Would you like coffee in the morning? I do, and as I write there is
a steaming cup of dark coffee with me. Not only coffee remains a popular drink
to help start the day, but more and more evidence is showing that there are
many health benefits that can come along with it too.
If you are a moderate drinker of coffee, you have a lower risk of:
Strokes
Arrhythmias
Gallstones
Type 2 Diabetes
Parkinson's disease
Even decaffeinated coffee can help in the case of type 2 diabetes.
In an important study, more than 193 000 people were examined, and
those who drank an average of 6-7 cups of coffee were 35% less likely to be
diagnosed with diabetes.
Those who drank 4-6 cups a day had a 28% lower risk of type 2
diabetes.
Sex, age, weight - none of that mattered; the risk still declined.
In a broader, researchers in Australia study looked at nearly half
a million people - and found a 7% drop in the risk of diabetes for every
additional cup of coffee per day!
In fact, consumption of decaffeinated coffee or black tea reduced
the risk by almost the same amount.
What about stroke and heart disease?
What evidence exists to show that coffee may reduce these risks?
In men, the risk of both heart attack and stroke was reduced when
they were regular coffee drinkers.
For women, only the risk of stroke was reduced.
One possible reason for this gender difference could be an
increased risk of heart attacks in women after menopause, because estrogen
level dropping.
As Parkinson's disease, dementia and AD are the key ingredient in
protection appears caffeine coffee.
A scientific study looked at almost 1,500 people over a period of
20 years.
People who drank 3-5 cups of coffee a day, saw the risk of dementia
and AD was 65% lower compared to those who drank no coffee or had less than 3
cups a day!
Coffee seems to protect the liver from cirrhosis and even liver
cancer. It also appears to protect against gallstones.
Coffee is well known to help improve concentration and can improve
your ability to exercise.
What about coffee, besides caffeine may help reduce the risk of diabetes,
heart disease, stroke, Parkinson's disease, dementia and AD?
Well, at least part of it has to do with the high levels of
antioxidants found in coffee.
Antioxidants are chemicals that are found in foods, especially
superfoods that scavenge free radicals in the body. Free radicals are produced
as a result of normal biochemical reactions in our bodies daily, but are highly
reactive and can damage cell parts. Your body has natural ways to eliminate
free radicals, but it certainly can help the body along if you take extra
antioxidants either superfoods or supplements.
In fact, coffee is one of the best sources of antioxidants that is
readily available.
Science continues to find out how these antioxidants can reduce all
the above diseases, but we know that they do and there are many studies that
prove this. And we know that coffee is rich in antioxidants and course are
unproven health benefits if you drink 3-5 cups a day.
So keep the coffee flowing and stop feeling guilty.
