Is Coffee the New Fruits and Vegetables?

In a year, the average American consumes approximately 416 8-ounce cups of coffee in its various permutations from espressos to iced drinks. Such is the popularity of java that neighbourhood cafés offering a wide array of coffee beverages are popular hangouts for students, young professionals and even executives, thus, spawning a culture to rival that of Turkey.

But have you ever wondered what coffee can do for your health? Admittedly, coffee has suffered from a negative reputation but recent medical studies have pointed out that it offers numerous positive health benefits. In the final analysis, it seems that the positives of moderate consumption outweigh its negatives.

Why is this so, you may ask? The answer may lie in the fact that it comes from plants, which have been proven beyond doubt to contain beneficial phytochemicals with the action of potent antioxidants. The antioxidants in coffee include caffeic, ferulic and p-coumaric acids.

One of the most promising benefits of moderate consumption is lessening the risks for the development of Type Two diabetes in susceptible individuals. This is because a few antioxidants in the coffee increase insulin sensitivity and, thus, helps in the regulation of the hormone in the body. Coffee also contains beneficial minerals like chromium and magnesium, both of which are essential in controlling blood glucose levels.

In 2005, Frank Hu, a nutrition and epidemiology professor with the Harvard School of Public Health, and his team reviewed 9 studies about the relationship betwee
Type 2 diabetes and coffee. People who drank over 6 cups daily were less likely to develop Type 2 diabetes (35%) than the people who were just 2 cups-a-day drinkers. It also appears that men benefit more from their coffee-drinking habit than the women.

Coffee has also been credited with lessening the risks for developing various other chronic degenerative diseases including:
- Alzheimer's disease and dementia
- Gallstone disease
- Parkinson's disease
- Gout
- Liver diseases through coffee's possibly potent anti-fibrotic capabilities
- Cancer particularly the oral, oesophageal, and pharyngeal types
- Cardiovascular diseases

Of course, we all know that coffee has the ability to boost cognitive performance often the stronger the concentration, the better for the brain. A cup of Joe has been proven to increase short-term memory recall with studies pointing to people who regularly drank it as performing better on tests for simple reaction time, choice reaction time, visuospatial reasoning and incidental verbal memory.
Elderly people appear to benefit the most from regular coffee drinking, which might explain the lower risks for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.

This brings us back to the question of whether coffee is now the new super food or at least, if it is the new fruit and vegetable that our doctors will highly recommend as an addition to a healthy diet.

Well, for as long as coffee is consumed in moderation, you can enjoy the abovementioned health benefits. The beverage does have its share of antioxidants, minerals and other beneficial substances that keep the body healthy. But always keep in mind that anything good when abused and misused will eventually lead to negative consequences.

So, if you are experiencing negative side effects like frequent heart palpitations, unusual anxiety and general coffee jitters, then you are probably drinking more than your fair share of the brew. In this case, cut back on coffee and you should be all right once again.