The Truth About Coffee Benefits and Women’s Health

I am a coffee drinker. Every morning, I grind fresh coffee beans and gently place them into my coffee pot with an unbleached filter and filtered, cold water. I spend more than $50 a month on beans and creamer alone, but science is constantly changing the story on coffee benefits. One minute, a new study is published claiming coffee is bad for women's health and the next minute researchers find new and exciting coffee benefits. What is the truth behind coffee intake and women's health?

Drink coffee and protect yourself from suicide. A study completed at Harvard University in 1996 revealed women who consumed two or more cups of coffee every day were less likely to commit suicide. The study included more than 85,000 nurses.

Coffee may protect against certain diseases and types of cancer. Jump forward eight years and Harvard University again eases women's minds about daily coffee intake. It appears coffee does more than decrease the risk of suicide; it may also decrease the risk of colon cancer, Parkinson's disease and type 2 diabetes. This study is slightly different because it claims drinking coffee in small amounts throughout the day offers the best coffee benefits; rather than drinking 16-ounces of Joe first thing in the morning.

Coffee benefits older women as much as younger women. When I think of the classic coffee drinker I think of the 30-something mom trying to juggle home, work and life with children, family and responsibilities, because that's who I am. But, clinical research shows older women gain coffee benefits just as much as younger women. More than 50,000 women with an average age of 63 participated in a study spanning from 1980 to 2004. The study revealed drinking coffee reduced risk of depression. The benefit was associated with drinking a minimum of four cups of coffee (24-ounces) per day.

With the Good Comes a Little Bit of Bad

Coffee is addictive. Caffeine increases heart rate and blood pressure and can affect sleep patterns. Many women, including myself, find they cannot wake up in the morning without a strong, tall cup of coffee. Without it, the body goes through withdrawal causing headaches, shakes and nausea.

Coffee is low calorie but creamer and sugar are not. Stopping off at your local coffee shop for a caramel latte before work may provide the same coffee benefits, but it may also increase your waist size. I choose a calorie-free artificial sweetener and sugar-free, low-calorie creamer. Each cup of coffee I consume has 40 calories, unlike the uber-lattes with 500 calories or more.

There are clearly coffee benefits for women, but as is the case with all health benefits, women need to watch intake closely and not go overboard. Drink coffee with low-calorie additives to prevent weight gain and consume coffee throughout the day as opposed to packing in 16-ounces first thing in the morning.

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