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New Health Drink—Coffee

by Medindia Content Team on May 4 2007 3:38 PM

Coffee is not usually thought of as a health drink, but new studies have revealed that coffee can be quite beneficial. Drinking coffee wards off Type 2 diabetes and some kind of cancers too. Some experts believe that it can also lower the risk of heart disease and cirrhosis of the liver.

Antioxidants in coffee help control the cell damage that can contribute to the development of the disease. It is also a source of chlorogenic acid, which has been shown in animal experiments to reduce glucose concentrations. It contains tannin which is good for heart and arteries.

Dr. Rob van Dam of the Harvard School of Public Health, who has conducted studies on coffee consumption and diabetes, and participated in a "controversy session" on coffee at the Experimental Biology 2007 meeting underway in Washington, D.C, . says "We're coming from a situation where coffee had a very negative health image."

The study shows that coffee can prevent colon, liver and rectal cancer. The experts believe that maybe coffee reduces the amount of cholesterol, bile acid and natural sterol secretion in the colon, speeding up the passage of stool through the colon (and thus cutting exposure of the lining of the intestine to potential carcinogens in food), and via other mechanisms as well.

People who drank four to six cups of coffee a day had a 28 percent reduced risk compared with people who drank two or fewer. Norwegian researchers found that women who drank one to three cups a day reduced their risk of cardiovascular disease by 24 percent compared with those drinking no coffee at all.

In another study researchers have found that coffee contains more antioxidants than a serving of grape juice, blueberries, raspberries and oranges.

Dietician Chiara Trombetti, of the Humanitas Gavazzeni institute in the northern Italian town of Bergamo says Coffee can be good for you and the stronger, the better.

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But drinking too much coffee is also not advised. Too much of it can cause stomach cancer and leukemia. At times in some people it can increase nervousness, and cause rapid heartbeat and trembling hands. Pregnant women, heart patients, and anyone with a stomach ulcer are usually advised to avoid it.

“If people enjoy drinking it, it’s comforting to know that they don’t have to be afraid of negative health effects.” Says Dr.Van Dam.

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Source-Medindia
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