- Many Studies Show Benefits Of Drinking Coffee - Planet Coffee
Research has points for both arguments: coffee is both good for the body and can be bad for the body. Most studies promote using coffee in moderation to avoid its possible negative effects such as restlessness, anxiety, irritability, tremors, sleeplessness, headaches, gastrointestinal symptoms and abnormal heart rhythms. However, in one study from Harvard University, researchers suggest the more coffee, the better.
The More the Merrier: Consuming More Coffee May Reduce Risk of Diabetes
The Harvard study, according to WebMD, analyzed 126,000 people for 18 years, and researchers found that compared with those who don’t drink coffee, those who drink coffee reduced their risk of type 2 diabetes. And, in this case, drinking more java daily proved to reduce risks even more. One to three cups of caffeinated coffee a day reduced the risk of diabetes by single digits. But those who drank six or more cups of coffee a day reduced their risk of diabetes by 54 percent in men and 30 percent in women over those who did not drink it at all.
The benefits and risks of America’s favorite morning beverage – and afternoon and evening beverage – has been closely studied all over the world and some 19,000 times in the last few decades. Consider these findings from multiple studies:
- People who drink coffee on a regular basis are up to 80 percent less likely to develop Parkinson’s disease.
- Compared to not drinking coffee, at least two cups daily can result in a 25 percent reduced risk of colon cancer, an 80 percent drop in liver cirrhosis risk and nearly half the risk of gallstones.
- Compared to those who don’t drink coffee, those who regularly consume large amounts of coffee have less heart disease and liver damage from smoking and heavy alcohol consumption.
- There is some evidence that coffee may help asthma, stop a headache, boost moods and prevent cavities.
What Makes Java Healthy?
According to WebMD, some of coffee’s reported benefits are a direct result of its high caffeine content. Having 85 mg of caffeine, an eight-ounce cup of drip-brewed coffee has about three and half times more caffeine than the same serving of tea, pop or one ounce of chocolate.
These high amount of caffeine is what reduces the risk of Parkinson’s disease, treats asthma and cures headaches. The popular pain reliever Excedrin contains 65 mg of caffeine per pill, which is anywhere from 10 mg more and 80 mg less than an eight ounce cup of coffee, depending how it’s made.
Coffee beans also contain high amounts of antioxidants, which are substances, often found in food, that help fight off free radicals in the body and are thought to help fight cancer. Though fruits, vegetables, grains and nuts have much higher amounts of antioxidants than coffee, a study released by the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania showed Americans receive most of their antioxidants from their coffee consumption, which is 1.64 cups a day. The study revealed the average adult consumes 1,299 milligrams of antioxidants daily from coffee, which is four times more than the runner up, tea at 294 milligrams.
As mentioned before, there have been many studies on coffee in recent years. According to some of the studies, other benefits of the drink include better athletic performance from the caffeine, a lesser likelihood of children developing depression when they drink coffee with milk each day and an increased response to insulin.
Sources:
MSNBC.com, "Coffee a top source of healthy antioxidants"
EnergyFeind.com,"Caffeine Contents of Drinks"
WebMD.com,"Coffee: The New Health Food?"
MayoClinic.com, "Coffee: Is It Good or Bad for You?"
Julia Bourque - Having a life-long love of nature, most of my writing is about the natural world and the life connected to it. I am a runner, biker, hiker ...
