21/08/2015
8 Reasons Why Coffee Is Good for You & Possible Effects
Ask any coffee drinker and they’ll tell you: coffee has worthwhile benefits. Beyond the pleasant aroma and the morning pick-me-up, there is growing evidence that our coffee habits could actually be impacting our health… for the better!
So just how does coffee affect your well-being?
1. Boosts Your Mood
There might be a reason why a cup of coffee can turn a morning frown into a smile. There’s growing evidence that coffee boosts dopamine production in the brain. One study found that women who drank four or more cups of coffee every day were 20 percent less likely to suffer from depression. Another found that coffee drinkers were half as likely to attempt su***de.
2. Helps Ward Off Diabetes
People who drink a lot of coffee are less likely to develop type 2 diabetes than people who drink smaller amounts, or no coffee at all, according to some studies. According to Harvard Medical School, this is because it contains ingredients that lower blood sugar. It isn’t known which ingredient causes this effect. Because the effects can actually be stronger with decaffeinated coffee, it’s probably not caffeine. Some researchers suggest that it’s the antioxidants, and that brewing method plays a major role.
3. Protects Your Heart
Two or more cups of coffee each day could protect against heart failure, according to one Harvard study. Researchers found that people who drank four cups of coffee each day had an 11 percent lower risk. Other studies have found that drinking larger intakes of coffee, as well as of green tea, can lower most people’s risk of stroke and cardiovascular disease. Interestingly, this tends to be more true for women than men.
4. Good for Parkinson’s
Studies have shown that the caffeine in coffee could help people who have Parkinson’s disease manage their uncontrollable movements. Others have shown that having a higher intake of coffee is associated with a lower risk of Parkinson’s altogether. However, Harvard Medical School says these benefits may be limited to men.
5. Prevents Gallstones
Gallstones are painful, but coffee could help keep them at bay. A study conducted in Italy found that people who regularly drank coffee or wine, or who ate fish or whole wheat bread, were less likely to develop gallstones. However, most researchers agree that the evidence for this relationship is still murky.
6. Loves Your Liver...
Several studies have linked coffee consumption to liver health. Many researchers agree that the type of coffee you drink matters. Filtered coffee, for example, is believed to be more hepatoprotective because filters prevent substances like kahweol and cafestol from reaching your mug. These substances may cause a rise in liver enzymes, although one study seems to refute this. Espresso, meanwhile, contains sucrose, which can increase the severity of fatty liver disease.
7. ...And Protects It from Cancer?
Coffee consumption has been linked to a 50 percent reduced risk of liver cancer. Several studies confirm that coffee drinking significantly lowers your risk for liver cancer, especially if you are a man. This is thought to be partially because coffee stops the expression of genes that cause inflammation, especially in the liver. Some studies show that the two substances mentioned above, kahweol and cafestol, may be protective against cancer. Additional studies have linked the hot beverage to reduced rates of breast, colon, and re**al cancers too.
8. Lends You a Longer Life
A study that accounted for poor lifestyle habits (eating red meat and skipping exercise, for instance), found that those who drank at least one cup of coffee each day lowered their risk of dying from lifestyle-related health problems over the period of a decade.
Have Some Coffee, but Not Too Much
Coffee could very well deliver a wealth of benefits, but don’t fill up just yet. Some research has tied drinking large amounts of unfiltered coffee like espresso to increased cholesterol levels, most likely due to cafestol. Also, if you’re sensitive to caffeine, jumping on the coffee bandwagon could bring unpleasant side effects like anxiousness, nausea, and headaches.
Coffee and Diabetes
Coffee was once condemned as being bad for your health. But there’s growing evidence that it may protect against certain kinds of cancers, liver disease, depression and Parkinson’s disease.
There’s also compelling research that increasing your coffee intake may actually lower your risk for developing type 2 diabetes. This is good news for those of us who can’t face the day until we get in our cup of java. For those who already have type 2 diabetes, coffee could have adverse effects.
Whether you’re trying to lower your risk or you have diabetes and can’t go without your cup of joe, learn about coffee’s effects on diabetes.
Part 2 of 5: Prevention
Coffee as Possible Prevention
The health benefits of coffee for diabetes differs from case to case. A study published in the July 2014 issue of Diabetologia is starting to generate discussion.
Researchers at Harvard tracked over 100,000 people for about 20 years, concentrating on a four-year period. They found that people who increased their coffee intake by over one cup per day had an 11 percent lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Conversely, people who reduced their coffee intake by one cup per day increased their risk of developing diabetes by 17 percent. There was no difference in those drinking tea.
It’s not clear why coffee has such an impact on developing diabetes. Caffeine may not be responsible. In fact, caffeine has been shown in the short term to increase both glucose and insulin levels.
Part 3 of 5: Glucose and Insulin
Coffee’s Effect on Glucose and Insulin
A 2004 study published in Diabetes Care showed that a dose of caffeine before eating resulted in higher post-meal blood glucose in people with type 2 diabetes and an increase in insulin resistance. So while it could be beneficial for protecting people against diabetes, it may pose dangers to people who already have type 2 diabetes.
There are a lot of ingredients in coffee other than caffeine. Some of them may be responsible for that protective effect seen in the 2014 study. Also, drinking caffeinated coffee over a long period of time may change its effect on glucose and insulin sensitivity. Tolerance from long-term consumption may be what causes a protective effect.
Another 2004 study looked at a “mid-range” effect on people without diabetes who had been either drinking 1 liter of coffee at day, or who abstained for a period of four weeks. At the end of the study, those who consumed more coffee had higher amounts of insulin in their blood, even when fasting.
This is usually a reflection on insulin resistance. The body has to make more insulin in order to remove sugar from the blood stream. The “tolerance” effect seen in long-term coffee consumption must take a lot longer than four weeks to develop.
There’s clearly a difference in how people with diabetes and people without diabetes respond to coffee and caffeine. A Duke University study had habitual coffee drinkers with type 2 diabetes continuously monitor their blood sugar while doing daily activities.
During the day, it was shown that right after they drank coffee, their blood sugar would soar. Blood sugar was higher on days that they drank coffee than it was on days they didn’t. Coffee might be protective in those who haven’t developed diabetes, but caffeine can be dangerous if you already have type 2.
There may be benefits to coffee outside of caffeine, and drinking decaffeinated coffee may have certain benefits for those with diabetes. Chlorogenic acid and other antioxidants may have highly beneficial effects, but not a lot of studies have been done in people with diabetes. Magnesium is also found in coffee, and that may have a positive effect on insulin sensitivity.
Part 4 of 5: Be Aware
A Little Coffee with Your Sugar?
If you don’t have diabetes but are concerned about developing it, be careful before you start increasing your coffee intake. There may be a positive effect from coffee in its pure form, but the benefits aren’t the same for “doctored” drinks.
Creamy, sugary drinks found at cafe chains are loaded with unhealthy carbs and are very high in calories. The impact of the sugar and fat in a lot of coffee and espresso drinks can outweigh the good from any protective effects of the coffee.
Drinking high-saturated fat, high-carb coffee drinks on a regular basis can add to insulin resistance and eventually contribute to type 2 diabetes. Most big coffee chains offer drink options with fewer carbs and fat. “Skinny” coffee drinks allow you the morning wakeup or afternoon pick-me-up without the sugar rush.
Part 5 of 5: Takeaway
Jury Is Still Out
No food or supplement offers total protection against type 2 diabetes. If you have prediabetes, losing weight and exercising might be the best way to reduce your risk. Taking up drinking coffee in order to stave off diabetes will not guarantee you a good result.
If you regularly drink coffee, it may be helping you. Try reducing the amount of sugar or fat you drink with your coffee. However, research has shown that coffee can negatively affect people who already have diabetes.
Talk with your doctor about diet and exercise options and about the effects that drinking coffee might have. And remember, there’s always decaf!
Source: Healthline.com
