According to National Geographic, the present form of coffee came from Arabia, where the first brewed cup of coffee was made in A.D. 1000. Coffee increased in popularity, and by the 13th century, Muslims were big coffee drinkers, and the idea of roasting beans and brewing them in hot water was spread wherever they traveled. Coffee has a long history of causing changes in health, but contradictory reports indicate coffees' ability to both help and hurt. What are the real health benefits of coffee?
Cardiovascular Effects
Recent results from long-term studies indicate that coffee does not have adverse effects on blood pressure over the long term. According to an article by Sheldon G. Sheps, M.D., published on the Mayo Clinic website, though caffeine from coffee may cause a short spike in blood pressure after ingestion, there are most likely no long-term effects. People who regularly drink coffee, Dr. Sheps reports, often develop a tolerance to the caffeine that prevents a rise in blood pressure. Another article on the Mayo Clinic website by Donald Hensrud, M.D., published in August 2009, reports that no long-term studies have found a link between heart disease and drinking coffee. However, though the coffee itself may not cause heart disease, Dr. Hensrud notes that adding large amounts of cream and sugar to coffee drinks may increase the risks of developing heart disease.
Cancer Effects
According to Harvard Medical School, coffee might have anti-cancer properties. They report that studies have shown that coffee drinkers were 50 percent less likely to get liver cancer than people who do not drink coffee. A few other studies, reports Harvard Medical School, also found that coffee drinkers were less likely to get colon, breast and rectal cancers.
Diabetes
Harvard Medical School also reports a link between coffee and a lower risk of diabetes. It reports that heavy drinkers of coffee were less likely by half to develop diabetes. The mechanism is unclear, but Harvard Medical School speculates that coffee may have chemicals that lower blood sugar and thus prevent the detrimental effects of high blood sugar and diabetes. There are also indications that coffee may increase the body's resting metabolism, which also helps to prevent the development of diabetes.
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