Enjoy Your Coffee: New Evidence Shows Coffee Can Even Be Healthy For You By Connie Limon At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

New studies show coffee lovers can drink without fear of increasing their risk of heart disease. People who drank as much as six cups of coffee a day, versus people who drank less than one cup a month, showed no difference in the incidence of heart disease. These results differ from those of a study less than two years ago that showed even moderate amounts of coffee increased the risk of heart disease. This study was a very large study of almost 120,000 people being followed for between 14 and 20 years. Because of the size of this study it is not going to be repeated so easily says spokespersons from the American Heart Association. The study was done in the United States where we basically either drip or percolate our coffee, and this is what was studied. The study does not pertain to people who drink French-pressed coffee made with a mesh filter.

French-pressed coffee or the boiled coffee does not have a paper filter in between what you drink and what is coming out of the bean. There is potentially a difference in certain chemicals between the two. It is not that researchers know those chemicals are bad, it is just that they did not study them in this particular study.

Who should not drink coffee?

•People who are agitated after they drink it;
•People who have difficulty sleeping;
•People who have stomach or abdominal pain or discomfort;
•People who feel the urge to smoke after drinking coffee.

For people who drink coffee, enjoy it and feel good, there is no real evidence that it is not a reasonably safe drink. In fact, some studies have shown coffee is a “healthy” choice, which provides more antioxidants than any other food or drink. Some coffee drinkers report that drinking coffee helps clear the mind and perk up their energy. Of course too coffee can cause you problems and even raise cholesterol levels, but drinking coffee in moderate amounts is probably quite safe.

Antioxidants are thought to help battle cancer and provide other health benefits. They are abundant in grains, tomatoes and many other fruits and vegetables.

In one particular study a team analyzed the antioxidant content of more than 100 different food items, including vegetables, fruits, nuts, spices, oils and common beverages. They concluded the average adult consumes 1,299 milligrams of antioxidants daily from coffee. This does not mean to use coffee as a substitute for fruit and vegetables that contain antioxidants. It just means coffee drinking in moderate amounts may be healthy for you. Dates, cranberries and red grapes are among the leading fruit sources of antioxidants.

How to drink coffee:

The right way to drink coffee is to know how it affects your body. The wrong way is to use it in an abusive way. An example of using coffee abusively would be going without sleep and then drinking a lot of coffee to get the perk. We must remember that coffee’s main ingredient is a drug called “caffeine.” As with any drug it can be used to help us or to harm us. Too much caffeine may lead to health problems such as high blood pressure, brittle bones, trouble sleeping and be irritable. Another wrong way is to allow young children to drink coffee in the place of nutrient-rich beverages suggested for children. Caffeine in coffee can be especially dangerous for young children and teenagers with growing bones. The caffeine can steal calcium from the bones and may retard growth or make their bones weaker.

Tips to keep your coffee habits healthy:

•Listen to your body and know when to say “no” to that next cup of coffee that may keep you from getting a good night’s rest.

•Most research reveals that drinking one to three cups of coffee a day does not have a negative effect in most healthy people.

•Pregnant women, children, teenagers, the elderly, and people with heart disease or peptic ulcers may be more susceptible to the effects of caffeine and are advised to restrict caffeine consumption.

•Be aware that the caffeine content of coffee varies widely depending on roasting and brewing methods and the size of the cup you use.

•Be aware that if you also drink soft drinks containing caffeine, tea, chocolate, cold and headache medicines also contain caffeine and can substantially increase your daily caffeine quota.

•Some medications may interact with caffeine. Consult with your health care provider or pharmacist about potential interactions with caffeine and your medications.

In general, coffee lovers can enjoy up to 6 cups of coffee a day (about 8 ounce serving each cup) without fear of harming their health and perhaps even adding some extra benefits of the antioxidants found in coffee. Add two tablespoons of milk rather than a creamer to help boost your calcium intake. And….don’t eat donuts every morning with your coffee!

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