Coffee Information

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Coffee Consumption


Coffee is heavily studied, but study results contradict one another. If science says that it is bad for you today, wait a day or two and another study will be published claiming the exact opposite findings.

The Good:

Coffee has had its medicinal purposes. My own ancestors used it to treat asthma. Certain chemicals in coffee have even be proven effective at stimulating bronchial dilation of people previously diagnosed with specific types of asthma. Some modern day asthma medications are even made from chemicals in the caffeine family.

Newly published findings suggest that men drinking caffeinated beverages, including coffee, have as much as a 3 to 6 times lower risk of developing Parkinson's disease.

The caffeine in coffee increases your metabolic rate, making weight loss faster and easier. It has also been associated with a reduced risk of suicide in women.

The Bad:

Women who drink more than one cup a day of decaf are considered at a much higher risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis. The theory is that the chemically decaffeinated products are causing the increased risk of autoimmunity. If you are going to drink decaffeinated coffee anyway, be sure that it uses a non-chemical based method.

Those at risk of heart disease and stroke should avoid coffee. Drinking coffee interferes with your body's ability to keep homocysteine and cholesterol levels in check and can increase blood pressure. (According to a study done in the Netherlands, this is true even if the coffee is filtered.) Raised levels of homocysteine are as a factor in the development of cardiovascular disease. Australian researchers found drinking coffee has potentially harmful effects on blood vessels. The caffeine may cause a loss of aortic elasticity, the main artery supplying blood to the body.

The findings are disputed by the coffee industry and some studies, but it also appears to be associated with an increased risk for breast and endometrial cancer. This is due to an increase in estrogen levels.

Studies have also shown that caffeine in coffee can raise levels of stress hormones and can lead to heart palpitations, jitters, and nervousness. People with panic or anxiety disorders can be especially sensitive to the caffeine in coffee. Even in small amounts, the stimulant can exacerbate their symptoms.

Coffee relaxes the esophagus causing reflux.

The Ugly:

Pregnant and nursing women should never drink coffee. Caffeine is a stimulant drug that easily passes through the placenta to the developing fetus and is also transferred through breast milk. Fetuses have no ability to detoxify caffeine. Drink coffee increases the risk of miscarriage and various birth defects.

For more information, visit the following:

How Bad is it Really? http://www.mercola.com/2003/dec/10/coffee.htm

Coffee Drinkers Face Lower Parkinson's Disease Risk
http://www.mercola.com/2000/may/28/coffee_parkinson.htm

Coffee May Damage Blood Vessels
http://www.mercola.com/2000/sep/17/coffee_blood_vessels.htm

Coffee and Suicide http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/9603/coffee_suicide/

Coffee and Diabetes http://www.thefactsaboutfitness.com/news/coff_diab.htm

Coffee and Reflux http://www.s-t.com/daily/03-97/03-11-97/b01ho075.htm

Coffee and Addiction
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=C1VYBJVSS04E2CRBAEZSFFA?type=healthNews&storyID=6369844

Heidi Whitaker is an author and speaker on the topic of nutritional support of autoimmune disease. She is also the co-owner of http://www.healthydivas.com. To read other articles written by Heidi or to learn how to participate in her next free teleseminar, visit her blog at http://autoimmune.myblogsite.com/blog.


MORE RESOURCES:

CBC.ca

Man sought in police coffee shop killings (video)
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A man with an extensive criminal record is being sought by police as a "person of interest" in the coffee shop massacre of four police officers. ...
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The owner of Forza Coffee, where four Lakewood police officers were slain this morning, issued a statement offering the prayers of its employees for the ...
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CBC.ca

Coffee with the Colts: A next-day look at Indianapolis Colts' 35-27 victory ...
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1) Now the fans who keep criticizing RB Chad Simpson know why the Colts kept him. 2) P Pat McAfee was one of the better late-round draft selections of the ...
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Times Online

Tacoma Washington : coffee house shootings leaves 4 police officers dead
Examiner.com
The Tacoma Washington news reported that at 8:15 am this morning it is believed that the police offers at a local coffee house were targeted in a shocking ...
4 officers shot dead in WA coffee shopThe Inquisitr
Officials Look For Suspects In WA Police 'Ambush' That Left Four DeadAHN
Police killed in 'ambush' outside US Air Force baseTimes Online
KNDO/KNDU -Sify -Examiner.com
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City to delay ban on coffee cups
National Post
Aaron Lynett/National Post City hall has faced off against Tim Hortons and other coffee giants, proposing that paper cups lined with polyethylene be banned ...

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The Sun

4 cops shot dead in coffee shop ambush
The Sun
FOUR cops, one a woman, were shot dead in a "hit" in a coffee shop yesterday. The uniformed officers were drinking coffee, reading newspapers ...
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Chicago Breaking News - Tribune

Lindenhurst teen held in poisoning of mom's coffee with antifreeze
Chicago Tribune
Bail was set at $100000 Friday for an 18-year-old from Lindenhurst who is charged with trying to poison his mother by pouring antifreeze into a coffee maker ...
Teen tainted mom's coffee with antifreeze: Lindenhurst copsChicago Sun-Times
Teen held in coffee poisoningWaukegan News Sun
Mom sickened from antifreeze in her coffeeTimes of the Internet
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Holiday gift guide: more coffee-table books
San Francisco Chronicle
The Book of Exploration, by Ray Howgego (Bloomsbury; 360 pages; $50). A chronological glimpse, with beautiful images, of famous journeys through history. ...

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Rend Lake Coffee Shop staying at marketplace
Mt. Vernon Register-News
VERNON — Recent plans to move the Rend Lake College Coffee Shop from the RLC marketplace location to its main campus in Ina have been cancelled. ...


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