[H2]Coffee: The New Health Food?[/H2] [A href="http://men.webmd.com/features/coffee-new-health-food"]http://men.webmd.com/features/coffee-new-health-food[/A]
[DIV class=subhead_fmt]Plenty of health benefits are brewing in America's beloved beverage.
[DIV class=author_fmt]By [A onclick="return sl(this,'','prog-lnk');" href="http://www.webmd.com/sid-kircheimer"][FONT color=#006699]Sid Kirchheimer[/FONT][/A]
WebMD Feature
[DIV class=reviewedBy_fmt]Reviewed by [A onclick="return sl(this,'','prog-lnk');" href="http://www.webmd.com/michael-w-smith"][FONT color=#006699]Michael W. Smith, MD[/FONT][/A]
[DIV class=clearBoth_fmt][FONT color=#006699][/FONT]
[H3][FONT color=#006699][/FONT][/H3] [P align=left]Want a drug that could lower your risk of [A onclick="return sl(this,'','embd-lnk');" href="http://diabetes.webmd.com/default.htm"][FONT color=#006699]diabetes[/FONT][/A], Parkinson's disease, and [A onclick="return sl(this,'','embd-lnk');" href="http://www.webmd.com/colorectal-cancer/default.htm"][FONT color=#006699]colon cancer[/FONT][/A]? That could lift your mood and treat [A onclick="return sl(this,'','embd-lnk');" href="http://www.webmd.com/migraines-headaches/default.htm"][FONT color=#006699]headaches[/FONT][/A]? That could lower your risk of cavities?
[P align=left xmlns:xalan="http://xml.apache.org/xalan"]If it sounds too good to be true, think again.
[P align=left]Coffee, the much maligned but undoubtedly beloved beverage, just made headlines for possibly cutting the risk of the latest disease epidemic, [A onclick="return sl(this,'','embd-lnk');" href="http://diabetes.webmd.com/guide/type-2-diabetes"][FONT color=#006699]type 2 diabetes[/FONT][/A]. And the real news seems to be that the more you drink, the better.
[H3]Reducing Disease Risk[/H3] [P align=left][SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: small"]After analyzing data on 126,000 people for as long as 18 years, Harvard researchers calculate that compared with not partaking in America's favorite morning drink, downing one to three cups of caffeinated coffee daily can reduce diabetes risk by single digits. But having six cups or more each day slashed men's risk by 54% and women's by 30% over j-ava avoiders.[/SPAN]
[P align=left][SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: small"]Though the scientists give the customary "more research is needed" before they recommend you do overtime at Starbuck's to specifically prevent diabetes, their findings are very similar to those in a less-publicized Dutch study. And perhaps more importantly, it's the latest of hundreds of studies suggesting that coffee may be something of a health food -- especially in higher amounts.[/SPAN]
[P align=left][SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: small"]In recent decades, some 19,000 studies have been done examining coffee's impact on health. And for the most part, their results are as pleasing as a gulp of freshly brewed Breakfast Blend for the 108 million Americans who routinely enjoy this traditionally morning -- and increasingly daylong -- ritual. In practical terms, regular coffee drinkers include the majority of U.S. adults and a growing number of children.[/SPAN]
[P align=left][SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: small"]"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."[/SPAN]
[P align=left][SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: small"]Consider this: At least six studies indicate that people who drink coffee on a regular basis are up to 80% less likely to develop Parkinson's, with three showing the more they drink, the lower the risk. Other research shows that compared to not drinking coffee, at least two cups daily can translate to a 25% reduced risk of colon cancer, an 80% drop in liver cirrhosis risk, [/SPAN][SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: small"]and nearly half the risk of gallstones.[/SPAN]
[P align=left][SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: small"]Coffee even offsets some of the damage caused by other vices, some research indicates. "People who smoke and are heavy drinkers have less heart disease and liver damage when they regularly consume large amounts of coffee compared to those who don't," says DePaulis.[/SPAN]
[P align=left][SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: small"]There's also some evidence that coffee may help manage asthma and even control attacks when medication is unavailable, stop a headache, boost mood, and even prevent cavities.[/SPAN]
