LET COFFEE BE THY MEDICINE

You thought coffee was bad for you… Wait.

Coffee is the most consumed drink worldwide and possibly the biggest source of antioxidant in the diets of those who consume it. We are now a coffee society, so what is the real truth about coffee?

First the bad news.

There is a short term rise in your blood pressure and some stress hormones but tolerance quickly develops. There are only two groups who should not have coffee or an excess of coffee. They are pregnant women who are at risk of miscarriage and stillbirth, and those who are genetically prone to osteoporosis which it worsens.

The rest is all good news!

Coffee improves your performance by shortening reaction time and enhancing your ability to stay awake. It is very helpful in enabling shift workers to manage their shifts.

Having a coffee before your lunch will increase gastric acid and aid digestion. It improves fatigue and muscle strength temporarily – this is why it is banned by the Olympic committee.

In proportion to the amount you consume, coffee reduces numerous diseases and mortality from most causes across the board. This includes heart disease, stroke from blood clot (even in smokers), by reducing platelet stickiness. (Platelets are in your blood alongside the red blood cells and the white blood cells and their job is to plug up holes when you have a cut.)

Coffee reduces breast cancer, bowel cancer, liver cancer, bladder cancer, pharyngeal cancer (that’s the back of the throat), and oesophageal cancer (the food pipe).

Coffee has been found to improve glucose handling by your body and so reduces type 2 diabetes by up to 60% – that’s the diabetes older people get. It also reduces cirrhosis of the liver, gallstones and encourages fat breakdown in the body – so coffee helps you lose weith too!

The special antioxidants in coffee that are helping with all these benefits include polyphenols which are anticarcinogenic. It also contains the beneficial vitamins – potassium, niacin (or B3), and magnesium. There are also natural chemicals which are beneficial called chlorogenic acid, flavenoids, quinides, trigonelline, and methoxanthenes.

So, out with any concerns about coffee – drink up and be healthier, live longer, be sharper, more energetic, and generally all round more vibrant!

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