An expert spoke about the harm of coffee drinks

Ekaterina Kashukh, a gastroenterologist and expert physician at the Hemotest laboratory, told Izvestia on November 26 about the differences between ground and instant coffee, as well as the health risks associated with excessive consumption of coffee drinks.

"As far as coffee is concerned, it should be understood that in terms of chemical composition, instant coffee does not differ much from ground coffee, and the slight difference is explained by the way coffee powder or granules are made. <...> In terms of vitamins and antioxidants, instant coffee loses slightly to ground coffee: there are fewer valuable substances in it," explained Kashukh.

According to her, the main difference between instant and ground coffee is the level of caffeine, which activates the central nervous system, improves wakefulness and concentration. One cup of instant coffee contains 30 to 90 mg of caffeine, while the same amount of ground coffee contains 70 to 140 mg. Excessive caffeine consumption can lead to increased anxiety, cause cardiovascular disease, and increase gastric juice production, which can aggravate symptoms of gastritis or stomach ulcers.

Soluble coffee has a higher concentration of acrylamide, a chemical compound that has carcinogenic properties. This indicates that it may increase the chances of cancer. However, according to studies, its content in instant coffee is not so high as to be harmful to health. It is only important to stick to moderation, the doctor explained.

"Caffeine is an alkaloid contained in coffee beans. <...> On the one hand, the lower the concentration of caffeine, the less potential harm. One cup of instant coffee may not have the desired effect - it doesn't invigorate as well. As a result, people often drink too much coffee," the expert said.

The expert also noted that in good health you can use up to 400 ml of coffee a day. Those who suffer from insomnia, peptic ulcer disease or inflammatory bowel disease should reduce the amount of coffee or completely exclude it from the diet. People with diabetes and obesity are advised to avoid three-in-one coffee drinks because of their high sugar content.

Earlier, on November 24, Dmitry Semiryadov, a nutritionist and nutritionist, told Izvestia about the benefits and harms of coffee. Caffeine is a stimulant, which, like all other substances of this group, can cause addiction and side effects.