One of my favorite parts of the weekend is to be able to sit down and enjoy a cup of coffee...or two...and maybe one every once in a while during the week days as well. So today I decided to look into some of the research done on this wonderful beverage and see what they have to say.
What I came across that interested me was some studies that have been done in recent years showing that coffee may have some benefits, such as protecting against Parkinson's disease, type 2 diabetes and liver disease. It also has been shown to contain a high content of antioxidants and that coffee may improve endurance performance in long-duration physical activities.
Type 2 Diabtetes- The studies on coffee and type 2 diabetes are pretty extensive, with over 15 published studies. The compounds magnesium and chromium that are found in coffee help the body use the hormone insulin, which controls glucose in the blood. This is very important since in type 2 diabetes the body loses its ability to use insulin and regulate blood sugar effectively.
Cirrhosis- Studies in United States, Japan, Europe, and Norway shows that coffee may help to protect the liver against the effects of alcohol. According to an article in the Seattle Times, researchers speculate that when the liver metabolizes coffee, this somehow inhibits the chronic liver inflammation involved in metabolizing lots of alcohol.
Parkinson’s- There have also been studies that show that the caffeine in coffee may increase the production of dopamine. In Parkinson’s the brain cells that make dopamine stop working, so the studies suggest that caffeine wards off Parkinson’s by protecting these cells.
Antioxidants- There is large quantities of antioxidants in coffee, but research is still pending on whether these antioxidants appear in the bloodstream.
Along with the good I also unfortunately found some bad information that I had never heard before. There are apparently 2 substances found in coffee, kahweol and cafestol that raise cholesterol levels. Supposedly using paper filters to brew your coffee captures these substances, but for those drinking non-filtered coffee drinks these substances get left in the drink.
Without going into much detail, coffee can also trigger a TH-2 response for someone with an autoimmune disease. If you know you are autoimmune and any of these ingredients seem to make your autoimmune disease flare up or you feel worse then it may be important to avoid them: pine bark extract, grape seed extract, green tea extract, resveratrol, pynogenol, and coffee.
Coffee also stimulates the adrenals, which can wear them down and eventually affect your blood sugar as well. If you require coffee to get you going in the morning this may be a sign of hypoglycemia. Or if you need coffee as an afternoon pick-me up or in order to stay awake after lunch, this could be a sign of insulin resistance.
The moral of the story is the same as it is for many things; moderation. We know that coffee can increase blood pressure and heart rate. While it can also cause insomnia and dehydration.
We also need to be careful what we are adding to our coffee, since most of us don’t just drink it plain. Instead we like to add sweeteners, cream, sugar, or we order blended icy concoctions. All these additions are just extra calories, and more junk that our bodies would prefer to live without.
Before I end this blog I would like to leave you with a funny story about my husband:
I have been a coffee drinker for some time now, especially since I lived in Seattle, but my husband never liked coffee until I came around. The first time he made a pot of coffee he decided to drink the entire pot so not to waste it. After that he headed to his checkup at the doctor's office. The nurse then took his blood pressure, and then took it again and then again while giving him a worried look. At that time he decided to mention that he had just drank a whole pot of coffee and was wondering if that would affect his blood pressure. I think that she was relieved that there was an explanation to why his blood pressure was so extremely high, but let him know that she did not advise him to drink a whole pot of coffee, and that sometimes it is OK to waste coffee.
Pura Vida!
Alica Ryan, NTP
Sources:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/health/2003159425_healthcoffee30.html
http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/coffee-new-health-food
http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/the-buzz-on-coffee
http://www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/coffee_health_risk
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