Coffee Does a Body Good?

WCTV and WSJ.com

Coffee appears to do a lot more than just give you a little more pep.
There’s been several studies suggesting coffee, as well as green tea, has some health benefits.

A study in the journal “Archives of Internal Medicine” shows four or more daily cups of coffee or tea a day cuts the risk of developing type two diabetes by a quarter.

And Australian researchers saw something similar even if it’s decaffeinated, suggesting it’s the coffee and tea itself — not the caffeine — that helps.

Another recent study — this one out of Harvard — shows the more coffee men drink, the greater the benefits.

It found those who drank at least six cups a day reduced their risk of an aggressive form of prostate cancer by sixty percent.

The Latest Findings on Coffee:

Diabetes: Many studies find that coffee—decaf or regular—lowers the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, but caffeine raises blood sugar in people who already have it.

Cancer: Earlier studies implicating coffee in causing cancer have been disproven; may instead lower the risk of colon, mouth, throat and other cancers.

Heart disease: Long-term coffee drinking does not appear to raise the risk and may provide some protection.

Hypertension: Caffeine raises blood pressure, so sufferers should be wary.

Cholesterol: Some coffee—especially decaf—raises LDL, the bad kind of cholesterol.

Alzheimer’s: Moderate coffee drinking appears to be protective.

Osteoporosis: Caffeine lowers bone density, but adding milk can balance out the risk.

Pregnancy: Caffeine intake may increase the risk of miscarriage and low birth-weight babies.

Sleep: Effects are highly variable, but avoiding coffee after 3 p.m. can avert insomnia.

Mood: Moderate caffeine boosts energy and cuts depression, but excess amounts can cause anxiety.