A cocktail of antioxidants, a cuppa without milk and sugar can actually keep illnesses at bay
Eisha Sarkar
Posted on Hello Wellness on Sep 4 2010 12:59PM
Bad for your bones, good for your nerves. Bad for your heart, good for weight loss. There is so much about caffeine that has been researched, scrutinized and written about that you would now hesitate before drinking a second cuppa. But is coffee all that bad?
In 1583, Leonhard Rauwolf, a German physician, gave this description of coffee after returning from a 10-year trip to the Near East (the Arabian Peninsula): “A beverage as black as ink, useful against numerous illnesses, particularly those of the stomach. Its consumers take it in the morning, quite frankly, in a porcelain cup that is passed around and from which each one drinks a cupful. It is composed of water and the fruit from a bush called bunnu.”
Initially used for spiritual rituals and later as a cure, coffee has gradually turned into a leisure drink giving rise to multinational coffee chains which provide for different kinds of lattes, blends and flavours. Unfortunately, as with sugar and cream (its accompaniments), coffee too has fallen to disrepute. But having it black and plain could do more than give you the morning jolt, for coffee:
Saves your liver: Studies conducted by Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program in California show that subjects who drank four or more cups of coffee per day had 80 per cent less chance of developing liver cirrhosis than non-coffee drinkers and 23 per cent less chance of dying from liver cirrhosis than non-coffee drinkers
Helps oxidize fat: Researchers have found that caffeine in coffee increases thermogenesis in part by increasing our body’s ability to oxidise fat. It appears that the weight loss that comes with drinking coffee may be due to increased lipid metabolism which burns away excess body fat
Helps the skin: Research has shown that caffeine encourages harmful cells, which can go on to cause non-melanoma skin cancers, to die
Brings a smile to your face: Caffeine increases the levels of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that activates pleasure centers in certain parts of the brain
Packs you with antioxidants: A cup of coffee has up to four times more polyphenols to combat the free radicals formed due to oxidative stress in your body than a cup of green tea. Scientists at the Nestlé Research Center studied the metabolism of coffee antioxidants and found that they have a long-lasting release in the blood, even up to 12-14 hours after consumption
Cuts risk of colon cancer: A 12-year study on Japanese women found that drinking three or more cups of coffee per day may actually halve the risk of developing colon cancer
Reduces diabetes risk: A 2004 Dutch study has shown shown that men who drink six cups of coffee a day reduce their chances of developing type-2 diabetes by half, and women who drink the same amount cut their risk by 30 percent
May save your memory: Caffeine is a psychostimulant. Older women who drink three or more cups of coffee or tea a day have less memory loss and cognitive decline than their counterparts who drink less or none. Unfortunately, caffeine consumption doesn’t seem to have any preventative effect against dementia.
Fights cavities: Roasted coffee has some antibacterial properties, particularly against Streptococcus mutans, a major cause of dental caries. Just avoid all the sugar and the milk!
Reduces muscle pain from exercise: Researchers at the University of Georgia found that caffeine reduced thigh muscle pain during cycling exercise. The natural ingredient that is added to many sports nutrition products to 'enhance performance' could actually be a pain-inhibiter that is more effective than aspirin
How much should you drink?From adding fiber to your diet to reducing your risk of dying from cardiac disease, coffee has been touted as a remedy for all ills. But too much of caffeine can cause insomnia, restlessness, nervousness, gastrointestinal disturbances and heart palpitations. Limit your caffeine intake to 400 milligrams a day (300 mg for a pregnant woman or a woman who is trying to get pregnant), i.e. one or two cups per day and preferably not after noon.
In 1583, Leonhard Rauwolf, a German physician, gave this description of coffee after returning from a 10-year trip to the Near East (the Arabian Peninsula): “A beverage as black as ink, useful against numerous illnesses, particularly those of the stomach. Its consumers take it in the morning, quite frankly, in a porcelain cup that is passed around and from which each one drinks a cupful. It is composed of water and the fruit from a bush called bunnu.”
Initially used for spiritual rituals and later as a cure, coffee has gradually turned into a leisure drink giving rise to multinational coffee chains which provide for different kinds of lattes, blends and flavours. Unfortunately, as with sugar and cream (its accompaniments), coffee too has fallen to disrepute. But having it black and plain could do more than give you the morning jolt, for coffee:
Saves your liver: Studies conducted by Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program in California show that subjects who drank four or more cups of coffee per day had 80 per cent less chance of developing liver cirrhosis than non-coffee drinkers and 23 per cent less chance of dying from liver cirrhosis than non-coffee drinkers
Helps oxidize fat: Researchers have found that caffeine in coffee increases thermogenesis in part by increasing our body’s ability to oxidise fat. It appears that the weight loss that comes with drinking coffee may be due to increased lipid metabolism which burns away excess body fat
Helps the skin: Research has shown that caffeine encourages harmful cells, which can go on to cause non-melanoma skin cancers, to die
Brings a smile to your face: Caffeine increases the levels of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that activates pleasure centers in certain parts of the brain
Packs you with antioxidants: A cup of coffee has up to four times more polyphenols to combat the free radicals formed due to oxidative stress in your body than a cup of green tea. Scientists at the Nestlé Research Center studied the metabolism of coffee antioxidants and found that they have a long-lasting release in the blood, even up to 12-14 hours after consumption
Cuts risk of colon cancer: A 12-year study on Japanese women found that drinking three or more cups of coffee per day may actually halve the risk of developing colon cancer
Reduces diabetes risk: A 2004 Dutch study has shown shown that men who drink six cups of coffee a day reduce their chances of developing type-2 diabetes by half, and women who drink the same amount cut their risk by 30 percent
May save your memory: Caffeine is a psychostimulant. Older women who drink three or more cups of coffee or tea a day have less memory loss and cognitive decline than their counterparts who drink less or none. Unfortunately, caffeine consumption doesn’t seem to have any preventative effect against dementia.
Fights cavities: Roasted coffee has some antibacterial properties, particularly against Streptococcus mutans, a major cause of dental caries. Just avoid all the sugar and the milk!
Reduces muscle pain from exercise: Researchers at the University of Georgia found that caffeine reduced thigh muscle pain during cycling exercise. The natural ingredient that is added to many sports nutrition products to 'enhance performance' could actually be a pain-inhibiter that is more effective than aspirin
How much should you drink?From adding fiber to your diet to reducing your risk of dying from cardiac disease, coffee has been touted as a remedy for all ills. But too much of caffeine can cause insomnia, restlessness, nervousness, gastrointestinal disturbances and heart palpitations. Limit your caffeine intake to 400 milligrams a day (300 mg for a pregnant woman or a woman who is trying to get pregnant), i.e. one or two cups per day and preferably not after noon.
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