The Many Health Benefits of Drinking Coffee

Coffee is a commonly discussed and disputed topic. The views on it are mixed. Some say go ahead and enjoy your jolt of java because it is good for you while others say forgo it in favor of tea. Let us look upon coffee in a positive light here and explore its health benefits.

Many of the health benefits that surround coffee are connected with consuming approximately two to four (eight ounce) cups per day. This tends to be the amount that most Americans drink on a daily basis.

Good for the Brain:

Coffee drinking has been found to be good for the brain – in moderate quantities that is. Drinking between one and five cups of coffee on a daily basis may help to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, dementia and Parkinson’s disease, according to various studies that have been conducted.

This sounds like a tall order for a hot beverage. How can this be the case?

Coffee contains antioxidants that may prevent a certain amount of damage occurring to the cells of the brain. According to experts in this area it also boosts the effects of neurotransmitters that are required for cognitive function. There are some new studies that suggest that as the consumption of coffee or tea goes up, the incidence of a form of brain cancer called glioma goes down.

Scientists speculate that there are compounds found in the brews of both coffee and tea that activate a DNA-repairing protein in cells. This in turn prevents damage to the DNA that can turn healthy cells into cancerous cells.

Reduce Risk of Diabetes:

Research studies have found that the frequent consumption of coffee, which would be four to five cups or more on a daily basis, is associated with a reduced risk of acquiring type two diabetes.

It is hypothesized that the antioxidant compounds in the hot beverage, which are quinides and cholorogenic acid, may increase the sensitivity of cells to insulin which helps to regulate blood sugar. It is not clear whether caffeinated or decaffeinated makes a high difference in this case but some studies suggest that decaffeinated may be the superior choice in this regard because caffeine has a tendency to lessen the boost found between insulin and sensitivity.

Good for the Heart:

Coffee may be heart-healthy but once again, this only works for moderate consumption.

Some research studies have proven that moderate coffee drinkers- which is to say, those who drink one to three cups per day – have lower rates of stroke than those who do not drink coffee at all. It is theorized that the antioxidants in the brew may play a role in suppressing the damaging effects that inflammation can cause to the arteries. It has also been theorized that these compounds may support the work of nitric oxide, which is a substance that widens blood vessels. By so doing it lowers blood pressure.

This does not mean that the more coffee you drink the healthier your heart will be. You can go overboard and take things to the opposite extreme by over consuming coffee.

You may like java but you do not want to drink more than five cup per day. This habit has been linked to higher risks of developing heart disease.  Medical researchers also believe that excessive caffeine can sabotage the work that the antioxidants perform.

Good for the Liver:

There is evidence that points to the fact that coffee can be of help to the liver. The research on this is limited at the present time but it does appear from what is known so far that those who drink coffee are less likely to develop cirrhosis as well as other types of liver diseases.

The initial findings point to the belief that caffeine, the antioxidant chlorogenic and caffeic acids may help to inhibit cancer cells and prevent inflammation from building in the liver.

Becca

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Diabetes and Exercise for Weight Loss

An active lifestyle which includes regular exercise and eating a balanced diet can help everyone to maintain a healthy weight especially if you have diabetes.

The reason for this is because your weight can have an impact on the disease you have. This works in the reverse as well. In other words, diabetes can influence your weight. Exercise does not have to be long and intense and in fact many exercise for weight loss programs include walking and just 12 minutes of workout.

Type 1 Diabetes and Your Weight:

Diabetes is something you can develop at any age. However type 1 most commonly develops in children and teenagers while type 2 is most commonly seen in people who are over the age of 40.

Type 1 diabetes (formerly known as juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes) if it’s undiagnosed or untreated can cause a person to lose weight. In this case the body has ceased to produce a hormone called insulin which is required to use glucose. Glucose is the main kind of sugar that is found in the blood. Glucose is something that our bodies are supplied with through the foods we eat. It is also the body’s number one source of energy.

When the body is unable to use glucose in the manner that nature intended then it flushes the glucose out of the body through the urine. This can also be said for the calories in the body. What this means for the type 1 diabetes sufferer is that they will lose weight even if their appetite is as normal as ever. However once a diagnosis is made by a doctor and treatment begins then the loss of weight is generally no longer a concern.

Type 2 Diabetes and Your Weight:

A large number of people already have weight issues when they are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. A person who is overweight or obese runs a higher risk of developing this disease. In the same way if a person who already has the disease puts on weight this makes it more difficult for the body to control blood sugar levels.

Those who have type 2 diabetes have a health condition known as insulin resistance. What this means is that their bodies are able to produce insulin but cannot adequately move glucose into the cells of the body. This causes the level of glucose to increase in the bloodstream. The pancreas responds to this by working harder to produce more insulin. This in turn puts added stress on the pancreas which may eventually reach a critical point where it is no longer capable of making enough insulin to keep the blood glucose level as normal as possible.

Due to all of this, individuals with insulin resistance often suffer from a weight problem and do not tend to engage in much physical activity. The good news in all of this is that insulin resistance can be reversed by exercising regularly, eating nutritious foods, controlling the size of portions eaten as well as losing weight and keeping it gone.

All of these things help the body to reach and maintain target blood sugar levels. Those who are overweight but have not developed type 2 diabetes can cut their risk of developing it by losing weight and exercising on a regular basis. This is something that they can start doing immediately and are highly encouraged to do!

For more information on this topic see this article for diabetes and weight issues – taking care of your health.

Becca

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