COFFEE
Patients coming to the Whitaker Wellness Institute
sometimes express surprise that they serve coffee. Doesn't it increase the
body's acidity? Aren't health-conscious people supposed to drink tea instead?
Isn't caffeine bad for you?
Research shows that drinking coffee reduces the risk of
Parkinson's disease by as much as 80 percent and protects against other
neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's. It increases insulin
sensitivity, and a high intake- at least six cups a day- lowers the risk of type
2 diabetes by 54 percent in men and 30 percent in women.
Coffee improves concentration and alertness, boosts mood,
and decreases suicide risk. In fact, just the smell of coffee relieves stress
in animals. This popular drink also controls asthma and can even halt a
full-blown attack in its tracks. Additionally, coffee can stop migraine
headaches, curb appetite, prevent tooth decay, and increase the effectiveness
of aspirin and other analgesics (Anacin and Excedrin both contain caffeine).
And if you drink it before working out, your endurance will improve and you'll
have less exercise-induced muscle pain.
Compared to people who avoid coffee, those who drink at
least two cups a day are 80 percent less likely to develop cirrhosis of the
liver (even if they drink a lot of alcohol), half as likely to have gallstones,
and 25 percent less apt to get colon cancer. Coffee is also protective against
cancer of the liver and kidneys, and although it's long been suspected of
increasing risk of breast cancer, a recent study spanning 22 years and
involving nearly 86,000 women found a weak inverse association between the two
in postmenopausal females.
Finally, coffee may even increase longevity. A large 2008
study found that drinking up to six cups of regular or decaffeinated coffee
daily is associated with a slightly lower risk of death from heart disease,
cancer, and other causes.
What Makes Coffee So Healthful?
So what is it in coffee that provides such remarkable
benefits? First, that cup of java is a terrific source of protective
antioxidants. Researchers evaluating both the antioxidant levels of various
foods and drinks and the frequency with which those items are consumed have
found that the average amount of coffee consumed by American adults per day-
1.64 cups- provides 1,299 mg of antioxidants. Tea, the second richest source,
supplied only 294 mg, followed by antioxidant-rich (but sparingly eaten) fruits
and vegetables, which provide fewer than 75 mg each of antioxidants per day.
Believe it or not, coffee even contains fiber- nearly 2 g per cup.
But these aren't the only components that make coffee a
health food. Although some studies reveal that regular and decaffeinated coffee
both have benefits, oft-maligned caffeine gives the drink much of its oomph. In
addition to perking up the nervous system, caffeine increases the activity of
the neurotransmitter dopamine and enhances delivery of nutrients and oxygen to
the muscles and brain.
So, the next time you feel like a cup of Joe, indulge
yourself. It's a good way to boost your mood, your energy, and your overall
health.
