Coffee

Coffee and tea are quickly becoming one of the largest exports of many countries around the world as coffee and tea drinkers quickly spend over $20 billion annually for their daily cup of caffeine. Twenty billion is nothing to be scoffed at these days.

We often hear the dangers of drinking caffeine such as insomnia, headaches, and raised blood pressure (which is not good if you have hypertension). But are there any benefits to drinking coffee?

Here are some interesting facts about the average coffee drinker who drinks three to four cups of coffee each day:

• Regular coffee drinkers have about 1/3 less asthma symptoms than those of non-coffee drinkers according to a Harvard researcher who studied 20,000 people.

• A Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program study of 128,934 nurses found that coffee drinkers were significantly less likely to commit suicide than nondrinkers.

• Average coffee drinkers can have three or four cups of coffee every day without any health risk.

• One study found that coffee drinkers have poorer health habits than those who drank no coffee.

• Some heavy alcohol drinkers who also drink coffee regularly have less incidence of liver damage than expected.

• Another study found that people who drank three to four cups of coffee each day had an 80% lower risk of cirrhosis of the liver and a 25% less chance of contracting colon cancer when compared to drinking no coffee at all.

• Coffee can cause insomnia, and a common complaint among coffee drinkers is that the caffeine disturbs their sleep.

• Another study found that non coffee drinkers are five times more likely to develop Parkinson’s disease than coffee drinkers and those who drank three to four cups of coffer per day

These are some very interesting facts about the average coffee drinker who drinks three to four cups a day. They have a lower incidence of some problems such as colon cancer and Parkinson’s, while at the same time they have poorer health habits.

The poorer health habits probably stem from grabbing a cup of coffee in the morning as they head out the door rather than sitting and eating a healthy breakfast. Then for lunch, in the middle of a busy day, they might grab another cup of coffee.

Another characteristic is the coffee drinker who has to have something sweet with their coffee. Instead of having an apple or banana for an afternoon coffee break, they have a cup of coffee with a donut. That sounds delicious, but it is not healthy.

Another poor habit is the coffee drinker who drinks to stay awake after being up till late the night before. Getting very little sleep might not seem unhealthy, but it tears down your body’s defenses and leaves you in a weakened condition for an assortment of diseases.

Many coffee drinkers also neglect to drink an adequate amount of water each day. In between coffee cups be sure to get in your eight eight-ounce glasses of water that your body needs each day.

According to these studies, coffee drinkers apparently get some health benefits from coffee. They would get even more benefit if they coupled that with healthy habits such as exercising, eating right, drinking plenty of water, and getting a good sleep.

Carol Stack has written numerous articles and reviews about coffee and related items. She lives with her husband, three children, and various dogs and cats in the United States. Carol and her sister Barbara are constantly adding to their website dedicated to the enjoyment of coffee. Visit it at: http://www.coffeeloversportal.com

Author: Carol Stack
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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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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For years, the news about coffee vacillated between positive and negative. At the same time, study after study extolled the health virtues of tea. But a flurry of new research suggests that coffee offers nearly as many health perks while protecting against a number of diseases.

All this is not to suggest you should start gulping endless cups of java if you’re not already a coffee lover. After all, excessive coffee intake may have a downside for some people. But if you like your daily “cuppa joe,” you can take some pleasure in knowing your coffee habit has finally been vindicated.

Antioxidants and More

A few years back, headlines trumpeted the news that coffee was the number one source of antioxidants in the American diet. It earned that claim not because it’s richer in antioxidants than fruits or vegetables, but because we drink so much of the stuff.

One of the prime antioxidants in coffee is methylpyridinium, which may help protect against colon cancer. This may explain the findings from a recent study that found women who drank three or more cups of coffee a day had half the risk of colon cancer as that of nondrinkers.

Another coffee antioxidant, chlorogenic acid, has been shown to inhibit liver cancer. In one study, for every two cups of coffee the participants drank, there was a 43 percent reduced risk of liver cancer. This same substance slows the intestines’ absorption of glucose and might help explain coffee’s protective effect against type 2 diabetes

Here’s something else you probably didn’t know: Coffee is the main dietary source of the trace element boron. Biologist Curtiss Hunt at the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center found that an eight ounce cup of instant coffee contains about 57 mcg. of boron. An essential nutrient for plants, one study found that dietary boron reduced the amount of insulin in the blood required to maintain proper glucose levels. Plus it’s one of the minerals necessary for strong bones.

Coffee is also a surprising source of more familiar minerals and nutrients, including chromium, magnesium and niacin. What’s more, a cup of coffee contains about one-third as much potassium as found in a small banana.

Coffee and Heart Health

Additional antioxidant compounds in coffee – caffeic, p-coumaric, and ferulic acids – may curb cardiovascular disease by protecting low-density lipoproteins (LDLs, the “bad” cholesterol) from oxidation, fending off inflammation and improving blood vessel function.

In 2006, Norwegian researchers found that older women drinking one to three cups of coffee daily were 24 percent less likely to die of cardiovascular disease than non-drinkers. Another study in 2007 found that people age 65 and over who consume four or more servings of caffeine daily had a lower risk of death from heart disease.

But curb your enthusiasm. Because the caffeine in coffee has a short-term elevating effect on blood pressure, people who drink one cup after another may keep their blood pressure high for periods long enough to risk heart trouble.

Coffee’s long-term effect on blood pressure has long been debated, and should be weighed against any possible benefits. A 2007 Finnish study of 24,710 healthy men and women, ages 25 to 64, found that over an average 13.2-year follow-up period, those drinking two to three cups of coffee daily were 29 percent more likely to start drug treatment for high blood pressure. The lesson here? Moderation is key when it comes to coffee, if you suffer from hypertension.

Brain Benefits

Anybody who’s experienced coffee’s morning wake-up call to the brain knows that it can temporarily help sharpen thinking. But coffee may also boost brain function in more lasting ways. A European study of 676 healthy men found that those consuming three cups of coffee daily suffered significantly less cognitive decline over 10 years than non-drinkers. And in 2007, a French study concluded that older women who drank at least three cups of coffee daily were 18 percent less likely to develop problems with verbal recall and 33 percent less prone to memory problems. And new evidence shows that middle-aged coffee drinkers slash their risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease later in life compared with those drinking no coffee or only a little. In fact, those who drank three to five cups a day cut their risk by an impressive 65 percent!

Other research shows that coffee may defend against Parkinson’s disease. A notable Finnish study found that drinking 10 cups of coffee a day slashed the risk of developing Parkinson’s by as much as 84 percent. Researchers suggested that the caffeine in coffee might stimulate dopamine, the brain chemical lacking in the disease.

From Gallstones to Gout

Coffee also seems to protect against both gallstones and kidney stones. In two large studies, people who drank two to three cups a day of caffeinated coffee were less likely to develop gallstones than nondrinkers. Decaf coffee didn’t protect against gallstones, but it did keep kidney stones at bay, perhaps simply by boosting total liquids.

And then there’s gout, a painful inflammatory condition that first attacks the big toe and then spreads to other joints. In the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, Harvard researchers found that coffee consumption was linked to a lower blood level of uric acid – the substance linked to this type of arthritic disease. People who drank six or more cups a day were 40 percent less likely to develop gout. Decaf was also linked to a modest reduction in gout, suggesting that something other than caffeine could be credited.

One Last Thing …

Despite coffee’s growing list of benefits, the caffeinated version still may not be ideal for some people. If you’re concerned that coffee is keeping you up at night, try decaf or drink it earlier in the day. However, if you suffer from gastroesophageal reflux (GERD), be aware that decaf coffee has been shown to aggravate reflux as much as the caffeinated kind.

Caffeine is also often mentioned as a trigger for migraines, so sufferers should moderate their intake. Less clear is whether caffeine can aggravate arrhythmias or raise the risk of breast cancer in women with benign breast disease. The latest findings from Harvard’s Women’s Health Study suggest an increased risk for women who drink four or more cups of coffee daily. However, in the Iowa Women’s Health Study, no link was found.

While the jury is still out on these few potential problems, the news is generally good for people who enjoy coffee. The news is so positive, in fact, that coffee may be the new milk with the ability to claim that it “does a body good!”

Research Brief …

It’s common knowledge that most people tend to gain weight and lose bone as they age – neither of which is particularly healthy. But here’s the problem: If you try to lose unwanted weight, it only promotes more bone loss – increasing the risk of fractures and the dangerous complications that accompany them. The dilemma then is how to lose those extra pounds without doing damage to your bones. A study designed to answer that exact question provides some answers.

The research, from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign and Pennsylvania State University, studied 130 men and women, aged 30 to 65. The people in the one-year study ate one of two low-calorie diets: A reduced-calorie diet that provided either the currently recommended intake of 0.36 grams of protein per pound of body weight, plus two servings of low-fat dairy a day, or 0.64 grams of protein per pound of body weight with three daily servings of low-fat dairy.

The researchers found that the weight-loss diet with nearly twice the recommended amount of protein and three servings a day of low-fat dairy not only improved calcium intake, but was much more effective at preserving bone mass during weight loss -  especially when compared to the lower protein (and higher carbohydrate) weight-loss diet. These findings add to the growing amount of evidence that high-protein diets do not leach calcium from bones, as long as calcium intake is adequate. So, when you cut back on calories, be sure to get plenty of high-quality protein, including three servings of low-fat dairy a day, to protect your bones while you’re paring pounds.

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References:

Eskelinen MH, Ngandu T, Tuomilehto J, et al. “Midlife coffee and tea drinking and the risk of late-life dementia: a population-based CAIDE study.” Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. 2009;16:85-91.

Je Y, Liu W, Giovannucci E. Coffee consumption and risk of colorectal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies.” International Journal of Cancer. 2009;124:1662-1668.

Mukamal KJ, Hallqvist J, Hammar N, et al. “Coffee consumption and mortality after acute myocardial infarction: the Stockholm Heart Epidemiology Program.” American Heart Journal. 2009;157:495-501.

Thorpe MP, Jacobson EH, Layman DK, et al. “A diet high in protein, dairy, and calcium attenuates bone loss over twelve months of weight loss and maintenance relative to a conventional high-carbohydrate diet in adults.” Journal of Nutrition. 2008;138:1096-1100.

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Author: Bonnie Jenkins
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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For years experts have debated the effects of coffee drinking on the human body. Is it good for us? Is it bad for us? Most coffee lovers didn’t care. Nothing would part them from their morning cup of caffeine. Now the final word is in-coffee is good for us. Some studies even find the more we drink, the healthier we are.

Most people who enjoy a good cup of coffee know it increases mental alertness but what other benefits do we get from our morning cup? Study after study finds that coffee contains the same type of antioxidants found in green tea and fruits and vegetables. Antioxidants protect our bodies against the cell damage caused by free radicals-a major cause of aging and disease.

Here are just a few of the studies supporting the benefits of coffee drinking:

1. An ongoing Nurses Health Study of 85,000 female nurses found that even 6 cups of coffee a day did not increase the risk of heart attack.

2. The Harvard School of Public Health study of 125,000 individuals who drank 6 to 8 cups of caffienated coffee daily actually found it lowered the risk of type II diabetes risk 50% in men and 30% in women.

3. Another study found that non coffee drinkers are five times more likely to develop Parkinson’s disease than coffee drinkers and those who drank 3 to 4 cups of coffer per day had an 80% lower risk of cirrhosis of the liver and a 25% less chance of contracting colon cancer when compared to drinking no coffee at all.

So far no major study has found anything harmful about coffee drinking. If a woman is pregnant or nursing, she should always follow the instructions of her doctor.

What kind of coffee offers the most benefits?

Studies haven’t addressed such issues as how freshness, brewing techniques and caffeinated or decaffeinated coffee affects the nutrition. It would seem obvious however, that the fresher your cup coffee is, the better. If you’d like to get the most flavor and nutritional benefit you can, buy whole coffee beans and grind your own as you use them. Coffee grinders are inexpensive and simple to use. Grind just enough for your daily pot of coffee.

Once you try this method, you’ll never want to go back to purchasing pre-ground coffee. That burst of taste and heavenly aroma is well worth the trouble.

Tips for storing your coffee to preserve the flavor and freshness:

Have you ever purchased a large bag of coffee, either ground or beans, and then put it in the freezer, thinking this would preserve the freshness? The enemies of coffee flavor and freshness are air, moisture and heat. In both the freezer and refrigerator, coffee is exposed to moisture which is absorbed by the porous beans. Freezing also breaks down the oils in your beans, destroying flavor.

If you absolutely have to buy in bulk and know you won’t use that amount in a week or two, then freezing is an option if you divide the beans up into what you will use in one week periods. Put each portion into a zip-loc bag, squeeze out all the air possible and then wrap it again in plastic wrap. Take out only enough for two weeks at a time and never re-freeze.

What works best to keep your coffee fresh and flavorful is an air-tight container with a rubber seal. Store this container in a cool, dark place. A good rule of thumb is to buy only what you will use within 2 weeks for the most flavorful coffee.

Coffee hint: The strength of your cup of morning coffee doesn’t depend on the type of coffee you purchase, only the amount of grounds you use. For a more power-packed cup, simply use more grounds when you make your coffee.

Wondering what to do with your leftover coffee and coffee grounds? The same antioxidants which are good for you will also feed your plants. Add a little water to your leftover coffee and use it to water your house plants or outside plants. Coffee grounds are useful too. If you have a compost pile, both coffee grounds and filters add nitrogen. If you don’t have a compost pile, just sprinkle the grounds around the base of your plants and water them in.

Want some recipes to add nutritious coffee to your diet? Go to http://www.Path2HealthyLiving.com/CoffeeRecipes.html/

© Copyright 2006 by Joan Jones

Joan Jones is an award-winning freelance journalist who has written on health, nutrition, healthy recipes, home and garden. For more good health tips and recipes, go to http://Path2HealthyLiving.com/

Author: Joan Jones
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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