A Cup A Day Keeps the Doctor Away How drinking coffee leads to a longer life.

Grinding the Myths Many studies have been done to asses benefits of coffee. Research has brought out the “negative” effects of coffee: ▫Hypertension ▫Disruption of sleep cycle ▫Dehydration Hypertension: MYTH Recent reviews of the data indicate that while caffeine does temporarily raise blood pressure for about three hours after consumption, there is no long term increase in risk of hypertension from drinking coffee.no long term increase in risk of hypertension Disruption of Sleep Cycle: TRUE The only real danger in drinking too much coffee is in how it affects your quality of sleep. If you are very sensitive to caffeine and have problems falling or staying asleep at night, cutting back on coffee and other caffeinated beverages may be helpful in getting more restful slumber.how it affects your quality of sleep Dehydration: MYTH Some argue that coffee and caffeine are diuretics and therefore can be dehydrating. The most recent evidence, however, suggests that while there is a mild diuretic effect, the fluids lost are less than the amount taken in. In other words, there is still a net increase in hydration.the fluids lost are less than the amount taken

Brewing New Conclusions The new study. By far the largest of its kind to date, as part of a joint project with the AARP, researchers from the National Institutes of Health followed more than 400,000 healthy men and women between the ages of 50 and 71 for up to 13 years, during which 13% of the participants died. The conclusions. Overall, coffee drinkers were less likely than their peers to die during the study, and the more coffee they drank, the lower their mortality risk tended to be. Compared with people who drank no coffee at all, men and women who drank six or more cups per day were 10% and 15% less likely, respectively, to die during the study. This pattern held when the researchers broke out the data by specific causes of death, including heart disease, lung disease, pneumonia, stroke, diabetes, infections, and even injuries and accidents. Cancer was the only major cause of death not associated with coffee consumption. Even moderate coffee consumption was linked to better survival odds. Drinking a single cup per day -- which was much more common than a six-cup-a-day habit -- was associated with a 6% lower risk of dying among men and a 5% lower risk among women. The reasoning. It is plausible that coffee drinking actually improves health. Coffee contains some 1,000 compounds, many of which are health-promoting antioxidants, Freedman says.

Drinking to the Benefits The real stuff. Contrary to popular belief, coffee (real black coffee, not 20 ounce raspberry-mocha blendaccinos) is in fact one of the healthiest beverages you can drink. Rich in polyphenols and other antioxidants, the benefits of coffee far exceed the potential risks. The perks. ▫Protective against liver disease. ▫Protective against liver, endometrial and colorectal cancers. ▫Type 2 diabetes less comment in coffee drinkers. ▫Protective against gout. ▫Enhancement of cognitive functions and protective against Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease and other forms of dementia and cognitive decline. ▫Improvement in athletic performance.