Demystifying coffee

Many of us can't imagine starting our day without a cup of our favourite coffee. But is coffee healthy? Below, we present the most popular myths about coffee. However, there are also situations when we should refrain from drinking it. What's worth knowing?

Coffee is primarily known for its stimulating effect. Moreover, it positively affects memory, concentration, and mood improvement. It also accelerates metabolism, which can be helpful in weight loss. However, some myths have grown around the beverage. Let's start with information confirmed in studies conducted by specialists.

Firstly, coffee helps you lose weight. This beverage reduces appetite and additionally speeds up metabolism, which can be helpful for people who tend to snack between meals.

Moreover, coffee gives us more energy, which may help us increase our daily activity level. However, remember that you should not add milk or sugar when trying to lose weight, as they contain many calories.

Another fact is that pregnant women are advised not to consume coffee. Research does not unequivocally indicate the exact effect it has on foetal development, but specialists point out that there is an increased risk of miscarriages and low birth weight.

Moreover, it can intensify nausea, cause heartburn, or irritate the stomach in pregnant women. Therefore, it's better to replace regular coffee with decaffeinated coffee.

Let's now move to the myths that have grown around drinking coffee.

The most common one is that coffee should not be consumed when dealing with hypertension. However, specialists emphasize that coffee's effects on blood pressure are minimal, as it raises it only by a few mmHg. Furthermore, it quickly returns to the baseline level.

Another common myth is that coffee dehydrates and leaches magnesium from the body. This theory arose due to the diuretic action of caffeine. However, dehydration is often caused by insufficient fluids consumed and has nothing to do with drinking coffee.

Magnesium deficiencies in the body are mostly the result of an improper diet. Interestingly, coffee is rich in this element—about 7 grams in one cup.