|
More and more scientific studies are revealing the benefits of drinking coffee. The years of caffeine getting a one-sided and negative rap are over. A recent article in the New York Times spread the good word.
Latest studies indicate that the coffee habit is closely associated with a lower risk for Type 2 diabetes. Experts think it has less to do with caffeine and more to do with the elevated level of antioxidants found in a typical serving of coffee. These antioxidants control cell damage that can contribute to the development of the disease.
Researchers report that people who drank four to six cups of coffee a day had a 28 percent reduced risk compared to people who drank two or fewer. Increased coffee consumption increased risk protection even more.
Cardiovascular risk also decreases with consumption of coffee. As a result of data from a fifteen-year study of women between the ages of 55 and 69, Norwegian researchers determined that with one to three cups per day reduced the risk of cardiovascular disease by 24 per cent over those who drank none. In fact, after controlling for age, alcohol consumption, and smoking, women who drank one to five cups a day reduced risk of death from all causes by 15 to 19 percent over those who drank none.
The antioxidants in a cup of coffee are quantitatively superior to those in a typical serving of grape juice, blueberries, raspberries, and oranges. Coffee may be the primary source of antioxidants in coffee drinking Americans.
An article in USA Today was more specific. According to findings by Joe A. Vinson, a chemistry professor at the University of Scranton, in Pennsylvania, reports that his team analyzed the antioxidant content of more than 100 different food items, including vegetables, fruits, nuts, spices, oils and common beverages. They then used Agriculture Department data on typical food consumption patterns to calculate how much antioxidant each food contributes to a person's diet.
They concluded that the average adult consumes 1,299 milligrams of antioxidants daily from coffee. The closest competitor was tea at 294 milligrams. Rounding out the top five sources were bananas, 76 milligrams; dry beans, 72 milligrams; and corn, 48 milligrams. According to the Agriculture Department, the typical adult American drinks 1.64 cups of coffee daily.
The knowledge of the presence of antioxidants and their anti-inflammatory properties make that morning cup of Joe even more enjoyable.
|
