Coffee

Coffee can actually be healthy for you! This is good news for all coffee lovers out there. Many people assume that caffeine is bad for you. Caffeine has been blamed for everything from high blood pressure to cancer. Many people still avoid caffeinated beverages because they worry about the health effects. However, current research reveals that not only is coffee safe but it even offers some health benefits.

Some of the most significant research recently relates to caffeine and diabetes. A study by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health and Brigham and Women’s Hospital found that participants who regularly drank coffee significantly reduced the risk of onset of type 2 diabetes, compared to non-coffee drinking participants. Scientists are quick to caution against increasing your caffeine intake as a way to decrease your risk of diabetes as they aren’t sure why caffeine is beneficial to diabetes and have indicated that more research is needed. However, it does clearly show that coffee may be healthier than people have thought in the past.

In other promising research, at least six studies indicate that people who drink coffee on a regular basis are up to 80% less likely to develop Parkinson’s, with three studies showing the more they drink, the lower the risk. Also, research shows that coffee may reduce the risk of developing gallstones, discourage the development of colon cancer, improve cognitive function and reduce the risk of liver damage in people at high risk for liver disease.

Contrary to popular opinions, coffee can also actually be beneficial to heart health. One study found women who drink two to three cups of coffee a day have a 25% lower risk of heart disease and an 18% lower risk of developing diseases other than cancer than non-coffee drinkers. And, some research indicates that coffee can offset some of the damage caused by other vices. People who smoke and are heavy drinkers have less heart disease and liver damage when they regularly consume large amounts of coffee compared to those who don’t. These health benefits may be linked to the anti-inflammatory properties in coffee as well as its rich supply of antioxidants. On the flip side, however, caffeine is also linked to coronary vasospasms – the cause for 20% of all fatal heart attacks. Both decaf and regular coffee increase cholesterol and homocysteine, the biochemical that is linked to increased risk for heart attack.

More good news about coffee – it also can have beneficial effects that people can relate to on a daily basis. Caffeine can help with headaches as it is a mild analgesic, or painkiller, and it has the ability to increase the availability of other analgesics that it’s combined with. It also can cause blood vessels to constrict which assists with those types of headaches which are caused by the dilation of blood vessels.

Caffeine can improve mood and irritability in some folks. Studies have shown that people report increased well-being, happiness, energy, alertness and sociability after consuming caffeine in moderation. This may be the reason that women who drank coffee were less likely to commit suicide than those who drank none. Beware, however -consuming excessive amounts of caffeine can produce increased anxiety, nervousness, jitteriness, and upset stomach in some people.

Coffee can enhance athletic endurance and performance. Caffeine helps the body burn fat instead of carbohydrates, and it blunts the perception of pain. Both can boost endurance. In fact, caffeine works so well in boosting athletic performance; it used to be on the list of banned substances from the International Olympic Committee. Even though caffeine has now been removed from the list of prohibited substances, the controversy continues as experts differ in their opinions as to whether caffeine consumption on the day of performance can give an athlete an unfair advantage or not.

Why is coffee healthy? This is largely attributed to the antioxidants present in coffee. In fact, a recent study found that coffee is the No.1 source of antioxidants in the U.S., largely because Americans drink so much of it. Coffee has large amounts of antioxidants such as chlorogenic acid and tocopherols, and minerals such as magnesium which are beneficial in a variety of ways. For example, antioxidants help quell inflammation, which might explain coffee’s effect in inflammation-related diseases like diabetes and heart disease. Magnesium in coffee might help make cells more sensitive to insulin.

This is not to say that coffee is not completely innocent or that you should drink coffee to prevent disease. Caffeine, coffee’s main ingredient, is a mildly addictive stimulant. And coffee does have modest cardiovascular effects such as increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, and occasional irregular heartbeat that should be considered. However, the studies clearly show that consuming coffee in moderation definitely can have beneficial effects on your health.

Conclusion: There is no health reason to avoid consuming caffeine or coffee. If you enjoy it, go ahead and drink it in moderation. However, if your goal is to prevent disease, it is too early in the research to say that coffee is a health drink.

Rachel Nielsen is a coffee lover and a coffee fanatic. See her website The Java Press for a more complete coffee resource guide.

Author: Rachel Nielsen
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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The source of controversy over coffee is it’s most studied (though not necessary largest) element, caffeine. Caffeine, generally considered to be the most widely used drug in America and Europe is an often powerful central nervous system stimulant that, in some people, can cause modest increases in blood pressure and heart rate, arrhythmia, anxiety and sleeplessness.

A normal person can cope with 300 milligrams of coffee a day- that’s about three cups of coffee. However, response to caffeine can be as individual as a fingerprint.

The beauty of coffee is that, unlike many other caffeinated beverages, it has a way of tipping off the body when enough is enough. If you’ve walked into a Starbucks or a meeting you’ll notice a lot of half-drunk cups lying around. At a subliminal level, there’s an automatic stop with coffee. You don’t even have to think about it.

But a lot of people have been worrying about their coffee drinking since some research studies have linked coffee drinking to heart disease, cancer and even birth defects.

Below are some answers to some questions of the most troubling questions you may have about coffee.

1. Will coffee make you nervous and irritable?

It can. The most common side effects are nervousness and insomnia. Whether or not you experience them depends largely on how much caffeine you are taking in and your individual susceptibility. According to Dr. Kroger Ph.D professor of food science at Pennsylvania of Food technologist, “people should learn to observe their bodies the way they do their cars” because your body will tell you what you can and can’t handle.

You may be drinking too much if you’re unusually nervous, restless or battling with insomnia. You could also be overdosing if you’re experiencing heart palpitations, diarrhea, heartburn or headaches. For some, coffee acts as diuretic so you may have increased urine output.

2. Will coffee keep you up at night?

Your metabolism–specifically how quickly your system eliminates caffeine-may determine whether coffee keeps you up at night. Researchers have found that people who said coffee kept them up consumed less coffee-explained by their bad reaction to it-and eliminated it more slowly from their systems than people who claimed coffee didn’t affect their sleep. Individual metabolism dictates whether coffee will rob your of a good night’s sleep or not.

3. Why do I drink coffee?

It may be the taste or the buzz it gives you. In a Swiss study, volunteers who drunk the equivalent of one cup of coffee admitted to feeling full of ideas with greater vigor alertness and energy.

Other researchers have found that coffee can increase reading speed without increasing errors, improved the capacity for sustained intellectual effort and lead to less aggressive behavior. There is even some indication that coffee increases aerobic capacity, which can give an athlete more staying power. However, it’s important to understand that what coffee gives coffee may take away.

Some folks experience a post stimulation letdown that can make them as tired and lethargic as they are alert and energetic. One problem you can face if you treat coffee as more than simply a satisfying beverage is that you’ll start to reach for more than you can handle just to prolong the kick.

Coffee can be mildly addicting. Any coffee drinker who has given it up cold turkey can tell you about the withdrawal headaches and the bouts of weakness and lethargy which though quite real, aren’t permanent or dangerous

4. Are there any long term health effects from drinking coffee?

Early studies linked caffeine with heart disease and cancer, bust since then most of those findings have been disputed. Most medical experts believe there is no clear evidence supporting them. But moderation is the key. There is some indication that heavy coffee consumption when accompanied by other diet and life style factors may increase cholesterol levels.

5. Are there any special health problems coffee may aggravate?

If you have ulcers or experienced heartburn or gastrointestinal problems, such as esophageal reflux, after drinking coffee you may want to limit your coffee intake or switch to decaffeinated.

Coffee seems to promote gastric secretion. People with hypertension or heat disease who experience an increase in blood pressure or heart arrhythmia when drinking coffee should follow their common sense and switch to decaffeinated coffee or a less stimulating beverage. Coffee can cause modest increases in heart rate and blood pressure and in large amounts-more than 9 cups a day-is associated with arrhythmia.

Another group of people who ought to exercise caution are those with anemia as coffee inhibits the absorption of iron. As well as people who experience panic attacks, such as agoraphobics. Researchers at Yale University found that caffeine produces a more pronounced reaction in people who have panic episodes than in normal, healthy people.

6. How does coffee affect my nutrition?

There is some evidence that coffee can inhibit the absorption of both iron and the B vitamin thiamine. In the case of thiamine, it doesn’t appear to be caffeine that’s the culprit but chlorogenic acid, another coffee ingredient, which is not shed during the decaffeinating process.

7. How can I enjoy coffee without worrying?

Although moderation is the key to coffee comfort, for some the most logical solution is to switch to decaffeinated coffee. Many people can’t tell the difference between decaffeinated and the real thing. But if you can, you might want to stick to either instant or percolated coffee which depending on how strong you make it can contain less caffeine on average tan drip coffee.

Adelaide Kwaning is a ghost writer who writes on a number of different topics regarding health. To read another great article on healthy living visit http://healthmad.com/weight-loss/how-to-eat-more-and-weigh-less/

Author: Adelaide Kwaning
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Guest blogger