Health Benefits Of Coffee

Coffee and Health - Are There Any Health Benefits Gained By Drinking Coffee?

The last 25 years has seen the growth of a cottage industry in the study of the health effects of drinking coffee. And no wonder with over 400 million cups of coffee consumed each day throughout the world. But for decades health workers warned that the habit might be unsafe.

Now, recent studies show the opposite is more likely to be the case.

Caffeine, one of the main ingredients in coffee, has long been known to be a mild stimulant. That can raise blood pressure, increase heart rate and produce the occasional irregular heart beat. But most researchers now believe the effect is mild and short-lived.

By contrast, the emerging data about the health benefits of coffee consumption are numerous and diverse.

There's strong evidence that coffee reduces the odds of developing colon cancer, but only at higher levels of consumption. Four or more cups a day. Unfortunately, that high an intake may well outweigh any health benefits.

But other health benefits can accrue from drinking even moderate levels of coffee.

• Coffee, like wine, contains anti-oxidants that help prevent heart disease and certain cancers by removing cell-destroying oxygen radicals from the blood.
• Some studies say the concentration of antioxidants in coffee is greater than that found in cranberries, apples or tomatoes. Scientists, however, point to the many other valuable vitamins, minerals and fibers in fruit and vegetables.
• Apart from the obvious contribution to mental alertness, Chinese studies strongly suggest that coffee can help reduce the effects of Parkinson's disease.
• American and Scandinavian studies both suggest that decaf and regular coffee help reduce the risk of type-2 diabetes. Good news for the Scandinavians who have the highest per capita consumptionof coffee in the world.
• There's some evidence that health benefits of coffee may reduce the risk of developing kidney stones and gallstones. Other digestive system benefits have also been seen. Caffeine increases the secretion of stomach acid, which aids digestion.
• Caffeine has been shown to reduce constriction of airways in asthma sufferers, with moderate consumption. In addition to the caffeine, coffee contains theophylline, a bronchodilator which helps the effect.

But those health benefits, not surprisingly, come with some risks.

• Though mammalian sperm swim faster, longer and farther in fluids laced with coffee some studies link heavy coffee drinking with reduced fertility.
• The health benefits of coffee show Increased coffee consumption has been associated with higher blood levels of homocysteine, recently shown to be a risk factor for coronary heart disease.
• Other studies show an increase in LDL-cholesterol (the 'harmful' kind). To what degree these factors actually contribute to heart attacks is a matter of debate.
• Coffee contains cafestol, which is known to raise cholesterol levels, mainly in coffee made by the European method of boiling ground beans in water. Percolated or filtered coffee, favored by most Americans, however, removes it. Decaf coffee may be an exception.
• Women who drink coffee lose more calcium and tend to have less dense bones than non-caffeine consumers. Those who drink four or more cups per day also have twice the risk of urinary incontinence.

All in all though, most agree that the health benefits of coffee, at least at moderate consumption levels, outweigh the risks.

For those heavy coffee drinkers who may still be looking for a substitute, try cola, which contains one-third the amount of caffeine per ounce.

Somehow though,when considering the health benefits of coffee, to me drinking a sugary Coke instead of a chocolatey Mocha or a Latte doesn't seem worth the same risks.