Originally published February 14 2014
How drinking coffee can give you a long, happy life
by Sarka-Jonae Miller
(NaturalNews) People joke about how drinking coffee has created a culture of caffeine junkies, people who are basically zombies without their cups of Joe. But the reality is that while some people will take anything to excess, moderate coffee consumption may actually be good for you. Very good. Research links drinking coffee to lowered risk of serious health condition, to longevity, and to better moods.
Coffee fights diseases
Studies indicate that drinking coffee correlates with lower risks of diabetes and heart diseases, two major contributors to premature death. It could also have a protective effect against Alzheimer's disease or delay the onset. These benefits only seem to come from consuming coffee with caffeine though; decaf doesn't do the trick.
Researchers from two universities in the United States discovered a link between greater levels of caffeine in the blood of people aged 65 and older with later appearances of Alzheimer's. According to the people from the Universities of South Florida and Miami, higher levels of caffeine appeared to correlate to a delay of two to four years of the disease when compared to people who had lower blood caffeine levels.
Dr. Chuanhai Cao of the University of San Francisco said that drinking caffeinated coffee in moderation won't necessarily prevent Alzheimer's, but the researchers think that it could significantly decrease Alzheimer's risk or at least delay the development.
Coffee is also a rich source of antioxidants that protect people from a variety of diseases. A 2005 study found that nothing else gives people nearly as many as antioxidants as coffee provides. For Americans, it is the number one source of antioxidants. Although there are other sources of antioxidants, such as fresh fruits and veggies, the human body is able to absorb more of these beneficial substances from coffee.
Coffee makes you happy
There is plenty of anecdotal evidence that coffee boosts the mood. Just hang out in Starbucks and watch the faces of the people who come in and then see their faces change after they have their drinks. But a National Institutes of Health discovered that at least four cups of Joe per day correlates to a 10 percent lower risk of depression. The author of the study, Honglei Chen, MD, PhD, hypothesized that antioxidants are responsible.
Another study found a link between coffee and suicide risk. The Harvard School of Public Health study showed that people who consumed around two to four cups of java had only about half the risk of suicide. The suspected reason is that coffee assists the body to make neurotransmitters including dopamine, noradrenaline, and serotonin. These chemicals help to fight depression.
Coffee may extend life
Most people aspire to live long happy lives, and coffee can assist with that not only by elevating the mood and staving off diseases, but it also may simply help you live longer. A 2012 study found that people who drank at least three cups daily had a lower risk of death. Both regular and decaf seemed to have a positive effect. A study from 2008 published in the Annals of Internal Medicine had similar findings.
So, if you feel guilty about how much coffee you drink, don't. Of course, these studies were all done with coffee, not expensive, high-calorie, extra sweet coffee-flavored beverages. There are no studies to support that habit.
Sources for this article include:
http://phys.org/news6067.html
http://www.cbsnews.com
http://annals.org/article.aspx?articleid=668690
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1112010
http://news.harvard.edu
http://miami.cbslocal.com
About the author:
Sarka-Jonae Miller is a former personal trainer and massage therapist. She has a journalism degree from Syracuse University. Sarka-Jonae currently writes romantic comedy novels and romantic erotica under the same SJ Miller.
Get more health and wellness tips from SJ's natural health Twitter feed or from SJ's Facebook page.
SJ's books can be found on Amazon.
Sarka-Jonae Miller is a former personal trainer and massage therapist. She has a journalism degree from Syracuse University. Sarka-Jonae currently writes romantic comedy novels and romantic erotica under the same SJ Miller.
Get more health and wellness tips from SJ's natural health Twitter feed or from SJ's Facebook page.
SJ's books can be found on Amazon.
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