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The Health Benefits of Coffee
- By Carson Adley
- Published 01/1/2010
- Food and Drinks
Carson Adley
View all articles by Carson Adley
According to a recent study by Harvard researchers, coffee is actually good for you—as long as it’s drunk in moderation, of course.
Coffee drinking has been known to decrease the risk of certain types of cancer. For example, coffee drinkers are 50 per cent less likely to get liver cancer than those who abstain from the drink. Various other studies have shown coffee also reduces the risk of oral, oesophageal, pharyngeal, colon and rectal cancer.
Coffee also seems to reduce the risk of Parkinson’s disease, in men anyhow. Women don’t share this benefit, which, according to some researches, may be due to oestrogen.
There’s also information that suggests coffee drinking helps prevent type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Coffee is believed to have chemicals that lower blood sugar, along with antioxidants that reduce inflammation and protect blood vessel walls.
Moderate coffee drinkers also have a reduced risk of developing Alzheimer's disease or dementia later in life. In fact, the studies showed that the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease was reduced very significantly in coffee drinkers.
And for a more general benefit: Those who drink coffee are actually less likely to die prematurely. This was especially true of women coffee drinkers, who had a premature death rate 26 per cent lower than that of non-drinkers; research at Harvard Medical School and in Spain has showed this to be consistently true.
As to why it’s true, however, there’s a lot of room for interpretation. It may be the case that cof
fee drinking runs parallel with certain lifestyles. For example, if busy people are more likely to drink coffee, then it could, in fact, be the case that busy people are less likely to die prematurely. Nonetheless, combined with many of the known health benefits of coffee, there’s good reason to believe it’s more than coincidence.
Nonetheless, coffee can have some negative effects. For those who drink coffee very regularly, caffeine addiction can and often does occur. In addition, too much caffeine can lead to anxiety and sleeping disturbances. However, the key to avoiding these less pleasant effects is simple: Drink coffee in moderation. Also, don’t drink coffee right before you’re about to go to bed. Use common sense. After all, when consumed at a reasonable yet regular rate, it appears that coffee does a lot of good.
In fact, because coffee makes the drinker more alert, it can also contribute to, on some occasions, safety. For instance, when driving. Driving while sleepy causes more injury and death than drinking and driving. It’s a very serious problem, but a hard one to avoid with our busy lifestyles. A cup of coffee in the morning can rid you of drowsiness very quickly. This way, by the time you’re on the road, the caffeine will have kicked in, keeping you alert—and safe—on the road.
Ultimately, coffee, while it can be over-consumed, still has an abundance of benefits that make it a good habit. So if you’re one of many people who drink coffee regularly (a cup or a few small cups a day), don’t worry about it. And if you’re especially health-conscious, consider buying organic coffee, which may be even healthier due to the fact that it’s grown chemical-free.
Coffee drinking has been known to decrease the risk of certain types of cancer. For example, coffee drinkers are 50 per cent less likely to get liver cancer than those who abstain from the drink. Various other studies have shown coffee also reduces the risk of oral, oesophageal, pharyngeal, colon and rectal cancer.
Coffee also seems to reduce the risk of Parkinson’s disease, in men anyhow. Women don’t share this benefit, which, according to some researches, may be due to oestrogen.
There’s also information that suggests coffee drinking helps prevent type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Coffee is believed to have chemicals that lower blood sugar, along with antioxidants that reduce inflammation and protect blood vessel walls.
Moderate coffee drinkers also have a reduced risk of developing Alzheimer's disease or dementia later in life. In fact, the studies showed that the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease was reduced very significantly in coffee drinkers.
And for a more general benefit: Those who drink coffee are actually less likely to die prematurely. This was especially true of women coffee drinkers, who had a premature death rate 26 per cent lower than that of non-drinkers; research at Harvard Medical School and in Spain has showed this to be consistently true.
As to why it’s true, however, there’s a lot of room for interpretation. It may be the case that cof
Nonetheless, coffee can have some negative effects. For those who drink coffee very regularly, caffeine addiction can and often does occur. In addition, too much caffeine can lead to anxiety and sleeping disturbances. However, the key to avoiding these less pleasant effects is simple: Drink coffee in moderation. Also, don’t drink coffee right before you’re about to go to bed. Use common sense. After all, when consumed at a reasonable yet regular rate, it appears that coffee does a lot of good.
In fact, because coffee makes the drinker more alert, it can also contribute to, on some occasions, safety. For instance, when driving. Driving while sleepy causes more injury and death than drinking and driving. It’s a very serious problem, but a hard one to avoid with our busy lifestyles. A cup of coffee in the morning can rid you of drowsiness very quickly. This way, by the time you’re on the road, the caffeine will have kicked in, keeping you alert—and safe—on the road.
Ultimately, coffee, while it can be over-consumed, still has an abundance of benefits that make it a good habit. So if you’re one of many people who drink coffee regularly (a cup or a few small cups a day), don’t worry about it. And if you’re especially health-conscious, consider buying organic coffee, which may be even healthier due to the fact that it’s grown chemical-free.