Coffee isn't just one of the world's favorite beverages; there is a mounting body of evidence that it may have health benefits - as well as health risks.
The link which was once thought to exist between coffee, heart disease, cancer and other diseases may have been largely due to the participants in earlier studies on coffee being smokers as well as coffee drinkers.
Recent studies suggest that the benefits of coffee are likely greater than the health risks, if any, it may pose.
Caffeine is the most active substance in coffee. The health effects of caffeine become statistically significant when you consume at least four cups of coffee each day. These effects include sleeplessness, anxiety and irritability, especially in individuals who are susceptible to caffeine. Any attempt to derive health benefits from coffee should therefore limit coffee consumption to three cups per day. It is also important to skip cream and sugar when drinking coffee.
One of the benefits of coffee which is well known is heightened alertness; an effect which can be helpful when performing many common tasks. A study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology revealed that students who had consumed caffeine were better able to spot grammatical errors in text, particularly subject-verb agreement and tense errors, although their ability to spot misspellings was not affected.
A Harvard University study also found a correlation between coffee consumption and a lower risk of depression in women. The study, published in The Archives of Internal Medicine, found that women who drank two to three cups of coffee per day had a 15% lower risk of developing depression, while those who drank four or more cups per day experienced a 20% lower risk of depression. The lower risk of depression in women who drink coffee regularly is thought to be due to caffeine's effects on regulating the release of neurotransmitters which affect mood.
In animal studies, one of the many chemical compounds found in coffee was shown to increase levels of Granulocyte Colony Stimulating Factor, a hormone thought to reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease. The study, which was published in The Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, involved amounts of coffee equivalent to 4 - 5 cups for humans.
Coffee may also be linked with a lower risk of prostate cancer, according to the results of a Harvard School of Public Health study published in The Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Men who drank at least six cups of coffee per day were found to have a risk of developing the most deadly form of prostate cancer which was 60% lower than that of the control group. These participants were also found to have a 20% lower risk of all forms of prostate cancer.
Finally, regular coffee consumption might also reduce the risk of developing the most common type of cancer, basal cell carcinoma. A study performed by Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston found that women who consumed 3 or more cups of coffee daily had a 20% lower risk of this common skin cancer, while men had a 9% lower risk of developing basal cell carcinoma. The findings of this study were presented to the American Association for Cancer Research.
The link which was once thought to exist between coffee, heart disease, cancer and other diseases may have been largely due to the participants in earlier studies on coffee being smokers as well as coffee drinkers.
Recent studies suggest that the benefits of coffee are likely greater than the health risks, if any, it may pose.
Caffeine is the most active substance in coffee. The health effects of caffeine become statistically significant when you consume at least four cups of coffee each day. These effects include sleeplessness, anxiety and irritability, especially in individuals who are susceptible to caffeine. Any attempt to derive health benefits from coffee should therefore limit coffee consumption to three cups per day. It is also important to skip cream and sugar when drinking coffee.
One of the benefits of coffee which is well known is heightened alertness; an effect which can be helpful when performing many common tasks. A study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology revealed that students who had consumed caffeine were better able to spot grammatical errors in text, particularly subject-verb agreement and tense errors, although their ability to spot misspellings was not affected.
A Harvard University study also found a correlation between coffee consumption and a lower risk of depression in women. The study, published in The Archives of Internal Medicine, found that women who drank two to three cups of coffee per day had a 15% lower risk of developing depression, while those who drank four or more cups per day experienced a 20% lower risk of depression. The lower risk of depression in women who drink coffee regularly is thought to be due to caffeine's effects on regulating the release of neurotransmitters which affect mood.
In animal studies, one of the many chemical compounds found in coffee was shown to increase levels of Granulocyte Colony Stimulating Factor, a hormone thought to reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease. The study, which was published in The Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, involved amounts of coffee equivalent to 4 - 5 cups for humans.
Coffee may also be linked with a lower risk of prostate cancer, according to the results of a Harvard School of Public Health study published in The Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Men who drank at least six cups of coffee per day were found to have a risk of developing the most deadly form of prostate cancer which was 60% lower than that of the control group. These participants were also found to have a 20% lower risk of all forms of prostate cancer.
Finally, regular coffee consumption might also reduce the risk of developing the most common type of cancer, basal cell carcinoma. A study performed by Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston found that women who consumed 3 or more cups of coffee daily had a 20% lower risk of this common skin cancer, while men had a 9% lower risk of developing basal cell carcinoma. The findings of this study were presented to the American Association for Cancer Research.
About the Author:
Thank you My Cap-supplier of Keurig k cup caps (my-cap.com) for the ideas on coffee and k-cup products. I'm not associated with My Cap and they did not review this document.
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