People have been making and drinking coffee for thousands of years. The first evidence of this appears in the 15th century in Yemen, with those in the Sufi monasteries taking advantage of the coffee beans energizing properties. It was during the colonial period that coffee reached North America, where it was not well received until the Revolutionary War when demand increased significantly.
Today coffee is a valuable cash crop in developing nations and is the source of income for millions of people in countries such as Ethiopia, Rwanda, and Uganda. Huge coffee plantations are seen in several Central American countries such as Brazil and Costa Rica. These large plantations are the source of much controversy as they caused the displacement of thousands of people and the destruction of huge tracts of the rainforest.
Since coffee has been a part of human culture for such a long time, researchers have been able to conduct studies of both the health risks and benefits of the beverage. There are millions of subjects available for study since coffee has developed a very loyal following, especially among those super-women who are both working and taking care of a family. These studies are often focused on women’s health due to the fact that it tends to affect women more than it does men, and it also takes longer for a woman to process the caffeine out of her system.
There can be health benefits and health risks associated with coffee; in women that are of childbearing age, the effect of coffee can be detrimental. It has been proven that reducing the amount of caffeine ingested can help with premenstrual symptoms such as tender breasts and irritability. If a woman is going through fertility treatments one of the things she will be asked to do is to limit or eliminate caffeine as it negatively affects women’s fertility. A woman should eliminate caffeine from her diet if she is pregnant, as the caffeine will negatively affect the baby; it can cause low baby weight and also cause the newborn to suffer from caffeine withdrawal. Caffeine will also be present in breast milk, which is another reason to eliminate coffee or other caffeinated drinks while pregnant.
While it is true that women in their childbearing years should not ingest caffeine, the same is not true for older women. Because coffee is a stimulant older women who consume coffee are found to have fewer effects of dementia and cognitive decline, and the older a woman is the more benefits coffee seems to impart. A study conducted by Harvard University was able to conclude that women who ingested coffee were 30% less likely to contract diabetes, and other studies have shown a decrease in cavities, reduces the development of Parkinson’s disease, reduces the development of colon cancer, and even helps with headaches and asthma. On the other side of that coin per the Mayo Clinic, those who consume more than four cups of coffee a day may experience headaches, anxiety, restlessness, heart palpitations, upset stomach, and sleep issues.
It’s important when a woman is considering her health to be true to herself and look at all she is putting into her body. Obviously, a woman who is not planning to have children can take this advice with a shrug, but it’s important to remember that accidents can happen. If you find yourself pregnant and want to produce a baby which is healthy, it’s important to stop ingesting caffeine as soon as possible.
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