My Personal Love of Coffee
I love coffee. There is nothing like it to me. Even on a sweltering hot day with the heat index of 110 degrees, I have to have my coffee, hot. It also has to have real sugar and half and half. My preferred taste in coffee is found at Starbucks. Most of my friends know this about me. I like the coffee at Starbucks so much so, that I actively seek a Starbucks when traveling. I was spoiled when I lived in DC with one on every corner. Now here at home, there's one conveniently located. I became a coffee connoisseur at the age of seven. My grandmother on my mother's side introduced it to me. Her coffee was always instant(you know Taster's Choice or Sanka). She occasionally brewed coffee in a stainless steel pot on a gas stove, but mostly it was instant.
We've all heard over the years the health risks that may be associated with coffee. Now apparently, there may not be any health risks whatsoever associated with coffee. The New York Times just this week released the article Sorting Out Coffee's Contradictions. I now can have my morning cup of coffee with a little more ease. According to the article, in March the Center for Science in the Public Interest released its findings about coffee and caffeine. As it relates to those with heart disease and high blood pressure, in a study conducted on 400,000 there was no indication that a daily cup of coffee or caffeine had any increase in heart disease. In a study of 27,000 women over 15 years in Iowa, it was concluded that women who drank one to three cups of coffee a day actually decreased their risk by 24 percent, but only with the quantities of coffee mentioned above. As it related to cancer, the article reports that it was once thought that coffee increased the risks of pancreatic and kidney cancer, after 66 studies, it was concluded that drinking coffee does not increase the risks of these cancers. In fact, in another review of those who don't drink coffee, it was concluded that those who do, have half the risk of developing liver cancer. I also was encouraged to read that there was no direct link between coffee and an increased in breast cancer.
The findings went on to conclude that those who drank as much as 200 milligrams of caffeine a day, had enhanced moods, as well as enhanced mental and physical performance. For those who were more active, caffeine enhanced aerobic performance.
I only hope that these latest findings do hold true, because it would be very difficult for me (I've tried before) to give up my morning cup of coffee. Now with my mind at ease about my hot cup of coffee, I wonder if scientists will find any health benefits with my other occasional coffee indulgences? Coffee flavored milkshakes and coffee ice cream. Well, it didn't hurt to ask, now did it?
We've all heard over the years the health risks that may be associated with coffee. Now apparently, there may not be any health risks whatsoever associated with coffee. The New York Times just this week released the article Sorting Out Coffee's Contradictions. I now can have my morning cup of coffee with a little more ease. According to the article, in March the Center for Science in the Public Interest released its findings about coffee and caffeine. As it relates to those with heart disease and high blood pressure, in a study conducted on 400,000 there was no indication that a daily cup of coffee or caffeine had any increase in heart disease. In a study of 27,000 women over 15 years in Iowa, it was concluded that women who drank one to three cups of coffee a day actually decreased their risk by 24 percent, but only with the quantities of coffee mentioned above. As it related to cancer, the article reports that it was once thought that coffee increased the risks of pancreatic and kidney cancer, after 66 studies, it was concluded that drinking coffee does not increase the risks of these cancers. In fact, in another review of those who don't drink coffee, it was concluded that those who do, have half the risk of developing liver cancer. I also was encouraged to read that there was no direct link between coffee and an increased in breast cancer.
The findings went on to conclude that those who drank as much as 200 milligrams of caffeine a day, had enhanced moods, as well as enhanced mental and physical performance. For those who were more active, caffeine enhanced aerobic performance.
I only hope that these latest findings do hold true, because it would be very difficult for me (I've tried before) to give up my morning cup of coffee. Now with my mind at ease about my hot cup of coffee, I wonder if scientists will find any health benefits with my other occasional coffee indulgences? Coffee flavored milkshakes and coffee ice cream. Well, it didn't hurt to ask, now did it?
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