The average American drank 416 8-ounce cups of coffee in 2009, according to the World Resources Institute. Most people drink coffee for the jolt, but there’s a lot more to coffee than caffeine. More than 18,000 studies on coffee’s health benefits have been published in the last 20 years. Perhaps the most important fact about coffee is that the brew is the number one source of antioxidants in the U.S. diet. Green coffee beans pack about 1,000 different antioxidants. Roasting the beans adds about 300 more.Antioxidants in coffee
The vast majority of coffee studies have shown a solid benefit related to prevention of diabetes. In fact, coffee has two different types of antioxidants linked to diabetes prevention: polyphenols and chorogenic acid. Iron stored in the body increases the risk of diabetes, and the polyphenol antioxidants in coffee inhibit iron absorption. The chorgenic acid in coffee slows the release of glucose into the bloodstream after a meal and boosts cellular sensitivity to insulin, which helps the body regulate blood sugar.
Coffee, heart attacks and stroke
The health benefits of coffee also include reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke. All those antioxidants may help suppress the damaging effect of inflammation on arteries. In a study of about 130,000 Kaiser Permanente health plan members, moderate coffee drinkers, (1-3 cups a day) were 20 percent less likely to be hospitalized for abnormal heart rhythms–a key heart attack and stroke risk factor, than non-coffee drinkers. In 2009, a study of 83,700 nurses enrolled in the long-term Nurses’ Health Study showed a 20 percent lower risk of stroke in those who reported drinking two or more cups of coffee daily, compared to women who drank less coffee or none. In both the above studies, the results were consistent regardless of whether the participants had high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels or type 2 diabetes.
Coffee, dementia and Parkinson’s
Coffee clears the cobwebs, but it can also reduce risk of dementia, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. The antioxidants in coffee help prevent brain cell damage and keep neurotransmitters that are involved in cognition healthy. A 2009 coffee study in Finland and Sweden tracked 1,400 people for 20 years. Researchers found that those who drank 3-5 cups of coffee a day reduced their risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s 65 percent over occasional coffee drinkers or those who didn’t drink coffee at all. Higher coffee consumption has also been consistently associated with decreased risk of Parkinson’s, although exactly why hasn’t yet been found.
Good coffee is good for you
Coffee is good for you—unless its bad coffee. Some people get indigestion or heartburn from drinking coffee. Another study suggests drinking bad coffee causes that problem. Researchers at the Technical University of Munich, sought to identify the stomach irritant in coffee. They found that caffeine, along with some other compounds, can stimulate production of hydrochloric acid in the gut. But the effect is worse with weak coffee. Rich, darker roasted coffee has compounds that actually inhibit stomach cells from producing hydrochloric acid. The longer coffee is roasted, the more gut-friendly it is.
Sometimes coffee can keep you awake at night . And drinking it unfiltered, such as coffee made with a French press, can elevate bad LDL cholesterol. But in moderation—about three cups a day–coffee is good for you. Just make sure its good coffee.
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