Tuesday, 06 October 2009
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Is Coffee a Healthy Drink?
Studies have been saying for a few years that coffee can be associated with cancer. This prompted people to avoid drinking caffeine. A few years later, researchers have recounted their research saying that it's flawed. Now, current studies have shown that coffee can give the body a lot of benefits.
Researchers are saying that coffee, when drank regularly, can be a cure for diabetes, Parkinson’s disease and colon cancer. It could even improve your mood and treat daily headache problems. It can even be a help lower the risk of cavities.
Research shows that regular coffee drinkers are 80% less likely to have Parkinson’s disease. While 2-cups-a-day drinkers can reduce the risk of colon cancer by 25% and 80% in liver cirrhosis risk. It can even slash the risk of gallstones by half. There are even studies showing that people who smoke and drink heavily, have less heart and liver damage because of their coffee intake.
So, what causes these benefits?
It is the antioxidants, and surprisingly from the caffeine also. Currently, drugs for curing Parkinson’s disease are being developed. These drugs have a derivative of caffeine as their component. Coffee also has chlorogenic acid and tocophenols which are antioxidants. These mineral components can improve insulin sensitivity. When we talk about insulin sensitivity, it is the body’s response to insulin.
There were studies conducted in Europe citing that the trigonelline, the compound which is why coffee smells good and has bitter taste, also has benefits. It can be both antibacterial and anti-adhesive. These prevent the formation of dental cavities.
But can everybody drink coffee?
Unfortunately, not everybody can drink coffee. People with bladder and kidney problems, existing diabetes, gallstones, heart problems, high cholesterol levels, hypoglycemia and generalized panic and/or anxiety attacks should avoid drinking coffee altogether. Avoiding drinking coffee is also advised to pregnant women and those with high risk of osteoporosis.
For pregnant women, if coffee cannot be avoided, then it is recommended just to drink one to two cups a day. Infertility, miscarriages and low birth weight among babies are the primary reason why pregnant women are recommended against drinking coffee.
Excessive caffeine intake can also lead to nervousness, anxiety and rapid heartbeat. The caffeine overstimulates the nervous system, making the adrenal glands work overboard. Osteoporosis patients are also advised against coffee. Coffee reduces the capability of bones to absorb the necessary minerals, making the bones weak and in risk of osteoporosis. But the effects can be reduced if milk is mixed with coffee.
For some people, coffee can also be addictive. People who have stopped drinking coffee experience withdrawal symptoms. They would get headaches, less energy and alertness, difficulty in being focused, get irritated easily and sometimes even get depressed.
Over caffeine consumption can also have an impact on your skin, since it increases the risk of developing stretch marks. Caffeine may also play a role in weight gain. Although, it is mentioned that coffee drinkers may lose weight in the short-term, but in a longer period of time, coffee can lead to weight gain.
Coffee both has good and bad effects. Similar to other beverages and food, once it is taken in big amounts, then it is likely that they may have undesirable effects to your body. Whether coffee can be considered as a health drink, it is up to you to make the choice.
Do you drink coffee daily? If so, is it because you're addicted, or is because you just like the taste? If you don't drink coffee, why not?
Post contributed from www.PowerYourHealth.info.
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Comments (55)
I don't drink coffee on a daily basis, but when I do, it's so yummy!
So if I could get it on a daily basis, I would definitely drink it!
wait? what? how does coffee lead to weight gain?
anyway I drink a cup of coffee in morning to help me wake up & because if I don't I get a headache
but I'm not complaining
I hate coffee. I'll get my caffiene and antioxidants from tea.
I don't drink it as i believe in staying awake naturally. And it tastes awful
www.stayfitbug.com
Here's the thing about me and Coffee: If someone asks me if I like Coffee or if I would like a cup, I usually tell them NO.
This is the simplest thing for me to do. The truth is, I do like Coffee. In fact, I LOVE Coffee. The problem is, 99.999% of people do not know how to properly make Coffee, so inevitably I end up with something crappy that I'd rather not drink. I don't want someone to go through the trouble of making me a cup of coffee if I'm not going to drink it.
The fact is, most Coffee tastes like crap. But when made right, with Freshly Roasted Beans, the right Grind immediately before preparation, with water just below boiling, at 2T Grind per 6oz water done in a French Press or in a natural drip filter, it's a very tasty drink.
I don't drink it every day. I don't need it to wake up. I drink for enjoyment.
I drink coffee nearly daily. And coffee leading to miscarriages is pretty much a myth... there's no way to prove that miscarriages were not related to some other health problem or just the fact that the pregnancy itself isn't viable.
I don't drink coffee anymore. I was impressed that caffeine is a drug and as a Christian, I should abstain from drugs if possible (this includes caffeinated tea, chocolate)... The Bible calls us to be "sober." Plus, if you're tired, get more sleep, eat better, and exercise more! =] BUT I do enjoy the taste of coffee...every once in a while I have myself some "Roma" coffee (caffiene free!) and I do trink caffeine free tea.
I drink about one or two cups of coffee a day. I loovelovelove coffee, and I honestly am a caffeine addict - I used to drink a LOT more of it. But one-two cups is basically ideal. If I don't have at least one cup of coffee a day I do start going through withdrawal and it sucks :(
i love coffee, I have about 2-3 cups every morning. I'm sure I'm physically dependent but I've never noticed any withdraws. For me, coffee is more of a habit, I love the taste and smell and the action of drinking it, the way the cup feels in my hand. I just love the stuff.
My dad made sure I was a coffee drinker just like him, he started encouraging me to drink a cup here and there when I was 14 and it's slowly grown into a daily ritual.
I don't drink coffee daily. Maybe once or twice a week.
I love the taste of coffee.
No, it is not a health drink don't be dumb :)
I work at a coffee shop.
And I hate coffee. I used to love it (with lots of milk and sugar obviously) for years, but about a year or two before I started working at a coffee shop, I just stopped drinking it and never started again. It's just never appealed to me after that.
I drink it almost every day. When I don't drink it I feel fine, just not as awake. I drink it because it tastes good, not because I'm addicted.
Coffee is good, but really, there are better alternatives.
If coffee causes cancer, I don't have much time left...
Drinking a cup 25-30 minutes before a run does wonders for your race-training life.
I love coffee so much. I'm not dependent on it, but my caffeine tolerance is pretty high since the caffeine does nothing for me. I used to drink it almost everyday, but now it makes sick to my stomach for some reason so I have to try to avoid it. I miss it so. The positive or negative effects of coffee don't bother or influence though. As long as I don't grow a third eye because of it, I'll keep drinking it from time to time.
I used to drink coffee all the time, until I got sick of how jittery it made me. I still have it on occasion, though I've never considered it to be a healthy drink.
Perhaps coffee can improve the symptoms of Parkinson's but it won't cure it. I probably drink coffee like 3-4x/year but my boyfriend can't function unless he has a large cup every morning.
I drink coffee everyday and I do believe I am addicted. I cannot go a morning without a cup otherwise I feel really sluggish and I get headaches.
I drink it daily. I'm not addicted, it's just one of those simple pleasures in life you can indulge in... I consider it great for filling up on instead of desert, keeping awake, and it tastes amazing!
Healthy or not, it's got caffiene. That's the only reason why I drink it.
I'm a coffee fiend. 18 years old and can barely go a week without it. This summer was really bad I was having at least 2-3 cups a day and not just coffee but latte's too.I'm a little better now that I'm away at college but I still love it :]
I'll have a cup or two on a weekend morning, or once a week I'll make a travel mug of iced coffee to sip on during the school day -- though a large part of it is soymilk. And whenever I'm eating some sort of desert or especially ice cream (!), I'd like to have a cup of coffee or tea. Usually, I have more of the beverage than I do the actual desert.
Coffee (and tea) is also really good for cleaning you out when taken in moderation. However, to be honest, I feel that those people who "need" it to wake up in the morning are experiencing partly psychological effects.
I drink coffee every morning, except during partial exams, because all the stress + the caffeine really irritate my stomach, plus I don't eat that much, so yeah, those 3 together are not good for your stomach, but it is so yummy!!!!