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Does Coffee Affect the Kidneys?
Coffee has long been an integral part of life, providing both benefits and drawbacks to daily routines. Unfortunately, though, it also seems to have odd effects on certain organs – with cardiovascular system health being affected most severely and stomach discomfort being felt most keenly by coffee consumption. But does coffee affect kidneys at all, and if so, in what ways? Continue reading below to discover this answer!
Before going further, let me give a brief definition of the difference between beans and seeds. The purple-red berries/cherries used to produce your morning cup of joe are technically considered fruits with seeds inside known as coffee beans that make up our daily beverage of coffee. Unfortunately, however, when discussing this matter the term “coffee bean” often refers to both the whole berry as well as its individual seed – leading to considerable confusion.
Pros: Coffee is packed with antioxidants that can improve how your body processes fats and sugars, lower chronic disease risks, stabilize free radicals, fight fatigue and increase focus while fighting fatigue and improving focus. Caffeine also acts as an excellent stimulant that fights fatigue while increasing focus – not to mention having many beneficial effects on GI tract health such as stimulating gastric acid secretion, decreasing gallstone formation, altering intestinal microbiota composition etc.
Cons: Drinking too much coffee may temporarily increase blood pressure. In addition, it may cause headaches and stomach upset as well as being linked with heartburn. Furthermore, caffeine increases calcium in urine production which could potentially lead to kidney stones for those with high levels of oxalate in their bodies.
Kidneys
Caffeine in coffee can be an extremely effective stimulant that can boost both your metabolism and mental alertness, as well as helping prevent diabetes, reduce high blood pressure and even decrease stroke risks. But if you already have kidney conditions or are taking diuretics for high blood pressure treatment, coffee may not be ideal.
Coffee’s caffeine can enter your bloodstream and bind with adenosine receptors in your brain, depending on your genetic makeup, to cause its effects to become noticeable. Once in your liver, an array of enzymes called “caffeine-clearing enzymes” determine whether or not caffeine exerts its full impact. The same principle holds for alcohol or certain medications.