Coffee: Benefits to your health?

What was bad news is now good news for coffee lovers. Earlier findings showed that coffee might raise the risk of major diseases and linked to everything from headaches to cancer. However new research published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, of more than 100,000 coffee lovers, including 84,000 women showed that women who drank two or three cups of coffee a day were 25 percent less likely to die of heart disease (the number one killer for women). Coffee drinkers were also found 18 percent less likely to die from something other than cancer or heart disease.

Latest research shows that the coffee habit may actually help you live longer, reduce your risk of premature death, protects you from other ailments. According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, people over 65 who drank four or more cups of coffee a day had a 53 percent lower risk of heart disease than non-coffee-drinkers. It may also lower the risk of type 2 diabetes, protect your brain against Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease, gallstones and fight against liver and colon cancer by filtering out pollutants and keeping your digestive system running smoothly.

Why a sudden findings change? Simply because most early studies focused on caffeine, and some – such as those studies that show female coffee-drinkers had a higher risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis (RA) than non-drinkers – failed to account for other risk factors, such as smoking, diet or alcohol consumption. Latest research is looking beyond caffeine to evaluate other substances in coffee, including antioxidants and other substances that provide health benefits to help protect cells in the body against damage.

A recent study by Joe A. Vinson, a chemistry professor at the University of Scranton -Pennsylvania, it was found that Antioxidants in a cup of coffee, regardless of whether or not your coffee is caffeinated, are quantitatively superior source of antioxidants to those in a typical serving of grapes, dates, blueberries, raspberries, and oranges. Coffee may be the primary source of antioxidants as we simply consume more coffee than any other source of antioxidants.

“Because Americans drink so much coffee, they get more of their antioxidants from coffee than from any other dietary source. Nothing else comes close,” says Joe Vinson. 

They concluded that the average adult consumes 1,299 mg antioxidants daily from coffee. The closest second largest source was tea at 294 mg. The next highest source was bananas at 76 mg, dry beans at 72 mg and corn at 48 mg, the typical adult American.

It does not mean that one should stop eating fruits and vegetable which, of course, have a much higher nutritional value; higher content of vitamins, minerals and fiber. Sadly to say that the Americans do not eat enough fruits and vegetables but rather in the average they drink 1.64 cups of coffee daily coffee is the largest source of antioxidants according to the Agriculture Department.

Overall, the decision to consume coffee should be based on your personal health profile. Drink accordingly. Also, keep in mind that, like any other herb or other substance you might consume, dosage is very important. Few people will be especially bothered by one or two cups of coffee, however, on the negative sides, coffee can cause a number of problems for susceptible individuals, particularly for those gulping down in large doses per day.