// August 4th, 2009 // 16 Comments » // Personal
Many people see me drink coffee a lot, so I’m always being reminded that it could really be bad for me. Today I saw a great article in the Los Angeles Times paper which mentions 6 reasons to drink coffee. So, here is a summary of the article:
1- Diabetes: Twenty studies worldwide show that coffee, both regular and decaf, lowers the risk for Type 2 diabetes, in some studies by as much as 50%. Researchers say that is probably because chlorogenic acid, one of the many ingredients in coffee, slows uptake of glucose (sugar) from the intestines.
2- Heart disease and stroke: Recent studies suggest that frequent coffee consumption does not increase the risk of either condition. In fact, coffee might — repeat, might — slightly reduce the risk of stroke. A study published in March in the journal Circulation looked at data on more than 83,000 women older than 24. It showed that those who drank two to three cups of coffee a day had a 19% lower risk of stroke than those who drank almost none. A Finnish study found similar results for men.
3- Cancer: Coffee research has come up empty here — with one big exception: liver cancer. Research consistently shows a drop in liver cancer risk with coffee consumption, and there is some, albeit weaker, evidence that it may lower colon cancer risk as well.
4- Cirrhosis: Coffee seems to protect the liver against cirrhosis, especially that caused by alcoholism.
5- Parkinson’s disease: With this progressive, neurological illness, it’s the caffeine, not coffee, that carries the benefit. No one knows for sure why caffeine protects. Several studies show that coffee drinkers, men especially, appear to have half the risk of Parkinson’s compared with nondrinkers. Women also get a benefit, but only those who do not use post-menopausal hormones, said Dr. Alberto Ascherio, a professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health.
6- Athletic performance: It’s clear that caffeine, not coffee per se, delivers the big boost here, said Graham, the researcher from Ontario. In fact, caffeine was once deemed a controlled substance by the International Olympic Committee. Caffeine is a powerful “ergogenic agent,” meaning it promotes the ability of muscles to work.
So don’t feel guilty to drink that extra cup.
via The Los Angeles Times
PS The picture above is of a new coffee machine which I bought, It’s called Tassimo and it’s really great. It doesn’t need filter so no need for cleaning! Oh, and I didn’t take that picture I just found it on flickr.
