Coffee Information

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Coffee Consumption


Coffee is heavily studied, but study results contradict one another. If science says that it is bad for you today, wait a day or two and another study will be published claiming the exact opposite findings.

The Good:

Coffee has had its medicinal purposes. My own ancestors used it to treat asthma. Certain chemicals in coffee have even be proven effective at stimulating bronchial dilation of people previously diagnosed with specific types of asthma. Some modern day asthma medications are even made from chemicals in the caffeine family.

Newly published findings suggest that men drinking caffeinated beverages, including coffee, have as much as a 3 to 6 times lower risk of developing Parkinson's disease.

The caffeine in coffee increases your metabolic rate, making weight loss faster and easier. It has also been associated with a reduced risk of suicide in women.

The Bad:

Women who drink more than one cup a day of decaf are considered at a much higher risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis. The theory is that the chemically decaffeinated products are causing the increased risk of autoimmunity. If you are going to drink decaffeinated coffee anyway, be sure that it uses a non-chemical based method.

Those at risk of heart disease and stroke should avoid coffee. Drinking coffee interferes with your body's ability to keep homocysteine and cholesterol levels in check and can increase blood pressure. (According to a study done in the Netherlands, this is true even if the coffee is filtered.) Raised levels of homocysteine are as a factor in the development of cardiovascular disease. Australian researchers found drinking coffee has potentially harmful effects on blood vessels. The caffeine may cause a loss of aortic elasticity, the main artery supplying blood to the body.

The findings are disputed by the coffee industry and some studies, but it also appears to be associated with an increased risk for breast and endometrial cancer. This is due to an increase in estrogen levels.

Studies have also shown that caffeine in coffee can raise levels of stress hormones and can lead to heart palpitations, jitters, and nervousness. People with panic or anxiety disorders can be especially sensitive to the caffeine in coffee. Even in small amounts, the stimulant can exacerbate their symptoms.

Coffee relaxes the esophagus causing reflux.

The Ugly:

Pregnant and nursing women should never drink coffee. Caffeine is a stimulant drug that easily passes through the placenta to the developing fetus and is also transferred through breast milk. Fetuses have no ability to detoxify caffeine. Drink coffee increases the risk of miscarriage and various birth defects.

For more information, visit the following:

How Bad is it Really? http://www.mercola.com/2003/dec/10/coffee.htm

Coffee Drinkers Face Lower Parkinson's Disease Risk
http://www.mercola.com/2000/may/28/coffee_parkinson.htm

Coffee May Damage Blood Vessels
http://www.mercola.com/2000/sep/17/coffee_blood_vessels.htm

Coffee and Suicide http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/9603/coffee_suicide/

Coffee and Diabetes http://www.thefactsaboutfitness.com/news/coff_diab.htm

Coffee and Reflux http://www.s-t.com/daily/03-97/03-11-97/b01ho075.htm

Coffee and Addiction
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=C1VYBJVSS04E2CRBAEZSFFA?type=healthNews&storyID=6369844

Heidi Whitaker is an author and speaker on the topic of nutritional support of autoimmune disease. She is also the co-owner of http://www.healthydivas.com. To read other articles written by Heidi or to learn how to participate in her next free teleseminar, visit her blog at http://autoimmune.myblogsite.com/blog.


MORE RESOURCES:

The Associated Press

Amsterdam moves to close a fifth of 'coffee shops'
The Associated Press - Nov 21, 2008
More than a quarter of the country's coffee shops are in Amsterdam, where they are a major tourist attraction. Amsterdam spokeswoman Iris Reshef said the ...
Dutch "coffee shop" debate: will closing only shift drug traffic? AFP
Topic: Amsterdam closing 20% of coffee shops (Read 34 times) The Daily Kenoshan
Some Dutch cannabis "coffee shops" to go up in smoke Reuters India
United Press International - Radio Netherlands
all 220 news articles


Chicago Tribune

Obama happy as a 9-to-5 temp
Los Angeles Times, CA - 6 hours ago
On Friday, he made time to leave the office briefly to pick up a corned beef sandwich and some cherry pie from Manny's Coffee Shop & Deli, a favorite spot ...
Video: Raw Video: Obama Grabs Lunch at Chicago Landmark AssociatedPress
At Manny's Deli in Chicago, President-elect Barack Obama is served ... Chicago Tribune
Obama grabs lunch at local deli, greets patrons The Associated Press
ABC News - CNET News
all 150 news articles


WHDH-TV

Dog hits controls, drives van into coffee house
The Associated Press - Nov 20, 2008
JAMES, NY (AP) — A dog left inside a running van put the vehicle in drive, causing it to crash into a Long Island coffee house. Suffolk County police said ...
Dog rolls van through St. James coffee shop window Newsday
Dog Crashes Van Into Coffee House NPR
Dog drove van through coffee shop window United Press International
KTLA - AOL News Newsbloggers
all 115 news articles


Research and Markets: Snapshots US Ground Coffee 2008 Gives An ...
PR-Inside.com (Pressemitteilung), Austria - 23 hours ago
Snapdata's Snapshots US Ground Coffee 2008 provides 2007 year-end market size data, with 2008 estimates, 5 years of historical data and five-year forecasts. ...


Coffee Names Randy Swanson to Senate GOP Communications Post
OK.gov, Ok - 22 hours ago
Oklahoma State Senate President Pro Tempore Designate Glenn Coffee, R-Oklahoma City, announced Friday that Randy Swanson of Yukon will join Coffee's Senate ...
Oklahoma GOP senators name spokesman NewsOK.com
News Minute: Here is the latest Oklahoma news from The Associated ... KFOR
all 14 news articles


River Maiden Coffee making a return to downtown Vancouver core
The Columbian, WA - 17 hours ago
River Maiden owner Melissa Layman expects to open a branch of River Maiden Coffee at 701 Main St. in downtown Vancouver by February or March. ...
Merchants hail Main Street changes The Columbian
all 2 news articles


Boston Globe

Dunkin' Donuts opens first shop in mainland China
BusinessWeek - 19 hours ago
based seller of coffee and baked goods said in a news release Friday it opened the shop in Shanghai on Thursday. The shop is on Fuzhou Road, ...
In 2d crack at China market, Dunkin' Donuts alters recipe Boston Globe
Dunkin' Donuts Opens First Shop in Mainland China SYS-CON Brasil
America runs on Dunkin’… will China? CrunchGear
QSR Web - Boston Globe
all 22 news articles


ABC News

Britney Spears Attracts A Coffee Crowd
Just Jared, NY - Nov 21, 2008
Britney Spears is surrounded by fans and photographers as she goes out to get some coffee at Starbucks in Encino, Calif. on Thursday. ...
Britney Spears Misses the Excitement The Gossip Girls
all 741 news articles


Research and Markets: Vietnam Food and Drink Report Q4 2008 ...
MarketWatch - 23 hours ago
Meanwhile, Vietnam is looking to invest in its soluble coffee industry. Over the next two years, over US$80mn will be invested in the construction of three ...


Examiner.com

Fresh coffee and beignets at Cafe du Monde
Examiner.com - 3 hours ago
It's an outside dining experience; the menu consisting of mostly coffee-like drinks, milk and juice, and the world famous beignets. ...

Coffee - Google News

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