The drinkable medicine is coffee

This is the 4007 article

of Medical Care

Invigorating and refreshing

Coffee is also a good “Chinese medicine”

Coffee trees are native to the highlands of southwestern Ethiopia, Africa. The word Coffee comes from the Arabic “قهوة (qahwa)”, which means “plant drink”.

Until the 15th century AD, coffee cultivation and production were monopolized by the Arabs. It was mainly used in medicine and religion at that time, and doctors and monks admitted that coffee has the functions of refreshing, refreshing, strengthening the stomach, strengthening the body, and stopping bleeding. At the end of the 16th century, coffee was introduced to Europe in the name of “Islamic wine” through the business of Venetian merchants and the Dutch hegemony at sea. With the competition of classes, the value of coffee has also risen with the tide, and even the title of “black gold” has emerged.

As an exotic tropical plant, coffee was introduced very late in my country, and it is rarely recorded in traditional Chinese medicine books. However, in recent years, coffee, one of the three major beverages in the world, has gradually been loved by Chinese people and has become an important daily drink for fashion and deliciousness.

Coffee has a special aroma and bitterness. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that aromatic substances can refresh the mind, while bitterness penetrates the heart meridian. Therefore, drinking coffee regularly can refresh the mind. , The role of eliminating fatigue, very suitable for office workers. Modern medical research also believes that coffee can easily pass through the blood-brain barrier and stimulate the central nervous system, which can make the mind more awake, responsive, and improve work efficiency.

Coffee is acrid and warm, which can disperse dampness and help yang, so it can help kidney yang and diuresis, which can increase urine output and eliminate abdominal distension and edema. . Therefore, there are traditional Chinese medicines combined with coffee daily drinking to regulate damp-heat dysentery or prostatic hyperplasia accompanied by damp-heat, and the curative effect is very good. Especially in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia, drinking coffee often has analgesic and anti-proliferative effects.

Coffee can also speed up metabolism and has the effect of suppressing wind and spasm. Stroke, Parkinson’s disease and other diseases with syncope, tremor, and paralysis as the main manifestations belong to the category of wind syndrome and spasm syndrome in traditional Chinese medicine. You can drink coffee in moderation. Modern Chinese medicine research believes that taking broad beans with coffee can effectively control tremors and prevent Parkinson’s.

Although coffee is good, it should be consumed in moderation. It is recommended to drink 1 cup every morning. Excessive drinking will affect normal sleep, reduce the chance of women getting pregnant, and may also cause osteoporosis.

Don’t drink coffee on an empty stomach

Because coffee can stimulate gastric acid secretion, especially people with gastric ulcers should be cautious. Coffee should not be taken with ibuprofen. Ibuprofen has a stimulating effect on the gastric mucosa, and the caffeine in coffee can also stimulate the gastric mucosa and promote gastric acid secretion. If you drink coffee immediately after taking ibuprofen, it will aggravate the irritation of the gastric mucosa.

Coffee, as a drink, should be consumed in moderation according to individual circumstances. Generally speaking, in nutrition, a balanced diet is emphasized and spicy food is less used.

Patients with high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, arteriosclerosis and other diseases who drink coffee for a long time or in large quantities are not good for cardiovascular disease, because the caffeine in coffee may cause blood pressure to rise. Emotional stress can have a dangerous additive effect, and people with high blood pressure should avoid caffeinated beverages during times of stressful work.

Coffee with milk is more delicious. You can add a little milk when drinking coffee, especially for middle-aged and elderly people.The taste is more smooth, and it can also prevent the loss of bone calcium and prevent osteoporosis.

Author: The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Wang Jianping