What's in a Cup of Coffee??

[kaisersozei]

Originally Posted by shilala

Coffee is the single worst thing a person can put in their body (aside from maybe TripleF).

Scott, here's some good news: medical studies in the past few years are actually elevating coffee from its previous lowly perception. The Harvard Medical School published a report that listed the following benefits (cut&paste) of drinking coffee in moderation:

Blood pressure. Results from long-term studies are showing that coffee may not increase the risk for high blood pressure over time, as previously thought. Study findings for other cardiovascular effects are a mixed bag.

Cancer. Coffee might have anti-cancer properties. Last year, researchers found that coffee drinkers were 50% less likely to get liver cancer than nondrinkers. A few studies have found ties to lower rates of colon, breast, and rectal cancers.

Diabetes. Heavy coffee drinkers may be half as likely to get diabetes as light drinkers or nondrinkers. Coffee may contain chemicals that lower blood sugar. A coffee habit may also increase your resting metabolism rate, which could help keep diabetes at bay.

Parkinson’s disease. Coffee seems to protect men, but not women, against Parkinson’s disease. One possible explanation for the sex difference may be that estrogen and caffeine need the same enzymes to be metabolized, and estrogen captures those enzymes.

Other medical research supports these findings. Nutrition researchers at Oregon State published a report stating "Overall, there is little evidence of health risk and some evidence of health benefits for adults consuming moderate amounts of filtered coffee."

So drink up!