EVIDENCE-BASED HEALTH BENEFITS OF COFFEE

Coffee is always a good idea !!

Most recently, Senator Durbin used caffeinated energy drinks as an example of the dangerous and ‘unregulated’ supplement industry, which he proposes should be regulated like the drug industry. But mounting research is casting doubt on the “common wisdom” that coffee is nothing but bad for you.

Certainly, coffee should not be used in excess. However, study after study has failed to prove that moderate coffee consumption increases your risk for cardiovascular disease or any other serious illness. In fact, it’s beginning to look like coffee—at least in moderation—may have a number of unrecognized health-promoting properties.

Part of the confusion is that while caffeine in and of itself is a potent and addictive drug, coffee made from whole roasted coffee beans is also a whole food, containing a wide range of micronutrients in addition to caffeine.

Coffee is actually very healthy. It is loaded with antioxidants and beneficial nutrients that can improve your health.The studies show that coffee drinkers have a much lower risk of several serious diseases.

Coffee Can Improve Energy Levels and Make You Smarter

• Coffee can help people feel less tired and increase energy levels. This is because it contains a stimulant called caffeine, which is actually the most commonly consumed psychoactive substance in the world. 
• After you drink coffee, the caffeine is absorbed into the bloodstream. From there, it travels into the brain. In the brain, caffeine blocks an inhibitory neurotransmitter called Adenosine.When that happens, the amount of other neurotransmitters like norepinephrine and dopamine actually increases, leading to enhanced firing of neurons.
• Many controlled trials in humans show that coffee improves various aspects of brain function. This includes memory, mood, vigilance, energy levels, reaction times and general cognitive function.

Coffee Can Help You Burn Fat

• Did you know that caffeine is found in almost every commercial fat burning supplement? There’s a good reason for that… caffeine is one of the very few natural substances that have actually been proven to aid fat burning.
• Several studies show that caffeine can boost the metabolic rate by 3-11%. Other studies show that caffeine can specifically increase the burning of fat, by as much as 10% in obese individuals and 29% in lean people. 
• However, it is possible that these effects will diminish in long-term coffee drinkers.

The Caffeine Can Drastically Improve Physical Performance

• Caffeine stimulates the nervous system, causing it to send signals to the fat cells to break down body fat. 
• But caffeine also increases Epinephrine (Adrenaline) levels in the blood. This is the “fight or flight” hormone, designed to make our bodies ready for intense physical exertion.
• Caffeine makes the fat cells break down body fat, releasing them into the blood as free fatty acids and making them available as fuel.

There Are Essential Nutrients in Coffee

Coffee is more than just black water. Many of the nutrients in the coffee beans do make it into the final drink.

A single cup of coffee contains

• Riboflavin (Vitamin B2): 11% of the RDA.
• Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5): 6% of the RDA.
• Manganese and Potassium: 3% of the RDA.
• Magnesium and Niacin (B3): 2% of the RDA.

Coffee contains several important nutrients, including Riboflavin, Pantothenic Acid, Manganese, Potassium, Magnesium and Niacin.

Coffee May Lower Your Risk of Type II Diabetes

• Type 2 diabetes is a gigantic health problem, currently afflicting about 300 million people worldwide.It is characterized by elevated blood sugars in the context of insulin resistance or an inability to secrete insulin.
• For some reason, coffee drinkers have a significantly reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes.The studies show that people who drink the most coffee have a 23-50% lower risk of getting this disease, one study showing a reduction as high as 67%.
• According to a massive review that looked at data from 18 studies with a total of 457,922 individuals, each daily cup of coffee was associated with a 7% reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Coffee May Protect You From Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia

• Alzheimer’s disease is the most common neurodegenerative disease and the leading cause of dementia worldwide. This disease usually affects people over 65 years of age.
• Unfortunately, there is no known cure for Alzheimer’s. However, there are several things you can do to prevent the disease from showing up in the first place.
• This includes the usual suspects like eating healthy and exercising, but drinking coffee may be incredibly effective as well.
• Several studies show that coffee drinkers have up to a 65% lower risk of getting Alzheimer’s disease.

Caffeine May Lower The Risk of Parkinson’s

• Parkinson’s disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disease, right after Alzheimer’s. It is caused by death of dopamine-generating neurons in the brain.
• Same as with Alzheimer’s, there is no known cure, which makes it that much more important to focus on prevention.
• Coffee drinkers have up to a 60% lower risk of getting Parkinson’s disease, the second most common neurodegenerative disorder.

Coffee Appears to Have Protective Effects on The Liver

• The liver is an amazing organ that carries out hundreds of important functions in the body. Several common diseases primarily affect the liver, including hepatitis, fatty liver disease and others. 
• Coffee drinkers have a much lower risk of developing cirrhosis, which can be caused by several diseases that affect the liver.

Coffee Can Fight Depression and Make You Happier

• Depression is a serious mental disorder that causes a significantly reduced quality of life. It is incredibly common and about 4.1% of people in the U.S. currently meet the criteria for clinical depression
• In a Harvard study published in 2011, women who drank 4 or more cups per day had a 20% lower risk of becoming depressed. Another study with 208,424 individuals found that those who drank 4 or more cups per day were 53% less likely to commit suicide.
• Most recently, a meta-analysis of three large studies on coffee consumption, published in the World Journal of Biological Psychiatry, found that drinking two to four cups of caffeinated coffee daily was associated with a 50 percent reduced suicide risk among adults, compared to drinking one cup or less of caffeinated coffee, or decaf.

Is Coffee Good For You? - How Stuff Works - Youtube video

Coffee Does Not Cause Heart Disease and May Lower The Risk of Stroke

• It is often claimed that caffeine can increase blood pressure. This is true, but the effect is small (3-4 mm/Hg) and usually goes away if you drink coffee regularly.
• However, the effect may persist in some people, so keep that in mind if you have elevated blood pressure.
• In fact, there is some evidence that women who drink coffee have a reduced risk of heart disease. Some studies also show that coffee drinkers have a 20% lower risk of stroke.

Coffee May Help You Live Longer

• Given that coffee drinkers are less likely to get many diseases, it makes sense that coffee could help you live longer.
• In two very large studies, drinking coffee was associated with a 20% lower risk of death in men and a 26% lower risk of death in women, over a period of 18-24 years.

Avoid All Forms of Caffeine During Pregnancy

As discussed earlier, caffeine easily passes through both the blood brain barrier and the placenta. It is also transferred through breast milk. Research has shown that ingesting caffeine during pregnancy can result in a wide range of problems for your baby, including:

• Increased risk of miscarriage
• Low birth weight
• Birth defects such as cleft palate
• Increased risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
• Decreased cardiac function (Please note that the equivalent of just two cups of coffee during the entire pregnancy – not two cups of coffee per day—has been shown to affect your child’s heart function!)

Remember these things if you choose to drink coffee

• Whole Bean: You’ll want to purchase whole bean coffee that smells and tastes fresh, not stale; if your coffee does not have a pleasant aroma, it is likely rancid. Grind it yourself to prevent rancidity as pre-ground coffee may be rancid by the time you get it home.
• Drink It Black: If you’re interested in the health benefits, drink your coffee black, without sugar or cream or flavorings. Add sugar and you’ll certainly ruin any of the benefits discussed above by spiking your insulin levels, which contributes to insulin resistance. Make sure the water you’re using is pure.
• Coffee Filters: If you use a “drip” coffee maker, be sure to use non-bleached filters. The bright white ones are chlorine-bleached, and some of this chlorine will leach from the filter during the brewing process. Bleached filters are also notoriously full of dangerous disinfection byproducts, such as dioxin.
• Coffee Mugs: Please be careful about the container you use. Avoid plastic cups as the BPA will leach into your drink, and also avoid Styrofoam cups that can leach polystyrene molecules. Your best bets include glass and ceramic travel mugs.

Sources: healthimpactnews.com 
              authoritynutrition.com
              medicalnewstoday.com