People usually drink coffee to boost energy and increase alertness. However, research indicates that moderate coffee consumption might also possess other benefits, from reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes to protecting against heart disease. Consult your health care provider before drinking coffee for these purported benefits, especially if you are pregnant or taking certain medications.
Type 2 Diabetes
In a study published in the February 2006 issue of the journal "Diabetes Care," scientists from the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, Massachusetts explored the affect of coffee consumption on the risk of type 2 diabetes, a condition in which cells become resistant to insulin effects. They discovered that participants who drank two to four cups of regular or decaffeinated coffee per day may lower their risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared to nondrinkers.
Heart Disease
Researchers from the University Medical Center Utrecht in the Netherlands investigated the effects of tea and coffee consumption on heart disease risk. They reported in the June 2010 issue of the journal "Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology," that moderate coffee consumption, or two to four cups a day, decreased their risk of heart disease by 20 percent compared to those drinking less than two cups or more than four cups per day.
Dementia and Alzheimer's Disease
In findings reported in the January 2009 issue of the "Journal of Alzheimer's Disease," researchers from the University of Kuopio and the National Public Health Institute in Finland examined the affect of coffee and tea on the risk for dementia and Alzheimer's disease. They found that participants who drank three to five cups of coffee per day in their midlife lowered their risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease compared to those who drank little to no coffee.
Neck and Head Cancer
Scientists from Universita degli Studi di Milano in Italy explored the relationship between coffee and tea consumption on risk of head and neck cancer. They reported in the June 2010 issue of the journal "Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention," that subjects who drank four or more cups of coffee per day reduced their risk of head and neck cancers compared to those who drank one cup or less.
References
- "Diabetes Care"; Coffee, Caffeine, and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes; R.M. Van Dam et al.; February 2006
- "Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology"; Tea and Coffee Consumption and Cardiovascular Morbidity and Mortality; J. Gans et al.; June 2010
- "Journal of Alzheimer's Disease"; Midlife Coffee and Tea Drinking and the Risk of Late-Life Dementia: a Population-Based CAIDE Study; M.H. Eskelinen et al.; January 2009
- "Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention"; Coffee and Tea Intake and Risk of Head and Neck Cancer: Pooled Analysis in the International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology Consortium; C.Galeone et al.; June 2010
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