Studies and researches have been succeeding more and more frequently up to the achievement of results that showed the reactions provoked to the human organism by coffee.
The First Bio-pharmacologic Symposium concerning coffee took place in Venice, in October of 1970. In October 1971 in Florence the second Convention took place, and in 1972 in Vietri the third Convention completed the exposition concerning the properties of the active substances of coffee, confirming the positive effects and denying the negative prejudices diffused in the past.
During these conventions, experts of diet therapy, nutrition and human physiology confirmed the therapeutic property of coffee, which is a drink that in a society like ours helps defeating the physical and mental stress, characteristic of our epoque.
From the nutritional point of view coffee is not an essential nourishment for our organism. Anyway, some substances contained in coffee provoke positive effects to the organs. Naturally, as for every other food, it is necessary to avoid abusing it or consuming an excessive quantity in order to not have any inconvenience due to the abuse.
The habit to consume it daily does not cause any addiction even after long periods.
The following is a list of some of the most frequent effects produced by coffee to our organism. Coffee, in fact, is a substance that contains caffeine that usually affects the nerve centres, causing a sense of general wellbeing that spurs on being more watchful and active during a physical work or during a work requiring a good quickness of reflex.
This stimulation, due to a in combination between the caffettaninnico acid (mix of different acids among which the chlorogenic acid and the caffeic acid). Caffeine, alkaloid that Runge discovered in 1820, is located in the seed and in the leaf of the plant of coffee, tea, cacao, cola and mate. This is the reason why in some countries (i.e. Sumatra Island) they directly use decoctions of roasted leafs.
A cup of coffee consists of approximately 5 cg. of caffeine, and its exciting action, that lasts one or two hours after having drunk it affecting the cerebrospinal nervous system, provokes a stimulation of mental powers, removes the sleepiness, boredom, tiredness, also psychic, depressed states, improves the memory, learning, intuition and concentration capacities and facilitates the perception of sensorial spurs, reduces the headaches and hemicranias.
The positive effects of caffeine to the activities of the nerve centres was experimented with the technique of conditioned reflexes: administering therapeutic doses, an increase of conditioned reflexes rapidity was observed, while the period of their latency was reduced.
Its beneficial effects reach also the heart and for this reason in pharmacotherapy it is used as cardio tonic. Moreover, caffeine reinforces the arterial tone, without altering pressure, also improving the coronaries circulation. It is important to know that the effects to the heart are secondary and not perceivable, considering the usual doses of 2 - 3 cups. This mainly refers to the ones that can be considered the negative effects such as tachycardia.
Also the lungs benefit of the spurring action of a cup of coffee. They present a reinforcement of the bronchi dilatation and of the lung ventilation, facilitating a better breathing.
As far as the muscular system is concerned, coffee strengthens the muscle contraction capacity, reduces the tiredness, improves the movements coordination and the sports performances. For this tonic action to the muscular system coffee is suitable to sportsmen, because it reduces tiredness especially for long-lasting sports, when tiredness takes possession of the body and movements become more difficult.
Coffee stimulates the vasomotor nerves of the sympathetic nervous system and consequently helps digestion. This is why coffee, beyond being the energetic drink for the morning awakening, is also useful for lunch and dinner, because it acts on the stomach walls, helping the secretion of gastric juices and starting and improving the digestion.
In the liver it activates the bile production and the gall bladder contraction. In the intestines coffee helps the movements improving its functions. Additional positive effects of a good cup of coffee concern kidneys, where it causes the dilatation of the kidney arteries improving the diuresi.
To the endocrine glands it stimulates the adrenal glands secretions (cortex/cortisone, etc.; medullar/adrenalin) and at last it stimulates the thyroid function and the metabolism.
The poor caloric content allows a free consumption without causing any damage to the hypo caloric diets.