The amount of caffeine in coffee differs depending on where in the world it’s from, and in an eye-opening experience, Lorraine realised that the Ethiopian version is incredibly strong, after the consumption of two cups left her on the cusp of a heart attack.
It’s fair to say that the United Kingdom is coffee-mad. From waking up in the morning to a steaming cup of Joe, dashing into Starbucks on your way to work, or even doing the drink-round for your friends at the office, as per the CBI Ministry of Home Affairs, 70% of us are drinking coffee at least twice a day.
And like the rest of us, Lorraine needs her fix. However, she’s far more concerned with the potential side effects than she used to be.
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Recent reports revealed that the country is currently indulging in up to 100million cups of coffee a day. And the television show host was joined by Dr Hilary Jones and Dr Amir Khan to discuss the positive and negative aspects of the popular drink.
Dr Hilary said: “It depends on the individual and their caffeine tolerance. It depends on the type of coffee you’re drinking. According to a study published in the British Medical Journal, drinking coffee is associated with a 17% reduction in mortality compared to people who don’t drink it all.
“There’s also a 16% lower risk of dying from a heart attack and a 30% reduced risk of dying from a stroke. That’s interesting, why? Coffee contains polyphenols, which are antioxidants which help us not to rust inside if you like.”
Lorraine laughed before the medical professional added: “Some people get horrible palpitations when others don’t get them at all.” The comment prompted Lorraine to relive a traumatic experience in which her health was on the line.
She confessed: “That happened to me. I had two really unbelievably strong Ethiopian coffees, tiny, tiny, and I thought I was having a heart attack, my heart started thumping, I was all sweaty, it was really quite scary.”
But while the incident left the Scot concerned for her health, it’s now given her an insight into how dangerous too much caffeine can be. At this point, Dr Amir jumped in to provide his expertise.
He explained: “It is scary as it’s all to do with the amount of caffeine in coffee. Now, coffee does have health benefits, but too much of a good thing can be bad for you. Most cups of coffee have about 100 mg of caffeine, compare that to a cup of tea, it’s 45 mg, compared to a can of cola, which is 35mg.
“Too much caffeine can cause headaches, insomnia and those palpitations you experienced, Lorraine, and it can raise your blood pressure as well, so in moderation, you can have about four cups of coffee a day or two if you’re pregnant maximum.”
Lorraine airs weekdays at 9am on ITV
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
