What is the number one source of antioxidants in the U.S. diet? It's not a fruit or a vegetable. Believe it or not, the answer is coffee.Yes, the drink that jumpstarts many Americans every morning has been shown to provide health benefits.
I have touted the benefits of drinking green tea and will continue to do so. But I am also a coffee drinker and was gratified to find that a beverage I so enjoy is actually good for me. Before I proceed with the health benefits, let me say that there are problems that can be worsened by drinking coffee. These include insomnia, anxiety, hypertension and heart problems.
I do have to limit my consumption to two or three cups per day or I experience heart palpitations. But recent research suggests that coffee drinkers may be at lower risk of liver and colon cancer, type 2 diabetes and Parkinson's disease.
Other studies suggest that men who drink coffee seem to have a lower risk of advanced lethal prostate cancer, and middle-aged people who drank moderate amounts of coffee had the lowest risk for dementia and Alzheimer's disease later in life. According to the CNN article, women who drank coffee regularly were less likely to die of various causes. Since decaf coffee seemed to show the same results, researchers don't credit caffeine with these benefits.
Coffee contains the same types of antioxidants found in other foods and drinks. And even though it is found at even higher levels in some other foods, people tend to consume coffee more frequently, thus making it the main source of these antioxidants. Researchers also think other ingredients in coffee help improve health. Some have said it most likely is not one single component but rather the combination that is beneficial.
I am particular about my coffee and have even been called a "coffee snob." Mornings, I like to grind the beans and press my coffee. I don't know that freshly ground beans have any greater health benefit, but to me they just taste better.
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