Many of us rely on a cup of coffee to start the day & keep us energetic. Specifically the US is a nation of coffee drinkers with 60% of the population drinking at least 1 cup a day. Although coffee has been considered as a substance with much less nutritional value, there are evidences that suggest that moderate coffee consumption can reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes & metabolic syndrome. These benefits has been attributed to high content in non-nutritional compounds such as phenolic compounds, fibre, minerals & caffeine which also impact metabolic pathways related to health maintenance.Out of these compounds, caffeine, fibre & polyphenols are able to reach large intestine where these compounds are fermented & metabolized by gut microbiome. The impact of coffee consumption on our health depends upon what metabolites our gut produces after metabolising coffee. Moderate coffee consumption has been associated with an increase of Bifidobacterium sometimes also linked to a decrease of Clostridium and Escherichia coli. Recent research has also figured our direct relationship between caffeine and the abundance of the Lactobacillus species. Theobromine, an alkaloid present in coffee can increase the absorption of polyphenol in the large intestine.
Caffine has the impact of making things move in our gut. Caffeine activates contraction in digestive tract & compounds in caffeine as mentioned above helps in production of stomach acid. Both these help in moving the food through your gut & keep you regular. Caffeine also contains a range of anti-inflammatory molecules that prevents inflammatory reactions.However, impact of caffeine on our health also depends upon what diet pattern we follow
As shared in our previous blogs, composition of our gut bacteria( which obviously changes with changes in our diet pattern) play a major role in how they metabolise the food. If our gut is out of balance- due to change in diversity,having more than one group of bacteria or even having bacteria not at the right place( also called as gut dysbiosis), it can lead to chronic inflammation. Therefore it is important to evaluate if your gut is releasing toxins after consuming caffeine.
So the question arises- how much is too much? Can coffee consumption have a negative impact on our health?
Energy drinks contain higher concentration of caffeine. Ideally one can or bottle of caffeine has more than 200 mg of protein. Drinking just two cans of energy drink can exceed your daily recommended caffeine limit. Caffeine intoxication can occur after consuming 200 mg of caffeine. Symptoms of caffeine intoxication include:
- Anxiety
- Insomnia
- Stomach Upset
- Restlessness
How can you determine that caffeine consumption would improve your gut diversity? Understanding your gut bacteria is the solution to this. Sign for our Gut Microbiome Intelligence here.
