JonDCoffee a Medical Marvel ?
May 21st 2008 01:27
Coffee as always been thought of as the black sheep of the hot beverage family, with tea it is older healthier more sophisticated cousin. But new research is showing that coffee and tea may not actually be that far apart.
The health benefits of tea have long been in the public eye. It is packed full of antioxidants that can help prevent heart disease, strokes and even cancer. While coffee, especially the caffeine found within, is thought to cause all sorts of problems from exaggerating stress to raising your blood pressure. But the truth about coffee is now being found.
The coffee bean is actually a seed found in a cherry like fruit. It was a sheep herder named Kaldi from Ethiopia who noticed how this fruit would make his herd hyperactive. He went on to try a few of them himself and was soon bouncing of the walls. A local monk found out and scolded him for "partaking of the devil's fruit." However the monks soon discovered that this fruit from the shiny green plant could help them stay awake for their prayers. But this thought that coffee is bad has, for some reason, stuck with it for centuries when actually the fruit of the coffee plant is packed full of antioxidants. New research is showing that a few cups of caffeinated coffee everyday could lower your risk of getting Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, as well as colon cancer. It can lift your mood and relieve headaches; it could even lower your risk of getting cavities.
Diabetes and Parkinson’s
There have been almost 19,000 studies over the past 20 years on coffee and its effects on your health. A few of these studies have found that people who drink coffee on a regular basis have up to an 80% lower risk of developing Parkinson's disease. These studies also indicated that the more coffee they drink, the lower the risk. A most recent study on 120,000 people, over an 18 year period conducted at Harvard University, has found that having 6 cups or more per day slashed men's risk by 54%, and women's risk by 30% of developing diabetes over those who avoided coffee altogether. This is thought to be because coffee is packed with an antioxidant that actually increases your insulin sensitivity. This increased sensitivity improves your body’s natural response to insulin and helps your glucose metabolism.
But even with all these positive results there are some who are still not convinced. While one study conducted by Joe Vinson, Ph.D. found that coffee was the average Americans number one source of antioxidants Dr Vinson was quick to point out that “high antioxidant levels in foods and beverages don't necessarily translate into levels found in the body. The potential health benefit of these antioxidants ultimately depends on how they are absorbed and utilized in the body, a process that is still poorly understood”. Dr Vinson also pointed out the problems that coffee can cause such as making you jittery and causing stomach pains, while some studies have tied it to elevated blood pressure and heart rates. Dr Vinson say’s “More research is needed, particularly human studies, to firmly establish its health benefits”.
While there is no doubt that coffee has its bad points Tomas DePaulis, PhD, researcher at Vanderbilt University's Institute for Coffee Studies says "By and large, the studies show that coffee is far more beneficial than it is harmful,"
So don’t be so quick to give up your morning cup of coffee, it may not only be giving you the kick up the arse you need to get going in the morning, it may also have some amazing health benefits.
The health benefits of tea have long been in the public eye. It is packed full of antioxidants that can help prevent heart disease, strokes and even cancer. While coffee, especially the caffeine found within, is thought to cause all sorts of problems from exaggerating stress to raising your blood pressure. But the truth about coffee is now being found.
The coffee bean is actually a seed found in a cherry like fruit. It was a sheep herder named Kaldi from Ethiopia who noticed how this fruit would make his herd hyperactive. He went on to try a few of them himself and was soon bouncing of the walls. A local monk found out and scolded him for "partaking of the devil's fruit." However the monks soon discovered that this fruit from the shiny green plant could help them stay awake for their prayers. But this thought that coffee is bad has, for some reason, stuck with it for centuries when actually the fruit of the coffee plant is packed full of antioxidants. New research is showing that a few cups of caffeinated coffee everyday could lower your risk of getting Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, as well as colon cancer. It can lift your mood and relieve headaches; it could even lower your risk of getting cavities.
Diabetes and Parkinson’s
There have been almost 19,000 studies over the past 20 years on coffee and its effects on your health. A few of these studies have found that people who drink coffee on a regular basis have up to an 80% lower risk of developing Parkinson's disease. These studies also indicated that the more coffee they drink, the lower the risk. A most recent study on 120,000 people, over an 18 year period conducted at Harvard University, has found that having 6 cups or more per day slashed men's risk by 54%, and women's risk by 30% of developing diabetes over those who avoided coffee altogether. This is thought to be because coffee is packed with an antioxidant that actually increases your insulin sensitivity. This increased sensitivity improves your body’s natural response to insulin and helps your glucose metabolism.
But even with all these positive results there are some who are still not convinced. While one study conducted by Joe Vinson, Ph.D. found that coffee was the average Americans number one source of antioxidants Dr Vinson was quick to point out that “high antioxidant levels in foods and beverages don't necessarily translate into levels found in the body. The potential health benefit of these antioxidants ultimately depends on how they are absorbed and utilized in the body, a process that is still poorly understood”. Dr Vinson also pointed out the problems that coffee can cause such as making you jittery and causing stomach pains, while some studies have tied it to elevated blood pressure and heart rates. Dr Vinson say’s “More research is needed, particularly human studies, to firmly establish its health benefits”.
While there is no doubt that coffee has its bad points Tomas DePaulis, PhD, researcher at Vanderbilt University's Institute for Coffee Studies says "By and large, the studies show that coffee is far more beneficial than it is harmful,"
So don’t be so quick to give up your morning cup of coffee, it may not only be giving you the kick up the arse you need to get going in the morning, it may also have some amazing health benefits.
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