Why You Can Never Stop Drinking Coffee, Ever!

I love reading bad press about coffee. I have been addicted to joe for about 35 years now, and I am always looking for a good excuse to stop, aside from the blinding headaches I get whenever I forget to feed my habit. So imagine my chagrin when I came across HealthDay's recent article on new research which demonstrates that caffeine might be able to boost memory and stave off Alzheimer's in individuals already prone to develop the disease. The results were considered conclusive enough to be published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease's online edition (July 5, 2009). Although the studies involved mice and not people, research on human test subjects are expected to begin shortly.

In addition to combating Alzheimer's, according to WebMD, people who drink coffee have significantly lower rates of diabetes, Parkinson's disease and colon cancer. It has also been shown to be an excellent ally in combating asthma. I was intrigued to read in the WebMD article that "in recent decades, some 19,000 studies have been done examining coffee's impact on health...'Overall, the research shows that coffee is far more healthful than it is harmful,' says Tomas DePaulis, PhD, research scientist at Vanderbilt University's Institute for Coffee Studies, which conducts its own medical research and tracks coffee studies from around the world. 'For most people, very little bad comes from drinking it, but a lot of good.' "

So if coffee is so great, why does it need 19,000 separate studies? I guess I am intrigued as to how a drug that is widely regarded as a diuretic, is clearly addictive, and routinely gives me the "shakes" can be beneficial to the human body. The answer lies in the fact that coffee is loaded with antioxidants, which apparently reduces one's sensitivity to insulin and thus prevents diabetes.

But there is still quite a bit of controversy surrounding coffee. For a more detailed breakdown of the pros and cons of coffee, I recommend Jane Brody's excellent article in the New York Times of August 25, 2008. Although the general consensus seems to be that coffee is beneficial to most healthy people, it has also been linked to such ailments as hypertension, anxiety and weight gain, albeit on a minor scale. Incidentally, coffee's reputation as a diuretic is apparently undeserved. According to Ms. Brody, coffee does not produce any more urine than any other fluid, unless the caffeine tops 550 milligrams per cup, which is more than most coffee chains serve up per cup.

So I guess we can expect another 19,000 studies on coffee in the future (many of which are most likely funded by the coffee industry). I am personally delighted that my one serious vice is proving to be so beneficial to my health. And if you'll excuse me, I have to head down to Starbuck's now for my fix.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20090705/hl_hsn/moreevidencethatcaffeinecanjoltmemory

(HealthDay's article about how caffeine prevents Alzheimer's)

http://www.j-alz.com/issues/16/vol16-1.html (This is the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease synopsis of the research - you have to scroll down a bit to read it)

http://men.webmd.com/features/coffee-new-health-food (WebMD article on how coffee reduces risk of Parkinson's and colon cancer

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/05/health/05brod.html (Jane Brody's article in the New York Times of August 25, 2008)