Did you know that drinking coffee is good for you? There has been much debate over the benefits of coffee, but recent evidence suggests that the good outweighs the bad when it is used in moderation.

Coffee is rich in antioxidants, like clorogenic and melanic acids, and recent medical research suggests that drinking it is associated with a reduced risk of a variety of illnesses and an improvement in overall body and mental performance. The following is a short list of coffee's health benefits.

# The caffeine content may relieve your headaches

# It is known to increase mental focus

# Reduces the risk of cirrhosis of the liver by 60-80%

# Reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes

# Extra protection against Parkinson’s disease

# Reduced risk for Alzheimer’s disease

# Reduces the rates of age-related cognitive decline

# Great source for antioxidants

# Provides extra energy for exercise

It is important to understand that while coffee has many health benefits it is not a substitute for an otherwise healthy diet and a natural health lifestyle. It simply means that it is a fantastic supplement and an enjoyable treat for many people.

The bottom line is that you don’t need to feel guilty about enjoying a hot cup of java every once and a while. Have some with friends and make sure to everyone around you the great benefits of coffee!

Hey It looks like the New York Times has awoken (probably with a good dose of coffee) to the health benefits of Coffee. The article, which appeared in their August 5th, 2008 online edition (print too, I assume) included some interesting information:

The Myth of Hydration: I'm in Texas, where we've had a plethora of 105 degree days recently. I've constantly heard the admonishment by radio and tv personalities to drink lots of fluids, but to avoid caffiene. Yes, you've got it, this is a myth! Studies reviewed last year found that people who consumed drinks with up to 550 milligrams of caffeine produced no more urine than when drinking fluids free of caffeine. Even a Grande Starbucks Coffee has only 330 milligrams of caffeine, and a 12 oz. Coca Cola has a mere 35 milligrams of caffeine.

Weight Loss: The NY Times Article mentioned a study that found that coffee drinkers who increased their caffeine consumption gained more weight than those who didn’t. But, they also mentioned that for every 75 to 100 milligrams of caffeine, the resulting metabolism increase results in a caloric loss of 75 to 100 Calories. Hmm...lets do the math...say we have one of those Grande Starbucks Coffee's once a day, for 6 days a week. That would put us at around 300 Grande's a year. 300 days, times 87 calories (splitting the difference) equals 26,100 calories. There are, so to speak, 3,500 calories in a pound of weight loss, so that's 7.5 lbs. of weight loss. Oh, wait, that's for 100 milligrams, my Grande has 330, so multiply that times 3 = 22.5 lbs! Multiply that times a decade and I'd have a 30 inch waist. Perhaps the people in the study drank their coffee with a donut???

1. Antioxidants. Coffee is rich in antioxidants like chlorogenic acid and melanoidins. Antioxidants help prevent oxidation, a process that causes damage to cells and contributes to aging.
2. Parkinson's disease. Regular coffee drinking reduces the risk of Parkinson's disease. A number of studies [1],[2] have demonstrated that people who drink coffee on a regular basis are significantly less likely to develop Parkinson's disease.
3. Diabetes. Coffee drinking has the potential to protect against the development of type 2 diabetes. A prospective study[3] as part of the US Nurses Health Study found that moderate consumption of both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee may lower the risk of type 2 diabetes in younger and middle aged women.
4. Liver cirrhosis. Coffee drinking may protect against liver cirrhosis, especially alcoholic cirrhosis.
5. Gallstones. There is some evidence [4] that coffee drinking may be protective against gallstone formation in both men and women.