Les cafés Malongo

Coffee and health

In France, coffee is the most consumed drink, only after water. People drink it for breakfast and throughout the day. The French drink on average a cup and a half of coffee per day. That makes 5.8kg per year and thus puts France in eighth place in the world ranking of coffee drinkers, Finland being in first place.

A bit of history…

It is interesting to note that in the history of coffee throughout the world, consumption of this beverage has always begun as a medicine, before being taken for nutrition.

In 1952, some apothecaries in Europe kept coffee in small quantities and called it caova,and doctors then began to prescribe it.

There are many legends and stories about it, like this one below.

In Europe in the 18th century, Swedes quickly became great tea and coffee drinkers. There was a violent opposition between drinkers of each of these beverages but also against them. King Gustave III, in his wisdom and for the love of his people, decided to try out an experiment.

His court had just condemned two twin brothers to death. He pardoned them on condition that, under the supervision of his doctor, one drank only coffee and the other drank only tea for the rest of their lives. And they waited to see the result…

What do you think happened?

… The doctor died, the presiding judge died, the good King worried about the health of his subjects was murdered in 1792 on a visit to the Opera… The twins themselves also died, but much later:

The tea drinker at 83 and the coffee drinker at 85…

«If it’s a poison, it’s a slow poison.»

Bernard Le Bouyer de Fontenelle (French writer, died at a hundred, 1657-1757).

What is caffeine?

Coffee contains several hundreds of substances but it is caffeine more than anything else that gives it its effects. Many studies throughout the world have shown the beneficial effects of caffeine at different levels, a few examples of which are shown below.

Caffeine, a molecule belonging to a group of alkaloids, is a chemical substance found naturally in coffee in varying proportions (on average 0.5 to 4%). Discovered and isolated by Runge in 1819, it is equally found in various other plants like tea, maté or kola.

As regards coffee, the caffeine content of arabica varies on average from 0.5 to 1.5% while robusta generally contains from 1.5 to 4%.

Caffeine is a natural stimulant, sometimes used in some therapeutic treatments given its many properties.

Caffeine is odourless and tasteless, if not slightly bitter (it makes up 10% of the bitter taste of roasted coffee).

As it is not very water-soluble, its extraction depends on the fineness of the grind used, the temperature of the water and the infusion time. Arabica (low in caffeine) is therefore preferable in the evening, very strong and concentrated, like an espresso, rather than a large coffee.

After ingestion caffeine is quickly absorbed at a rate of 20% by the stomach and 80% by the bowel. The half-life of caffeine varies depending on the subject between 4 and 6 hours.

What does a cup of coffee contain ?

In a cup of filtered coffee (about 150ml), the following nutrients are found:

Proteins: about 0.3 g
Carbohydrates: about 0.2 g
Traces of lipids
Potassium: 100 mg, which is 10 % of the recommended daily amount
Polyphenols: 200 to 500 mg
Niacin (Vitamin B3): 5 to 20 % of the recommended daily amount

Data taken from "Santé et Café News".

The effects of caffeine

Caffeine to combat migraines

Caffeine is an anti-migraine substance, it prevents migraines, reduces the intensity of crises and increases the efficiency of the analgesic effect of aspirin.

When the warning signs of a migraine appear, having a coffee helps to tighten the cerebral blood vessels which are dilated in the event of a crisis. Caffeine in fact has a vasoconstrictive effect on cerebral circulation.

Coffee: the whiplash effect !

Caffeine increases alertness and delays the onset of feelings of tiredness, notably when carrying out intellectual or repetitive tasks. It is also an ingredient found in psychostimulants.

- It stimulates intellectual abilities, increases concentration and promotes memorization through the adenosine receptors of the nervous system.

- It reduces the feeling of tiredness and increases alertness.

- It allows you to control sleep patterns. Experiments have shown that caffeine helps you to recover after jetlag.

Coffee and digestion

Coffee aids digestion by stimulating the contractions of the bowel and the gall bladder. Drinking it at the end of a meal is good for your digestion.

Coffee provides the body with a number of important vitamins and minerals (potassium, magnesium phosphorus, vitamins B5 and B6) and unless milk or sugar is added, a cup contains very few calories and stimulates the secretion of pancreatic juice and intestinal transit.

Coffee in the fight against diabetes

Studies show an impact of coffee consumption in the fight against diabetes, notably type 2 diabetes, an illness linked to excess weight and a sedentary lifestyle, which is increasingly gaining ground in our modern societies.

The link between coffee consumption and diabetes prevention has been the subject of many studies.

A study published in 2004 by the International Journal of Medicine, shows for example that coffee reduces the risk of diabetes for people aged 39 to 65. Drinking 2 to 6 cups a day shows a protective effect for both men and women.

Nevertheless, to date, the mechanisms linked to this beneficial effect of coffee on the prevention of diabetes have not been clearly revised. The effect of caffeine is advanced, just as the other ingredients in coffee (potassium, magnesium or chlorogenic acid). (Data taken from "Santé et Café News").

Coffee: source of antioxidants

Coffee, like a great number of foodstuffs (tomatoes, green tea, broccoli, olives, soya seeds etc) contains antioxidants.

A US study has even put forward, according to a study published at the annual conference of the American Chemical Society in 2005, that coffee could be the best source of antioxidants.

- Oxidants are active components of oxygen at the source of oxidative damage suffered by biological molecules and can cause various illnesses (cancers or cardiovascular problems).

- Antioxidants are nevertheless molecules with the ability of neutralizing free radicals that have a defensive role within the membrane or cell.

Coffee contains polyphenols, including chlorogenic acid, which is a powerful natural antioxidant, allowing the fixation of atheroma plates on the arteries to be delayed, thus delaying the development of cardiovascular illnesses.

Coffee represents the main source of this chlorogenic acid in food. Daily consumption of coffee produces 0.5 to 1g of this acid, while it is less than 100mg for non-coffee drinkers.

Caffeine, ally of the elderly

For elderly people gradually losing the feeling of thirst, coffee is firstly a precious ally in the fight against dehydration. Taken regularly in small quantities and except contraindication linked to the condition of the person, coffee for breakfast (which if milk is added, will also provide calcium and proteins) and coffee taken after lunch (which will help to sustain concentration during digestion), are therefore greatly recommended.

A study conducted in Denmark was also interested in the effects of caffeine on the performance of elderly people, and no longer, as in previous studies, on the performance of young people, of which we know that 4 cups of coffee (6mg/kg of caffeine) enable their performance to be increased. It appears that the subjects studied, aged over 70, in good health and active, increased their stamina by consuming the same amount of caffeine found in four cups of coffee.

Likewise an English study conducted on sixty volunteers, established that caffeine led to an improvement in psychomotor performance, created a positive mood and improved the alertness of the subjects.

Coffee and Parkinson’s and Huntington’s disease

At two conferences held in 2006 on coffee and health in Ferrara (Italy) and Montpellier (France), studies highlighted the protective effects of coffee on Parkinson’s and Huntington’s disease, as well as type 2 diabetes and cancer. Caffeine acts as an effective antagonist in the case of Parkinson’s disease. Similar observations at various stages of the disease were made in the case of Huntington’s disease, which opens up prospects for the development of new therapies.

In a bad mood? Have a cup of coffee…

It has also been shown that doses ranging from 60 to 300mg, the equivalent of ¾ of a cup to 4 cups of coffee, were beneficial to the mood of individuals: more tonicity and sociability.

And even… Coffee and Beauty

Caffeine is also found in a number of beauty products, such as slimming creams, body scrubs and in the composition of vitamin supplements. In Japan also, where the consumption of coffee, including fine wines, is growing, people recognise its beneficial effects on the skin and the Japanese have even been known to bathe in coffee powder !

To conclude

Coffee therefore has many benefits. It should however be taken in moderation because excessive amounts can have a negative effect on the body.

For pregnant women for example, coffee changes the physiological conditions of pregnancy. Neither does it present a danger to breastfed children. However, it is recommended that pregnant women limit their coffee consumption to two cups a day as the fœtus eliminates the caffeine very slowly.

Coffee is advised against to those with a heart or gastric disease. The effects of caffeine may also change due to genetic factors, from taking certain drugs, depending on age or certain liver diseases.

"Normal" consumption, to combine the pleasure and beneficial effects of this beverage, should not exceed five cups a day.