There have been more than 20,000 studies to date exploring the heath impacts of coffee. Many prove that coffee, both regular and decaf, are rich in antioxidants. Other studies prove that regular coffee consumption may go so far as reduce the risk of Parkinson’s, type 2 diabetes, several types of cancer, some mood disorders, gallstones, liver cirrhosis, and cavities. Additional studies have found that coffee may protect against dementia, stroke, and skin cancer. Researchers now say that coffee may even extend a person’s lifespan.
Below are results from a few of the most recent studies:
- Finnish researchers reported in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease that after tracking 1,400 adults for 20 years and controlling for their other lifestyle and dietary habits, those drinking three to five cups of coffee per day were two-thirds less likely to develop dementia than nondrinkers.
- Two more studies: The first by Harvard University School of Public Health and Spanish researchers tracking 83,000 middle-aged women since 1980, and the second by University of California, Los Angeles and University of Southern California scientists analyzing data on 9,400 adults older than 40. Both showed a lower risk of stroke among coffee drinkers, with rates decreasing with the more cups consumed each day.
- Research reported in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology suggested that consuming caffeine may protect against skin cancer by disrupting a protein that causes sun-damaged skin cells to self-destruct.
- Researchers at Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, N.Y. reported that among 1,100 women studied for 16 years, those who regularly drank coffee or tea had a lower risk of endometrial cancer compared with nondrinkers. The more coffee the women consumed, the lower the disease rates.
- Scientists from the University of Iceland and the University of Illinois reported their findings in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, that drinking coffee seems to help relieve the pain of exercise.
- A study last year, tracking nearly 128,000 adults for 18 years or longer, indicated that coffee drinkers have a longer lifespan than nondrinkers. The research concluded that coffee is rich in magnesium and antioxidants which help reduce inflammation and protect the inner lining of blood vessels.
- A study at UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine, analyzed more than 500 previous coffee studies for a study soon to be published in Nutrition & Cancer. “There is increasing evidence that coffee is protective against colorectal cancer.” However, this research also did indicate that coffee has little impact, positive or negative, on cancers of the breast, pancreas, kidney, ovaries, prostate or stomach.
What about the common believe that coffee causes bone loss leading to osteoporosis or other ailments? Researchers say there is very little risk in drinking up to four cups per day. However, more than six cups per day is linked with a higher risk of bladder cancer in men, but not women, and higher rates of leukemia occur in people where their mothers drank more than two cups per day during pregnancy.
Coffee is readily available, inexpensive, and popular. It is not fattening, containing zero calories when served without additions. All that and research continuing to show that it may just be one of the healthiest substances you can consume!
Bottom line – drink your coffee, but try to avoid adding too much sugar or artificial sweeteners.
Click HERE for information on where to purchase nutrient rich all-natural and organic coffee beans in the Twin Cities.
Meet you at the coffee shop!
Online references:
WebMD
Health Castle
ABC News
AARP Bulletin
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