefits of drinking coffee.Dr. Naidoo is a faculty member at Harvard Medical School and author of the bestseller “This Is Your Brain on Food”, a guide to foods that fight depression, anxiety, OCD, ADHD and more. At the beginning of her words she writes that through the studies she discovered that coffee has more good effects than bad when consumed in moderation. According to her, it is recommended to drink two to four glasses a day, or less than 400 milligrams of caffeine.

How much coffee is too much?

She cites a study published in 2017 that followed 676 elderly men for 10 years to see if coffee protected them against cognitive decline. The researchers found that men who drank coffee had less cognitive decline than those who did not. The greatest effect was seen in those who drank three cups of coffee a day, while those who drank less or less showed less dramatic effects.

It joins a larger Harvard study of 208,501 participants, both men and women, that examined the likelihood of death over more than 20 years. He found that participants who drank coffee were less likely to die than those who didn’t, with the greatest longevity benefit for those who drank between 3.1 and 5 cups a day.

How can coffee protect the brain and support memory? According to Dr. Naidoo there are several ways in which coffee can help:

• Caffeine increases serotonin and acetylcholine, which may stimulate the brain and help stabilize the blood-brain barrier.
• The polyphenolic micronutrients in coffee may prevent tissue damage by free radicals, as well as blockage of blood vessels in the brain.
• High concentrations of trigonelline are found in coffee beans, which may also activate antioxidants, thus protecting the blood vessels in the brain.

Three rules for getting maximum benefit from caffeine consumption:

1. Filter the coffee. Many prefer their coffee in the form of espresso, Turkish coffee or based on the Scandinavian tradition of boiling coffee with an egg in it (sometimes including the shell). Unfortunately, all these versions of coffee can have negative effects on the body. When coffee is made without a filter, chemicals called diterpenes enter which can raise the LDL cholesterol that damages the arteries. According to Dr. Naidoo, drinking fresh coffee beans may also reduce unwanted chemicals in the drink.

2. Be careful what you add. Coffee can have a positive effect on you, sugar much less so. So if drinking coffee means getting a very sugary latte concoction from your favorite barista, you’re not helping your health at all. Dr. Naidu recommends a home recipe for making upgraded coffee with turmeric. Both healthy and economical.

3. Pay attention to the body’s reaction to coffee. Every body is different, and each of us may react differently to the effects of coffee. If it makes you feel nervous or have trouble falling asleep, it’s worth reducing consumption. At the same time, pay attention to whether coffee lightens your mood. One of the most intriguing findings from a Harvard study is that coffee drinkers are half as likely to commit suicide as non-coffee drinkers. Researchers believe the explanation may be that coffee increases chemicals in the brain that have an anti-depressant effect.