Background:
It seems that the benefits of drinking coffee – or the drawbacks – have been the subject of a great deal of controversy among people for many years. What are the facts, as we now know them? The question “is coffee good for us?” has been answered with a resounding yes. There are over 100 biologically active compounds that science has identified in coffee. Research has shown that coffee can lower risks of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other significant health issues. Let me summarize a recent study on the subject.
Who Conducted the Study?
The study was in the European Journal of Preventative Cardiology and involved a very large number of subjects – 450,000 – ages 40-69, into six groups, depending on the amount of coffee they reported drinking daily: none, less than one cup, one cup, 2-3 cups, 4-5 cups and more than five cups.
What did the Study Reveal?
Drinking 2-3 cups of coffee per day was associated with the greatest health benefits, reducing deaths from any cause. Put another way, coffee drinkers tend to live longer than non-drinkers. This benefit was present with all types of coffee – decaf, regular, and instant – although the greatest benefit was from regular coffee.
What are the Lessons Learned?
This study was impressive given the large number of subjects involved. It seems well-established that coffee can have significant health benefits. This study adds more support to that concept.
Yours for better health,
Jon Mills, DC