Whether you just take coffee, drink it out of habit, or truly rely on it for energy it's not any secret that the drink has magical powers. But have you ever thought about what it's actually doing to your body after you take it?
Coffee comes from beans, so it contains phytonutrients and polyphenols, chemical compounds found in plants that are believed to have antioxidant benefits. This is what really happens when you do take coffee.
The caffeine found in coffee enters your bloodstream and quickly finds it's way to your brain where it works as a stimulant and boosts alertness and energy.
Caffeine binds to adenosine receptors in the brain. Adenosine is a nervous system depressant, meaning its presence suppresses arousal and promotes sleep.
When caffeine intrudes and binds to the receptors, adenosine's effects are lessened, and we become stimulated. The downside is that drinking too much can cause insomnia. It can keep anyone up if they drink it too close to bedtime, but if you are prone to develop insomnia,coffee habit can be the trigger that causes an achronic problem.
Caffeine also impacts our pleasure centers, which improves our mood and keeps us hooked, caffeine increases the levels of feel-good chemical dopamine in our brains, this can improve our moods and increase happiness.
Too much caffeine can have a negative impact on mood and mental health. High doses can mess with your brain chemistry too much and cause jitteriness and nervousness.
Drinking large amounts of coffee can cause a spike in blood pressure and heart rate, coffee increases heart rate, thanks to caffeine's impact on hormones and neurotransmitters.
There is no clear explanation as to why caffeine causes this increase in blood pressure, but it's likely due to increased adrenaline and other hormonal responses brought on by the stimulant.
Coffee stimulates bowel movements, and may even reduce the risk of gallstones. Caffeine directly stimulates the colonic muscles, promptng bowel movements, if you are drinking it hot, the warm liquid itself can help relax the colon and prompt muscle contractions, adding to the laxative effect.
Taking coffee may suppress appetite and boost calorie burn, but it's not a magic weight-loss bullet. Coffee is an appetite suppressant and may stimulate thermogenesis, or the process our bodies use to create heat, which theoretically leads us to burn more calories.