The Health Benefits of Coffee

Most people are unaware of the many health benefits of coffee.  Coffee has had a bad reputation among health professionals because of the caffeine it contains. But more studies are proving that moderate coffee drinking provides many health benefits.

 Short-term Effects

Most people who are not scientists are aware of the effects of caffeine in coffee. The short-term effects of coffee are well-documented in the scientific community.   The positive effects of two cups of coffee include: 
allaying of drowsiness and fatigue,
greater sustained intellectual effort,
increased motor activity, and
more perfect association of ideas.

 For those who drink more than two cups of coffee, however, the negative effects can outweigh the initial benefits, These negative effects include:

chronic anxiety,
irritability,
insomnia,
diarrhea, and
twitching.

If someone drinks ten cups or more in a row, however, the short-term effects can be even worse. “Coffee jitters” are produced from “withdrawal” from caffeine. Symptoms include:

vomiting,
fever,
chills, and
mental confusion.

Furthermore, drinking 100 cups of coffee in one sitting  can be fatal. 

Long-term Effects

Scientific studies of coffee have tried to link coffee to all sorts of ailments over the last 30 years. Most evidence is inconclusive, or has been overturned.

An example is that for years heavy caffeine intake was linked to birth defects in rats. On this basis, doctors advised women not to drink caffeine during pregnancy. After further tests, however, studies showed that there was no significant link between caffeine intake and birth defects.

A newer study is actually showing that caffeine intake of 6 cups a day actually cuts the risk of diabetes in half. According to this study, heavy coffee drinking can prevent diabetes.

 Scientists disagree on what are the long-term effects of caffeine in coffee, but one thing they do agree on is that moderate caffeine intake produces the most health benefits.

Scientific Studies on Coffee

Scientific studies have found out many positive effects of moderate coffee drinking. Moderate coffee drinking has been shown to lower the risk of  :

colon cancer by about 25%,

gallstones by 45%,
cirrhosis of the liver by 80%, and
Parkinson's disease by 50% to 80%.

 Also, asthma sufferers have been known to have a 25% reduction in onset of asthma attacks, and there were fewer suicides among a large group of female nurses tracked over many years.

Coffee and Caffeine

The question now becomes how much is the right amount of caffeine in coffee so that all the benefits of coffee are realized. An average cup of coffee contains about 100-150 milligrams of caffeine. This compares to:

40 milligrams in tea,
80-120 milligrams in espresso, and
20-60 milligrams in soda.

Most studies show no negative effects from drinking under 300 milligrams a day. People are most likely to get the most benefits of coffee without the drawbacks if they drink around 3 cups a day. All people are different, however, and this refers to “total ”  caffeine intake. If someone drinks a lot of soda as well, then they should reduce caffeine from either soda or coffee.