Daily Observer (Jamaica)

Wha d Coffe Drinker Gai ?

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Caffeine perks you up, and there’s something incredibly soothing about sipping a steaming cup. But is drinking coffee good for you? Good news: The case for coffee is stronger than ever. Study after study indicates you could be getting more from your favorite morning beverage than you thought: Coffee is chock full of substances that may help guard against conditions more common in women, including Alzheimer’s disease and heart disease. “Caffeine is the first thing that comes to mind when you think about coffee. But coffee also contains antioxidan­ts and other active substances that may reduce internal inflammati­on and protect against disease,” says Diane Vizthum, M.S., R.D., research nutritioni­st for Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

What are the top health benefits of drinking coffee? Your brew gives you benefits beyond an energy boost.

Recent studies found that coffee drinkers are less likely to die from some of the leading causes of death in women: coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes and kidney disease.

Your body may process glucose (or sugar) better.

That’s the theory behind studies that found that people who drink more coffee are less likely to get type 2 diabetes.

You’re less likely to develop heart failure.

Drinking one to two cups of coffee a day may help ward off heart failure, when a weakened heart has difficulty pumping enough blood to the body.

You are less likely to develop Parkinson’s disease.

Caffeine is not only linked to a lower chance of developing Parkinson’s disease, but it may also help those with the condition better control their movements.

Coffee can improve your workout performanc­e.

Caffeine is particular­ly helpful for those who work out. Caffeine found in coffee has been shown to increase epinephrin­e levels in your blood as well as stimulate the breakdown of fat making free fatty acids available as fuel

Your liver will thank you.

Both regular and decaf coffee seem to have a protective effect on your liver. Research shows that coffee drinkers are more likely to have liver enzyme levels within a healthy range than people who don’t drink coffee.

Coffee may help you lose weight.

Drinking coffee may lower your body fat. Drinking four cups of coffee daily could reduce body fat by about 4%.

Your DNA will be stronger.

Dark roast coffee decreases breakage in DNA strands, which occur naturally but can lead to cancer or tumors if not repaired by your cells.

Your odds of getting colon cancer will go way down.

One in 23 women develop colon cancer. But researcher­s found that coffee drinkers — decaf or regular — were 26 percent less likely to develop colorectal cancer.

You may decrease your risk of getting Alzheimer’s disease.

The caffeine in two cups of coffee may provide significan­t protection against developing the condition. In fact, researcher­s found that women age 65 and older who drank two to three cups of coffee a day were less likely to develop dementia in general.

You’re not as likely to suffer a stroke.

For women, drinking at least one cup of coffee a day is associated with lowered stroke risk, which is the fourth leading cause of female deaths.

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