Over the past few years, there have been several studies on coffee. Initially, I think the research was an attempt to prove that it was harmful to consume and to dissuade people from using it. Nevertheless, the results cited several health benefits from coffee consumption.
Not long after that, a second and then a third study was conducted, and the results were equally positive about the benefits of coffee drinking.
Now, there is another study that points to health benefits from using coffee. It seems that the scientific community might be moving away from trying to prove the harmful effects of drinking coffee to discovering additional positive benefits from using it.
So far, the results of studying coffee consumption have proved that it does not raise blood pressure – even when several cups are consumed daily. In fact, recent research suggests that the more one drinks, the better the results. Time was just one or two cups of coffee was considered safe. Then it was raised to no more than three. Now upwards of five is considered fine.
It’s interesting also at what passes for a “cup.” Fifty years ago, china coffee cups that most people had in their cabinets held about 5 ounces of coffee. Small cups now hold 8 ounces. Larger mugs hold 12, and some hold 16 or 20 ounces. Nowhere have I seen a volume definition for a cup of coffee referenced in any of these studies. They simply refer to “cup.”
Coffee is an anti-oxidant. It helps ward off asthma and other allergies. It is thought to prevent or delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.
A study of over 400,000 people found that coffee drinking promoted a longer life, and there is evidence that it can prevent type II diabetes and prostate cancer. It lowers the risk of liver cancer and of cirrhosis. It even repairs some liver damage. It may prevent colorectal cancer. It can stave off MS and help with Parkinson’s symptoms.
Research also shows that the younger a person is when they start drinking coffee – even in their 30s – the better the cumulative health effects.
It’s hard to imagine anything that tastes as good as coffee being so good for our health. It appears to be as close to a perfect beverage as any of us will ever see. The health properties are astounding, and more are revealed with each new study.
So, we should drink coffee, and we should encourage our aging-in-place clients to drink it also. Apparently, the caffeinated type without sugar or milk is the best way to drink it for maximum benefit although coffee in any form seems to be better than not having it at all.