Over the last 25 years there has been an increase in the study about the correlation between drinking coffee and health. There are over 400 million cups of coffee enjoyed every day in the world. However, for years the health community has warned against the drinking of coffee. Truth be told, recent studies have proven the opposite to be true. Having recently purchased a , I was concerned about this subject and thought I'd do some more research.



Caffeine is one of the primary ingredients found in coffee. Caffeine is a mild stimulant. That means that it will raise blood pressure, increase heart rate, and could possible produce a heart beat that is irregular. Recent research has proven that these effects are very short and do not last very long at all. Truth is told, the recent information found about coffee and the health benefits are plenty. It recently has been found that coffee may actually reduce the chances of developing colon cancer. This is only true when the consumption is high, which in the research was four or more cups a day. It is each person's decision though whether they want to consume that much coffee or not. There are other benefits for drinking coffee that do not involve such a high level of consumption.

Coffee actually contains antioxidants that will help to prevent such things as heart disease and certain types of cancers. This occurs by removing what are called cell destroying oxygen radicals from the blood stream. There is research available that claims that coffee actually contains higher levels of antioxidants than cranberries, apples, and tomatoes. Also, there are some Chinese studies that claim that coffee actually helps to reduce the symptoms of Parkinson's disease. There is American and Scandinavian research that supports the idea that both decaf and regular coffee can reduce the chances of developing type 2 diabetes.

Furthermore, there is research that has found evidence that coffee reduces the risk of kidney stones and gallstones. Coffee also helps the digestion process by increasing stomach acid. It has also shown to lessen the airway constriction of people with asthma. The ingredient which aids in airway constriction is theophylline.

However, coffee consumption does come with risks. There is some evidence to suggest that sperm swims faster in fluids that contain coffee and therefore coffee consumption could be related to the reduction of fertility. Higher levels of homocysteine have been associated with increased coffee drinking. These heightened levels are shown to be associated with coronary heart disease. Further to this, coffee does contain cafestol, which has been shown to raise levels of cholesterol, although this is mainly associated with boiling coffee grounds in water. Typical drip coffee makers and percolators remove this ingredient through filters.

It has been said that women who drink coffee will lose some calcium. This could result in bone density problems. It has also been proven that women who drink over four cups of coffee a day have a higher risk of developing urinary incontinence. However, there is some agreement that coffee on a mild to moderate consumption, the benefits outweigh the risks. The risks and the benefits are incomparable.