COFFEE is the world’s most consumed beverage, next to water. Although drinking coffee has not generally been considered a healthy habit, coffee’s reputation may be changing. For those who enjoy coffee’s rich taste, emerging research has identified some potential health benefits from consuming coffee. For many, coffee is little more than hot water, caffeine, and that rich coffee flavor. In fact, caffeine is responsible for many of coffee’s health effects, both the good and bad ones. But in addition to caffeine, researchers are now finding that some of the trace minerals in coffee have a beneficial impact.


Coffee and health: Health benefits of coffee

Coffee has been a medical whipping boy for so long that it may come as a surprise that recent research suggests that drinking moderate amounts of coffee (two to four cups per day) provides a wide range of health benefits. Most of these benefits have been identified through statistical studies that track a large group of subjects over the course of years and match incidence of various diseases with individual habits, like drinking coffee, meanwhile controlling for other variables that may influence that relationship.

According to recent studies, moderate coffee drinking may lower the risk of colon cancer by about 25 percent, gallstones by 45 percent, cirrhosis of the liver by 80 percent, and Parkinson’s disease by 50 percent to as much as 80 percent, a 25 percent reduction in onset of attacks among asthma sufferers and, fewer suicidal attempts among depressed individuals.

Other benefits include:


Reducing the chance of getting Type II diabetes; for women, daily consumption reduced the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease; reduce mental and physical fatigue; reduced risk of gout, the most common inflammatory arthritis in men; and less cognitive decline for those drinking three cups a day over a 10-year period.

Does coffee inhibit sleep? Many people blame coffee for disturbing their sleep and refrain from drinking it in the evening. We are all aware that coffee gives us a boost during the day and of its well-known immediate effects on keeping us alert. This may mean it takes longer to fall asleep, but studies show that the dream phase of sleep remains unaffected.

Can coffee help relieve headaches? Many people suffer from headaches, so new research that suggests a cup of coffee may help relieve the symptoms is good news to us all. In a recent study 301 regular headache sufferers took a combination of a recognized painkiller (ibuprofen) and caffeine. 80 percent of the patients saw a significant improvement within six hours compared with 67 percent of those taking only the painkiller.


Caffeine is often added to pain medications because it improves their absorption and increases their pain killing effect. Many claim that the caffeine in a strong cup of coffee can help relieve a migraine or even end it if consumed in the very early stage of a headache. It is known that substances that dilate blood vessels, like alcohol, can cause vascular headaches. Substances that constrict blood vessels, like caffeine, can help counter the painful effects of blood vessel dilation in the head.

Can Coffee elevate blood pressure?
The Journal of the American Medical Association (November, 2005) reported that coffee drinking is not associated with an increased risk of hypertension. The body adjusts rapidly to coffee consumption, and some major studies show coffee drinkers have lower blood pressure. At John Hopkins University, researchers concluded that the body’s cardiovascular system is able to adapt after a few days of increased caffeine intake.

Does coffee affect osteoporosis? Given the growing awareness about the incidence of the degenerative bone disease, osteoporosis, in older women, the possible relationship between caffeine intake and bone health is a relatively new area of research. One recent study showed that although urinary excretion of calcium increased slightly after drinking caffeinated drinks, the caffeine effect was compensated for by reduced calcium excretion later in the day, so the net effect was negligible on any development of osteoporosis or on bone density.

Can coffee cause heartburn? Heartburn, or hyperacidity, is a very common and uncomfortable condition for which there are many possible causes ranging from eating rich or spicy foods to undue stress. In a study, patients with heartburn, neither the acidity nor the strength of the coffee was associated with their reported heartburn. Some people do report suffering heartburn after drinking coffee, but it is thought more likely to be associated with the meal eaten previously, rather than the coffee. There is also no conclusive evidence that drinking coffee is bad for the stomach or involved in the formation of gastric or duodenal ulcers. New studies show that most ulcers are caused primarily by bacterial infection (Helicobacter pylori) and can be cured e