Research Proves Coffee Has A Positive Effect On Health

Jul 4th, 2010 Posted in Coffee and Health | No Comments »

Studies indicate that individuals drinking four or more cups of coffee daily have as much as a 39% decrease in the incidence of head and neck cancers.  There did not appear to be either a positive or negative effect on laryngeal cancer.

While the results seem positive, a lead researcher at the University of Utah, Mia Hashibe, cautions us against drinking a great deal of coffee.

Pointing out that the main risk factors for oral cancers are smoking and drinking alcohol, she sites that the best way to prevent these cancers is to avoid the main risk factors.

Dr. Donald Hensrud, the chair of preventative medicine at the Mayo Clinic, states that it was not long ago that the perception was that coffee was a negative influence in our health.  While there are 1000 chemical compounds in coffee, including cancer fighting antioxidants, this could be the explanation as to how coffee helps with these cancers.

Coffee has great potential in the treatment of other diseases; dementia, diabetes, liver disease and Parkinson’s have all shown a positive response to coffee, but that the studies indicating this, did not address the side effects of coffee.    He suggests that a combination approach was a more sensible avenue to take, rather than relying on coffee alone – vegetables, fruits, natural products and tea might have better results than a narrow focus of coffee alone.

Hensrud’s rebuttal revealed that too much coffee could contribute to liver damage and increased blood pressure.  Caffeine also can cause insomnia, gastric reflux, heartburn, palpitations as well as other undesirable effects, like irritability.  Physiological addiction of coffee creates withdrawal headaches and

Hensrud concluded by cautioning against drinking too much of coffee, as it could contribute to liver damage and increased blood pressure. The caffeine present could also cause insomnia, gastric reflux, heartburn, palpitations and other undesirable effects.

In fact, coffee drinking could be so addictive that withdrawal symptoms could cause headaches. Additionally,  it was found that in some cases drinking too much coffee could make it harder to conceive and/or could increase the risk of miscarriage.

The message we have learned here is that moderation is the key and going extreme on either side could cause trouble all around. A healthy dose of common sense, a pinch of logic, along with current information thrown in for good measure is essential to decision making.

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Common Health Questions about Drinking Coffee

May 30th, 2010 Posted in Coffee and Health | No Comments »

Drinking coffee is  very common for most people  and has become almost a national pastime since it punctuates many important events such as dinners, banquets, socials, and home gatherings.  Whole businesses  base their income  around this product  such as coffee houses, delis, bars and donut shops. Manufacturers  would be lost without coffee beans to  add to its many products   that include not only the hot beverage, but injected into other edible products such as pies, cakes, ice cream, energy drinks and smoothies. There is a long list of products  that use some form of the coffee bean to enhance, flavor and provide a shot of caffeine to eager consumers .

The use of coffee has continued to rise among consumers and there are many health issues that concern users regarding the use and/or abuse of the product . There are conflicting statements  made by researchers all the time about issues related to coffee and health.  It’s true that coffee is a powerful marketing product  because it is popular  among people worldwide . Obviously, it is here to stay . But what about the many health issues associated with its use ? Here are a some  important questions and a few answers provided by coffee experts that can provide you with some information before deciding whether or not to continue using coffee in any form.

Q:  Are coffee beans chemically free?

A: It is undeniable that many chemicals are used to process  many coffee flavors . Companies use propylene glycol to flavor beans after roasting . This chemical is necessary to inject a variety of   flavors in to the beans. If you want to drink coffee or use coffee products without chemicals, you’d  best stick with organic coffee beans and do your own grinding and blending.

Q: Does decaffeinated coffee still retain some caffeine?

A: Yes, generally all decaffeinated coffee still  has some caffeine although most is taken out through processing . Normally, between 97% to 99% of decaf coffee is without caffeine . This is one of the issues that coffee drinkers tend to be concerned about when they consider the possible relationship between coffee and health.

Q:  Is decaf coffee exposed to any chemicals during processing?

A: Yes, a solvent called methylene chloride is added to take away most of the caffeine. Another method is to wash away the caffeine with charcoal and water . There is some concern about whether or not the solvent is completely removed before packaging or if some residue will be consumed by consumers.  Using the Swiss method of removing caffeine, by passing it through water and charcoal, can ease some concerns about chemicals. Obviously, you will lose some flavor during the decaffeination methods.  If you want to avoid chemicals completely, you can try an organic, green coffee bean that has not been treated and that will give you as close to the taste of a ‘real’ cup of coffee as you will find, but with very little caffeine. It is also a bit more expensive .

Q:  If you have stomach problems, can you make low acid coffee to drink?

A: Yes, if you suffer from problems like acid reflux, you can purchase some ‘low acid’ coffees, but there is a method called Toddy Cold Brew System that purports to brew coffee with over 60% less acid than typical coffee. You can brew the coffee yourself so that it tastes much better .

Q: Can heart attacks be caused by drinking coffee?

A: There are many medical opinions on this subject and might be wise to listen to the general warning that drinking too much coffee is not good  for you since it can cause general anxiety symptoms to worsen which push the heart rate to elevate at times . That being said,  recent research also shows that coffee drinking in moderation can actually be good for heart health.

Obviously, coffee in its many forms will continue to be a  part of our global culture. As with any beverage  or food, it’s wise to consume it in moderation thereby not giving up one of life’s simple pleasures.