Gastroenterologist Alexander Prikazchikov has warned that drinking coffee can be dangerous for people living with several specific medical conditions, including anxiety disorders and gallstones. Writing on his Telegram channel, the physician explained that the popular caffeinated beverage can exacerbate existing symptoms and trigger acute health issues.
Prikazchikov noted that coffee can worsen feelings of distress for individuals diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. In addition, for those who have gallstones, drinking coffee is capable of provoking a painful episode of biliary colic.
Anxiety disorders are common mental health conditions characterized by persistent feelings of worry, nervousness, or fear. Because caffeine acts as a central nervous system stimulant that increases heart rate and alertness, it can intensify feelings of agitation. Biliary colic occurs when a gallstone temporarily blocks the bile duct, preventing the flow of digestive fluid. The gallbladder, a small pouch located under the liver that stores bile, contracts against the blockage, causing sharp abdominal pain that can last for hours.
Impact on digestive conditions
The doctor added that coffee may also pose a danger to people suffering from irritable bowel syndrome and functional dyspepsia. For patients with these digestive conditions, the drink can increase pain and aggravate other uncomfortable symptoms.
Furthermore, Prikazchikov highlighted that coffee frequently acts as a trigger for heartburn in people with gastroesophageal reflux disease. Gastroesophageal reflux disease, commonly known as GERD, occurs when stomach acid repeatedly flows backward into the tube connecting the mouth and stomach, inflaming the sensitive esophageal lining. Irritable bowel syndrome affects the lower gastrointestinal tract, causing abdominal cramping, gas, and irregular bowel habits, while functional dyspepsia causes persistent upper stomach discomfort without an obvious physical cause.
Regularly consuming unfiltered coffee can also lead to an increase in the level of so-called bad cholesterol in the blood, the physician warned. Unfiltered coffee preparations, such as French press, Turkish coffee, or espresso brewed without paper filters, retain naturally occurring diterpene compounds. Paper filters trap these oils, but unfiltered brews allow them to enter the drink, where they can elevate low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels over time.
Precautionary dietary guidance
The warning regarding coffee follows previous dietary guidance from biotechnologist Elena Zhelyanina, who recommended that certain people refrain from drinking herbal teas. Those who should avoid herbal infusions include pregnant women, nursing mothers, and children.
Herbal teas are brewed from dried herbs, flowers, seeds, or roots, containing active botanical compounds that can exert pharmacological effects on the human body. Healthcare providers frequently advise pregnant and breastfeeding women to exercise caution with herbal products because active plant substances can cross the placenta or pass into breast milk, potentially affecting developing infants or young children.
