The Health Benefits of Drinking Coffee

 

Health Benefits of Coffee

You have to admit it.  A great cup of coffee is one of life’s simple pleasures.  

Coffee holds a place of honor in many of our daily rituals.  It’s often the first thing we sip in the morning, the mid-afternoon reboot, and the perfect accompaniment with that scrumptious dessert after dinner.  We study coffee’s traits and cherish the moments we share it with friends.  Now there’s good news for those who love coffee because medical research is finding that coffee appears to be great for your health. 

Researchers have discovered what they consider to be hundreds of healthful compounds found in coffee.  One of the most important finding is that coffee is very high in antioxidants.  In fact according to The Mayo Clinic, coffee provides coffee-drinkers with more antioxidants than any other food or drink in their diet.   

Coffee Contains a Large Amount of Antioxidants

Some of the predominant types of antioxidants found in coffee are called polyphenols, which basically are chemicals that lower or stop the destructive oxidation of the body’s cells, boost the body’s immunity, and assist in the repair of the body’s tissues. 

Chlorogenic acid, a type of “super star” polyphenol found in coffee is especially helpful in reducing inflammation in the body and protecting the cells in the brain.  It’s thought to aid in human cognition, act as an antibacterial agent, and lower the risk of many diseases such as diabetes, Parkinson’s Disease, Alzheimer’s, heart disease, stroke and perhaps even obesity. 

Chlorogenic acid also assists in lowering blood pressure.  How is this possible?  Doesn’t coffee raise blood pressure through caffeine?

It appears that chlorogenic acid reduces inflammation and aids in the release of the body’s nitric oxide.  Arteries relax, and the linings of arteries function better.  Blood pressure rises temporarily in the short term but thanks in part to antioxidant health benefits, blood pressure is not a long term problem attributed to coffee. 

Researchers are also discovering that polyphenol compounds in coffee are inhibiting the release of glucose from the small intestine, and reporting that they see the risks of diabetes drop significantly with the intake of each additional cup of coffee they measured.

And it isn’t just caffeinated coffee that is good for your health.  Decaffeinated coffee has been shown to lower glucose levels even better than regular coffee. 

There is a point where the compounds in coffee make a U-turn and become destructive to the human body so you don’t want to take coffee-drinking to extremes.   You’ll want to talk to your doctor to determine just how much coffee is too much for you to drink daily. 

           

“You get the health benefits of coffee up through about the first twenty-four ounces. It's the biggest source of antioxidants for Americans, and we think it helps prevent Alzheimer's and Parkinson's as well.”

                                                                                                              - Dr. Mehmet Oz

  

Coffee Appears to Lower Risk of Breast, Uterine, Prostate and Skin Cancer

Researchers at several well respected institutions are in agreement that drinking coffee appears to have many health benefits for the individual, and may even help to prolong a person’s life. 

Harvard Medical School’s Coffee Study

A 12-year study by researchers at Harvard Medical School found that drinking coffee lowers the body’s levels of insulin and estrogen, two hormones linked to both endometrial cancer (lining of the uterus) and prostate cancer. 

The study followed a group of women ages 34 to 59, and found that those who drank 4 or more cups of coffee per day had a 25% lower risk of endometrial cancer.   

Women who drank 5 or more cups of coffee were also found to be 57% less likely to develop a type of high-risk breast cancer.

But it wasn’t just women who benefited from drinking coffee.

Harvard researchers found that men who drank 6 or more cups of coffee per day had a 60% lower risk of developing the most deadly form of prostate cancer, and a 20% lower risk of developing any type of prostate cancer.  Chlorogenic acid and another compound found in coffee, caffeic acid, seem to slow or halt the formation of harmful proteins that destroy the cells of the pancreas when these proteins collect in the body. 

This study also found that men who drank at least 3 cups of fully caffeinated coffee daily were also less like to develop basal cell carcinoma type of skin cancer. 

The Harvard study was concluded in 2012, and results were then published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute in 2013.

National Institutes of Health’s Coffee Study

Another long term study, this time at the National Institutes of Health, observed 400,000 men and women over 13 years (excluding those with pre-existing health issues) and found that the more coffee that subjects drank, the longer the subject’s longevity. 

NIH reported that people in their study group (comprised of 50-71 year olds) who were coffee drinkers were less like to die than non-coffee drinkers, and those that did die where less likely to die of specific diseases like infection, respiratory diseases or heart diseases. 

Keeping the Coffee Drinking Habit Alive

The benefits of coffee drinking aren’t limited to the research findings of one or two studies at one or two hospitals or universities.  Teams are arriving at similar conclusions in studies both at home and abroad.  Current research findings suggest that drinking coffee can be very beneficial to one’s health and something you may want to pursue.    Talk to your doctor to learn more about a healthy coffee drinking routine.

Thought For the Day

A leaf fluttered in through the window this morning, as if supported by the rays of the sun, a bird settled on the fire escape.  Joy in the task of coffee, joy accompanied me as I walked.

-          Anais Nin