Coffee's Liver Benefits

The healthcare community has done its fair share of investigating the effects of drinking coffee, and a subsequent array of health warnings and encouragements have been issued regarding its regular consumption.

Since the liver processes all that we ingest, people living with liver disease, including hepatitis, must be extra vigilant in watching everything entering their digestive system. Coffee is turning heads as a liver cancer and cirrhosis preventative. It has also been noted as a factor in reducing insulin resistance, a prominent liver disease risk factor. The keys to accentuate coffee’s benefits while avoiding any harm are to stay within moderation, be aware of conditions contraindicating its consumption, and be careful of what you add to your brew.

Coffee

“Overall, the research shows that coffee is far more healthful than it is harmful,” says Tomas DePaulis, PhD, research scientist at Vanderbilt University’s Institute for Coffee Studies, which conducts its own medical research and tracks coffee studies from around the world. “For most people, very little bad comes from drinking it, but a lot of good.”

Coffee's Liver Benefits

Benefits of Coffee

The latest research confirms that moderate coffee consumption harbors several benefits, including:

· Reduces the risk of alcoholic cirrhosis

· Decreases risk of type 2 diabetes

· Reduces risk of developing gallstones

· Discourages the development of colon and liver cancer

· Improves cognitive function

· Reduces headache/migraine severity

· Reduces the risk of Parkinson’s disease

· Improves endurance performance in long-duration physical activities

· Reduces the risk of liver damage in people at high risk for liver disease

Liver Benefits

In a Japanese study, researchers looked at the association between coffee consumption and liver cancer among the middle-aged and elderly. Those who drank coffee daily, or close to it, had about half the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a type of liver cancer, than people who never drank coffee. Among daily coffee drinkers specifically, the liver cancer rate was over 200 cases per 100,000 people over 10 years. Among those who never drank coffee the rate rose to nearly 550 cases per 100,000 people. The more coffee consumed, the lower the HCC risk.

Based on data collected from more than 125,000 people, researchers from the Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program in California recently reported a 22 percent daily reduction of liver cirrhosis risk from alcohol with each cup of coffee consumed. Hepatitis c and other liver disease can also cause cirrhosis. Study co-author, Dr. Arthur Klatsky reports that the study found coffee did not protect the liver against those other causes of scarring.

Several studies have demonstrated that drinking coffee lowers the liver enzyme GGT, especially among heavy alcohol drinkers. Although GGT is a relevant indicator of cirrhosis risk, the liver enzyme ALT is a more specific marker of liver injury. Several population-based surveys from Italy and Japan have found a similar inverse relationship between drinking coffee and ALT levels.

Diabetes Benefits

Type 2 diabetes and one of its precursors, insulin resistance, have been making headlines in various health reports as a leading cause of fatty liver disease. (Read the posted article, How to Prevent a Fatty Liver.) After analyzing data on 126,000 people for as long as 18 years, Harvard researchers calculated that compared to those who do not partake in America’s favorite morning drink, people who consume one to three cups of caffeinated coffee daily can reduce diabetes risk by up to 10%. Having six cups or more each day slashed men’s diabetes risk by 54% and women’s by 30% over java abstainers.

Coffee is loaded with antioxidants, including a group of compounds called quinines that when administered to lab rats, increased insulin sensitivity. This increased sensitivity improves the body’s response to insulin. Coffee also has large amounts of magnesium and the antioxidants, chlorogenic acid and tocopherols. Each has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism, reducing the risk and severity of diabetes.

Possible Harm

As reported in the Harvard Women’s Health Watch, coffee is not completely devoid of risks. Caffeine, coffee’s main ingredient, is a mildly addictive stimulant with cardiovascular effects such as increased heart rate, increased blood pressure and occasional irregular heartbeat. Studies have been largely inconclusive regarding coffee and its effect on women’s health issues such as breast health, gynecological cancers and osteoporosis. Coffee has also been reported to aggravate previously existing gastrointestinal ulcers.

Researchers are quick to point out that caffeine is a drug, and can be abused if used in place of a good night’s rest or a healthy diet. We each have our own thresholds for caffeine. Most people can tolerate two cups of coffee each day without a problem. But any more than that may cause nervousness, rapid heartbeat, palpitations, sleeplessness and irritability. It can even lead to health problems such as osteoporosis or high blood pressure. Additionally, skipping your usual morning cup of joe can lead to a caffeine withdrawal headache.

Brew Additives

The greater risk of coffee consumption lies with the ingredients typically added to java. Creating a “light and sweet” drink carries an entirely separate set of hazards. Whipped cream, flavored syrups, half-and-half, sugar, sucralose and aspartame can contribute to diabetes, obesity, fatty liver disease and toxic liver reactions. Below are the statistics for a few common coffee additives:

· 2 tablespoons of flavored liquid nondairy creamer = 80 calories and 4 g fat.

· 1 tablespoon of plain liquid nondairy creamer = 25 calories, 2 g fat.

· 1 tablespoon half-and-half = 20 calories, 2 g fat.

· 1 tablespoon cream = 50 calories, 6 g fat.

· 1 tablespoon whipped cream = 90 calories, 9 g fat.

· A drizzle of Starbucks caramel syrup = 25 calories.

· 2 tablespoons flavored syrup = 80 calories, no fat.

· 2 tablespoons malt = 90 calories, 2 g fat.

· 1 tablespoon mocha syrup = 25 calories, .5 g fat.

· 1 teaspoon sugar = 15 calories.

If you prefer your coffee light and sweet, choose your additives wisely to support the healthful benefits offered by your beverage.

Putting it all Together

Individuals with pre-existing liver disease, or who are at high risk of its development, may want to think twice before sacrificing the enjoyment of a coffee ritual. While the proof of coffee reducing the risk of cirrhosis is limited to alcohol-related cirrhosis, its benefits transcend this one condition. In its entirety, this evidence supports coffee’s role in liver health. When selecting your beverage of choice, consider coffee’s ability to reduce insulin resistance, improve liver enzyme levels and prevent against liver cancer. As long as you do not harbor another risk factor to prohibit java consumption, proceed moderately and are conscious of the additives you chose, feel good about lifting your favorite cup in support of your liver’s health.

References:

http://www.cnn.com, Coffee May Cut Alcohol Liver Damage, Reuters, June 13, 2006.

[http://www.coscic.org], Coffee and Liver Cirrhosis, The Coffee Science Information Centre, 2006.

http://www.health.harvard.edu, Coffee Health Risks: For the moderate drinker, coffee is safe says Harvard Women’s Health Watch, Harvard Health Publications, 2006.

http://www.hivandhepatitis.com, Coffee Consumption Reduces the Risk of Liver Cancer, April hivandhepatitis.com, 2005.

http://www.medscape.com, Coffee, Caffeine Consumption Associated with Reduced Liver Disease, Karla Harby, Medscape Medical News, May 2004.

http://www.mercola.com, Coffee May Prevent Liver Cancer: Should You Add it to Your Morning Routine?, Dr. Joseph Mercola, 2006.

http://www.onhealth.webmd.com, The Buzz on Coffee, Kathleen Zelman, MPH, RD, LD, WebMD, Inc, March 2006.

http://www.webmd.com, Coffee, the new health food?, Sid Kirchheimer, WebMD, Inc., March 2005.

Coffee's Liver Benefits

Does Coffee Have Any Antioxidant Benefits?

Before we get all excited over the recent news about coffee being our new antioxidant, we need to take a look at the entire picture. Is there truly a coffee antioxidant? If there is, how exactly is coffee an antioxidant? Does it become the antioxidant when it's heated? Does the coffee antioxidant benefit everyone? Are there still dangers to drinking coffee? How much coffee is good for us and when does it become bad for us?

Brewed coffee contains many antioxidants and consumption of antioxidant-rich brewed coffee may inhibit diseases caused by oxidative damages. Antioxidants are said to be an inhibitor of certain types of diseases. However, coffee beans are not all a like. Not all coffee beans are of the same quality or even the same make up. Sort of like comparing tennis shoes to sandals. Both go on your feet, but they are not made up of the same components. You can actually break coffee down into several different water-soluble components. The dietary fiber derived from roasted coffee silverskin. This is one component of the coffee bean that has high antioxidant content. This is how the scientists find out about the antioxidant benfits of coffee in their studies. What they do in fact is the break down the coffee beans into different components. They filter out the components that the coffee antioxidant is found in, and then they test lab rats in a variety of experiments to determine how well they survive with or without the various additives in their diet. When they discover something really swell, like a coffee antioxidant, our culture of coffee drinking addicts suddenly becomes a feverorish mob.

Coffee

For years and years we've heard bad things about coffee. For example: it's bad for your heart, increases blood pressure, may cause breast cancer, probably keeps you awake at night, and my personal favorite, has a poisonous gas when brewed.When the world of coffee addicts even gets a tiny hint that coffee could have something beneficial, believe me they don't just drink more coffee, they try to get everyone to join them. So, here we now have scientific studies proving to us that coffee has antioxidants.

Does Coffee Have Any Antioxidant Benefits?

Researchers have identified several compounds in coffee that create a coffee antioxidant. Why would this be of interest to us? Because scientific studies are showing that antioxidants may help prevent cancer. You see the connection here. However, until human studies are done, science cannot state exactly how much coffee must be consumed in order gain this protection against colon cancer or any other type of cancer. Before the coffee is roasted the antioxidant benefits are varied. However, once the coffee is roasted and served as a drink things get evened out. They all seem to have the same degrees of antioxidants.

Some studies suggest coffee having other benefits such as added fertility in men and some benefits for those suffering from diabetes. You'll have to read those studies on your own. The fact that a coffee antioxidant exists may be true, but the reality is that coffee can be just as harmful if your body doesn't like it, if you consume too much, if you have high blood pressure, and if it keeps you awake at night. Is there truly a coffee antioxidant? Yes, but the actual amount needed to be consumed in order to receive the anti-cancer benefits by humans is unknown. How exactly is coffee an antioxidant?

Coffee alone isn't the antioxidant, it's several different components that are part of the coffee bean. Roasting and heating the coffee changes the total antioxidant output. Does it become the antioxidant when it's heated? It seems that although some coffee beans like green coffee beans may be higher in antioxidants that other more common beans, once they are roasted and heated for consumption, the results are the same regarding the antioxidantal benefits. Does the coffee antioxidant benefit everyone? Honestly, this is NOT a question easily answered. In fact, the truth is it is still unknown just how beneficial coffee antioxidants are for humans. Are there still dangers to drinking coffee? Yes, of course there is. If you have high blood pressure and you have seen how coffee enhances this problem, you know it's bad for YOU personally. If you can't get proper sleep or you drive everyone around you nuts because you can't sit still or shut-up, you know coffee is bad for you.

Use common sense and listen to your body. Coffee is not good for everyone and unknown just how good for anyone. How much coffee is good for us and when does it become bad for us? Again drink coffee in moderation, pay attention to your own body. Exercise and good eating habits are a far better way to get healthy than drinking 10 cups of cappuccino a day. All things in moderation. After reading everything about this new thing called a coffee antioxidant I have decided that there are better ways of getting antioxidants into my blood.

Coffee may have many benefits, but so does water and it is possible to drown from drinking too much water. Yes, I know, you have to really drink a lot to accomplish this, but it's the principle of the matter. Too much of anything is not a good thing.

Does Coffee Have Any Antioxidant Benefits?

Benefits of Organic Coffee

Every day, millions of people sit down and enjoy a hot cup of coffee. Because of the huge demand, coffee comes in hundreds of different options that include caffeinated and decaffeinated. There is also a lot of flavored coffee such as hazelnut, French vanilla, maple, chocolate mousse, and the list goes on. In addition to flavored coffee there are many specialty blends such as Kona, which is a wonderfully balanced coffee from Hawaii. However, the best coffee comes from the organic grown coffee bean.

In South America, traditionally, coffee is shade grown, which means it grows under bushes since the beans do not tolerate direct sunlight. These canopy shade trees provide just the right amount of shade for most coffee beans. This shade coupled with the leaves help provide the needed moisture in the soil for the coffee plant and the results are fresh beans with amazing taste. Best of all is that this type of organic coffee bean is grown without the use of chemical fertilizers, herbicides, or pesticides.

Coffee

Because the organic coffee bean has become so popular, we now see new hybrid varieties being developed. With this, crops produced more beans, smaller in size that make harvesting much easier and more efficient. Another huge change with this coffee bean is that it can be grown in direct sunlight, which has helped the production rate to meet ongoing and increasing demand.

Benefits of Organic Coffee

Today, it is estimated that more than six million acres are used to grow coffee beans. Although a small number of farms do use chemicals, most do not, which makes for a much better cup of coffee. Today we see farmers working hard and staying committed to produce the most flavorful beans but without the use of harmful chemicals and toxins.

When shopping for coffee, pick the type that comes from the organic coffee bean. We suggest you look at the information provided by the company, which can usually be done online. This will provide you with growing techniques, as well as information on the coffee being shade grown and without the use of chemicals. In most cases, coffee that is shade grown in specific parts of the world include Peru, Panama, El Salvador, Mexico, Guatemala, and Nicaragua, along with Timor, New Guinea, Ethiopia, and Sumatra.

Therefore, when you go to your local supermarket or health food store, start by reading the information on the package and then doing a little bit of homework. More and more people are going green to help improve the environment and by choosing a coffee that is organically grown, you can do your part and also enjoy an amazing cup of coffee.

Benefits of Organic Coffee

Benefits of a Coffee Tumbler

Ah yes, coffee. How many people wake up in the morning with the thought of tasting that first sip of their precious caffeinated drink? How many people on a Monday morning are rushing to get to work while holding their coffee mug while trying to gather their stuff and get out of the door? Although this is a "fun" way to start their day, they're also in danger of spilling their coffee all over their clothes or in their car. So instead of a coffee mug, what you need is a coffee tumbler. This article will discuss some of the benefits of getting one of these and why they are so much better than having a plain mug.

The first benefit of having a coffee tumbler is that you have coffee security. This means you don't have to take the risk of your coffee spilling on the floor or on you. How many times have you had to lean over just to pretend any coffee from getting on you? With a tumbler, those days can be long gone. No more will you have to do those sudden athletic flinching motions while sticking your rear out in public again.

Coffee

Another benefit is that your coffee will stay hot for a longer amount of time. Coffee definitely tastes great, when it's nice and hot. Once it turns cold or even warm, it just loses that kick to it. I'm sure you know what I mean. When you sip into a nice cup of hot coffee, it just helps to wake you up. When it's at the right temperature though, it just feels like it's missing that special ingredient to get you up and going.

Benefits of a Coffee Tumbler

You can find these coffee tumblers online or in the stores. They can come in all different types of sizes and colors. You will want to get one that has a suction at the top. This way, it will prevent any steam and heat from leaving your coffee. You can easily find one for under . There are some that are a bit more expensive but it's mainly due to the design. Also, some will do a better job at keeping your coffee hot for a longer period of time. If coffee is something you drink everyday, then a coffee tumbler is something that will make your life a whole lot easier. Your Mondays can all the sudden not be so blue anymore.
Benefits of a Coffee Tumbler

Coffee Drinking and Asthma Relief Benefits

Asthma is a condition in which the muscles of the bronchi (air tubes of the lung) contract in spasms, obstructing the flow of air making breathing in and out difficult. Coffee is a potent bronchodilator. In an emergency, when caught without your medication, a few cups of coffee can make a huge difference.

[b]Coffee[/b]

Most physicians recommend as one potentially workable home remedy for asthma to drink a cup of strong coffee without milk. You can add natural honey to sweeten the cup and also to get a soothing effect. Dairy products can aggravate asthma which is why milk is not recommended with coffee as part of regular asthma prevention. The coffee, to be effective in asthma prevention, should be caffeinated since it is the caffeine that dilates the bronchial system.

Coffee is the most concentrated form of caffeine there is.

Regular coffee consumption is helpful to prevent asthma attacks. Coffee contains natural anti-asthmatic compounds, namely theobromine and theophyline. These chemicals help stop bronchospasms and open constricted passages. Obviously, the strength of the brew, type and quality of coffee can impact how much anti-asthmatic "power" your cup has. One more reason to drink good specialty coffee freshly roasted to order.

Prevention is the key to managing asthma.

Asthma can be controlled by taking medicine and avoiding the triggers that cause the asthma attacks. It is also important to remove the triggers in the immediate environment that can produce asthma attacks. For example, triggers such as house pets, dust, pollen, pollution, strong smells, infection, physical exertion, chronic stress, severe anxiety, mold, outdoor air pollution, indoor dust, and others. Usually, the first asthmatic symptoms include difficulty in breathing, an increase in pulse rate, wheezing-especially when breathing out, a dry cough, and a sensation of tightness around the chest.

Coffee is a normal and natural antioxidant source. Caffeine and antioxidants have health and anti aging benefits. Antioxidants help your body repair damage to cells caused by free radicals. In other words, antioxidants help keep the blood clean. Free radicals are produced as a byproduct of cells through normal daily activities. Control these radicals through a moderate but regular daily consumption of coffee, along with other lifestyle habits.

Coffee is highly effective at opening the airways which is why it is a good anti-asthmatic.

Coffee contains about 60-120 mgs of caffeine per cup. Drinking about 24 ounces of coffee per day on the average is beneficial. Medicines for asthma tend to have an elevated dose of caffeine or its extracts (theophylline) or synthetic derivatives. Caffeine helps relieve symptoms of asthma. Did you know, for example, that a single dose of pain reliever such as Anacin or Excedrin contains up to 120 milligrams of caffeine? This is the equivalent of a hefty cup of coffee. Drinking coffee is the "natural" way to do help prevent asthma attacks so why not do it and enjoy drinking the cup of coffee of your choice!

Obviously, always follow your physician's advice regarding any medical conditions, treatments, diagnostics, pregnancy or special dietary plans for you. Coffee, home remedies or natural medications may help in relieving the asthmatic condition but you should always listen to your health practitioner and be a good patient.

Go ahead and drink coffee. In the process, you just may derive some health benefits and enjoy a cup of Organic Colombian Supremo.

Coffee Drinking and Asthma Relief Benefits