GO HEALTHY GO FIT

Now You Can Have Your Coffee And Stay Healthy

Posted on May 20, 2009 by Andrew in Diabetes, General Health & Fitness, Health and Fitness Myths, Nutrition .

I’ve mentioned it briefly in a few posts, however, today coffee is get,ting the spotlight. From this point on, all coffee lovers have an ample amount of scientific studies to silence the soda drinkers once and for all. Here’s what the LA Times had to say about it in their recent article Read This Over Coffee:

The heavenly brew, once deemed harmful to health, is turning out to be, if not quite a health food, at least a low-risk drink, and in many ways a beneficial one. It could protect against diabetes, liver cancer, cirrhosis and Parkinson’s disease.”

However, the article warns that pregnant women and people with hypertension should limit or drink decaf respectively. Here’s a quick and dirty run down of how coffee helps protect against the aforementioned diseases:

Diabetes: Twenty studies worldwide show that coffee, both regular and decaf, lowers the risk for Type 2 diabetes, in some studies by as much as 50%…

Heart disease and stroke: Recent studies suggest that frequent coffee consumption does not increase the risk of either condition. In fact, coffee might — repeat, might — slightly reduce the risk of stroke…

Cancer: Coffee research has come up empty here — with one big exception: liver cancer. Research consistently shows a drop in liver cancer risk with coffee consumption, and there is some, albeit weaker, evidence that it may lower colon cancer risk as well…

Cirrhosis: Coffee seems to protect the liver against cirrhosis, especially that caused by alcoholism. It’s not clear, either for cancer or cirrhosis, whether it’s coffee or caffeine that may be protective…

Parkinson’s disease: With this progressive, neurological illness, it’s the caffeine, not coffee, that carries the benefit. No one knows for sure why caffeine protects…

Athletic performance: It’s clear that caffeine, not coffee per se, delivers the big boost here, said Graham, the researcher from Ontario. In fact, caffeine was once deemed a controlled substance by the International Olympic Committee.”

Check out the LA Times article for the particular studies. Now a word of warning before you head out to Starbucks to get a Super Venti whatever-you-call-it “coffee-esque” drink. Coffee is coffee, not 20% coffee and 80% sugar or whip cream or anything else that every corner coffee shop puts in their over-priced stuff. Take it straight up for the optimum benefit, and if you like adding a little something, try adding Almond Milk for a power wake you up in the morning drink!

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Tags: can coffee keep you healthy?, can drinking coffee protect against diseases?, coffee, fitness, health, healthy drinks, is caffeine healthy?, is drinking coffee healthy?, Nutrition, power drinks, what's so healthy about coffee?