Rejoice Coffee Lovers!
Whether you’re an administrator, nurse, social worker, activity professional or therapist, take great joy in the fact that you are self-medicating every day with a substance that has been used for thousands of years for health and well-being. I’m talking about coffee and here’s what I know about its many health benefits.
Coffee and Health
Most people already know that coffee is a great stimulant and gets you going when you need some additional energy. But, did you know that it has been found in studies to reduce risk of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, gallstones, diabetes, cancer, and gout? It has also been shown to enhance cognitive performance, enhances the effects of analgesics like Motrin or Advil, is good for the heart and acts as a natural laxative and diuretic.
(NOTE: Interested in learning more about Employee Wellness? Checkout my Employee Wellness CEUs on CEU Academy and try a FREE CEU today!)
The Power of Antioxidants
Sometimes good cells go bad. Oxygen interacts with our body’s cells every minute, around the clock. This exposure to oxygen is normal and necessary for the renewal of health to fight disease. But, often the process goes wrong, resulting in oxidation which produces free radicals which attack other healthy cells.
This process can be very damaging to the body and may speed up the aging process. Luckily, coffee is very high in antioxidants, which seek out and destroy free radicals which are associated with heart disease, cancer, arthritis, emphysema and other respiratory diseases, immune deficiency and other inflammatory or ischemic conditions.
What Do Studies Reveal about Coffee and Health?
There are more and more studies that reveal that drinking coffee on a regular basis is good for physical and emotional health. But, how much are we supposed to drink?
Experts suggest 4-5 cups (8 ounces per cup) per day can have important and wide-ranging beneficial effects on health and well-being.
To be fair, there are also some risks in drinking coffee. For instance, pregnant women should limit their consumption of coffee and all caffeine during their pregnancy. Those with heart problems should limit their consumption as well. Women diagnosed with osteoporosis should also limit coffee in their diet and seek advice from their doctor.
Alzheimer’s Disease
It has been found that people who drink coffee daily reduce their risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease compared to people who don’t drink it at all. It appears that coffee may have similar benefits of drinking red wine as they both may delay the onset or reduce the rate of progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
Parkinson’s Disease
Similar findings have been discovered concerning Parkinson’s disease. Some studies have shown that people who drink coffee routinely reduce their risk of developing the disease when compared to people who don’t drink it. The caffeine in coffee may actually help with stiffness, rigidity and mobility problems associated with Parkinson’s. In one study, people who drank 4 cups of coffee daily were 5 times less likely to develop the disease. It has also been shown that caffeine stimulates brain receptors and increases motor activity and movement.
Type 2 Diabetes
Along with other lifestyle measures including weight control and exercise, coffee may have protective effects against developing Type 2 Diabetes. It appears that coffee reduces insulin sensitivity and other elements found in coffee including chlorogenic acids and magnesium, may also protect against the development of the disorder. Some experts also believe that antioxidants play an important role in reducing risks.
Cancer
Many experts agree that we may be able to prevent cancer by 35% or more by altering our diet and lifestyle. Every year, almost 11 million people around the world are diagnosed with some form of cancer. It is still one of the leading causes of death in the United States. Some research indicates that risk of developing bowel or colorectal, pancreatic, bladder and liver cancers may be reduced through the routine consumption of coffee.
Final Thoughts on the Health Benefits of Coffee
This short article does no justice to the massive amount of research findings on coffee and its many physical, emotional and neurological health benefits. I’d have to write a book to accomplish that. I wanted to point out to many healthcare professionals who consume coffee on a normal basis, that they may actually be practicing preventive health without even knowing it. So, drink up and here’s to your health!
(NOTE: Interested in learning more about Employee Wellness? Checkout my Employee Wellness CEUs on CEU Academy and try a FREE CEU today!)