A Cappuccino a Day...

Coffee has more fiber than orange juice, and antioxidants, too. In fact, according to Dr. Joe Vinson, a scientist who studies the antioxidant content of foods, coffee is the number one source of antioxidants in the American diet. Scientists have found that adding milk may block antioxidants’ beneficial effects in tea. But that weakening effect doesn’t happen when you drink coffee with milk, the antioxidant content stays strong in both regular and decaffeinated coffee.

Scientific studies have found that coffee lowers the risk of getting type 2 diabetes. Research shows that coffee drinkers show much less liver damage, even if they’re at higher risk due to cirrhosis, hepatitis or alcohol abuse – and that coffee also reduces the risk of liver cancer. Other research tells us that coffee may help prevent Parkinson’s Disease.

Researchers at the University of Toronto also studied the relationship coffee has with cancer, specifically breast cancer. They found that women who drink coffee regularly and carry the mutated gene BRCA1, which has been linked to breast cancer, could reduce their risk of developing the cancer by simply increasing coffee consumption.

According to Dr. Steven Narod, a researcher at the University of Toronto, women who drank 1 to 3 cups of coffee a day reduced their likelihood of developing breast cancer by 10%. The more coffee the women drank, the better the response. If they drank 4 to 5 cups a day, the chances decreased by 25%, and if they drank 6 or more cups of coffee, the chances decreased by 69%. Researchers also found that drinking coffee reduced the risk of developing the most common form of diabetes.

Further, coffee can prevent or reduce the likelihood of developing gallstones, even prevent cavities.

Good for the Body

A number of studies have shown how coffee can enhance physical performance. The research shows coffee may be especially useful for athletes engaged in sports like swimming, running or cycling.

Coffee boosts energy and helps people do what they do. Coffee may increase stamina, reduce fatigue1 and even lessen muscle pain. For many people, experts say that a cup or two of coffee 30-60 minutes before a workout may do the trick. Coffee’s pain relieving effect on sore muscles keeps working after you exercise as well. You also may be surprised to learn that coffee is just as hydrating for your body as water.

Good for the Mind

In addition, evidence shows that coffee enhances thinking performance, enabling test takers to score higher particularly when under stress.

Additional findings suggest coffee may help improve short-term memory (like the kind you need before an important college exam). It may also help us process information faster and improve our eye-hand coordination.

Studies also show that coffee helps protect the brain too, such as preventing cognitive decline in older men and reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s Disease.