| When the Ink Spots sang "I love the java jive and it | | | | people who drank coffee daily, or nearly every day, |
| loves me" in 1940, they could not have known how | | | | had half the liver cancer risk of those who never |
| right they were. | | | | drank it. The protective effect occurred in people who |
| Coffee not only helps clear the mind and perk up the | | | | drank one to two cups a day and increased at three |
| energy, it also provides more healthful antioxidants than | | | | to four cups. |
| any other food or beverage in the American diet, | | | | Diabetes risk Last year, researchers at the Harvard |
| according to a study released Sunday. | | | | School of Public Health found that drinking coffee cut |
| Of course, too much coffee can make people jittery | | | | the risk of developing the most common form of |
| and even raise cholesterol levels, so food experts | | | | diabetes. |
| stress moderation. | | | | Men who drank more than six 8-ounce cups of |
| "The point is, people are getting the most antioxidants | | | | caffeinated coffee per day lowered their risk of type |
| from beverages, as opposed to what you might think," | | | | 2 diabetes by about half, and women reduced their |
| Vinson said in a telephone interview. | | | | risk by nearly 30 percent, compared with people who |
| Antioxidants, which are thought to help battle cancer | | | | did not drink coffee, according to the study in Annals |
| and provide other health benefits, are abundant in | | | | of Internal Medicine. |
| grains, tomatoes and many other fruits and vegetables. | | | | Bonnie Liebman, nutrition director of the Center for |
| Vinson said he was researching tea and cocoa and | | | | Science in the Public Interest, said she was not |
| other foods and decided to study coffee, too. | | | | surprised by Vinson's finding, because tea has been |
| His team analyzed the antioxidant content of more | | | | known to contain antioxidants. |
| than 100 different food items, including vegetables, | | | | But Liebman, who was not part of Vinson's research |
| fruits, nuts, spices, oils and common beverages. They | | | | team, cautioned that while many people have faith that |
| then used Agriculture Department data on typical food | | | | antioxidants will reduce the risk of cancer, heart |
| consumption patterns to calculate how much | | | | disease and more, the evidence has not always |
| antioxidant each food contributes to a person's diet. | | | | panned out. Most experts are looking beyond |
| They concluded that the average adult consumes | | | | antioxidants to the combination of vitamins, minerals |
| 1,299 milligrams of antioxidants daily from coffee. The | | | | other nutrition in specific foods, she said. |
| closest competitor was tea at 294 milligrams. Rounding | | | | I am sure you've heard all about this before. I wouldn't |
| out the top five sources were bananas, 76 milligrams; | | | | be surprised if coffee companies start producing TV |
| dry beans, 72 milligrams; and corn, 48 milligrams. | | | | commercials promoting the health benefits of coffee |
| According to the Agriculture Department, the typical | | | | because of antioxidants -- they probably have! In any |
| adult American drinks 1.64 cups of coffee daily. | | | | case, how true is this? Is coffee really good for our |
| That does not mean coffee is a substitute for fruit and | | | | health because of the amount of antioxidants it |
| vegetables. | | | | contains? There have been different studies about this |
| "Unfortunately, consumers are still not eating enough | | | | matter but here is one done by Joe A. Vinson, a |
| fruits and vegetables, which are better for you from | | | | chemistry professor at the University of Scranton, |
| an overall nutritional point of view due to their higher | | | | Pennsylvania. According to his study: "The average |
| content of vitamins, minerals and fiber," Vinson said. | | | | adult consumes 1,299 milligrams of antioxidants daily |
| Dates, cranberries, red grapes Dates, cranberries and | | | | from coffee. The closest competitor was tea at 294 |
| red grapes are among the leading fruit sources of | | | | milligrams. Rounding out the top five sources were |
| antioxidants, he said. | | | | bananas, 76 milligrams; dry beans, 72 milligrams; and |
| The antioxidants in coffee are known as polyphenols. | | | | corn, 48 milligrams. According to the Agriculture |
| Sometimes they are bound to a sugar molecule, which | | | | Department, the typical adult American drinks 1.64 cups |
| covers up the antioxidant group, Vinson said. | | | | of coffee daily." What's this again -- in English, please? |
| The first step in measuring them was to break that | | | | Coffee does contain a high amount of antioxidants. |
| sugar link. He noted that chemicals in the stomach do | | | | The question that remains is whether the antioxidants |
| the same thing, freeing the polyphenols. | | | | are enough to offset some of the possible negative |
| "We think that antioxidants can be good for you in a | | | | effects of coffee. Don't get me wrong -- I can't |
| number of ways," including affecting enzymes and | | | | survive without coffee. But I also know that too much |
| genes, though more research is needed, Vinson said. | | | | coffee (I don't want to admit that there is something |
| "If I say more coffee is better, then I would have to tell | | | | such as too much coffee, really) can induce |
| you to spread it out to keep the levels of antioxidants | | | | hyperacidity, among other things. Some people feel |
| up," Vinson said. "We always talk about moderation in | | | | jittery. Others (naturally) have a hard time falling asleep. |
| anything." | | | | The effects are different with different people. I am no |
| His findings were released in conjunction with the | | | | scientist but at this point, if they say coffee has |
| annual convention of the American Chemical Society in | | | | antioxidants and that it can be good for you, I take it |
| Washington. | | | | as a good thing. Whether or not it has antioxidants, I still |
| In February, a team of Japanese researchers reported | | | | love this drink, don't you? |
| in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute that | | | | |