Coffees Can Be Healthy with their Antioxidant Properties

Many think that coffee should be avoided, however that is not actually the case, in moderation coffee actually provides your body with healthy antioxidant properties.

It has been found that for many American’s, their main source of healthy antioxidants each day comes from the coffee that they consume.

Coffee can clear the fog from your mind and provide you’re with wonderful energy. In fact, according to research, coffee can offer you more healthful antioxidants than any other food or beverage in your diet.

Antioxidants are derived from plants, and of course so is coffee, so it is not surprising that the two go hand in hand.

Coffee however should be consumed in moderation as excessive amounts can bring on the jitters as well as raise your cholesterol levels.

It is believed that antioxidants help fight cancer as well as offer many other benefits to your health. Antioxidants are believed to also be beneficial in helping to ward off diabetes and strokes. Antioxidants are found in large amounts in grains, tomatoes as well as numerous other fruits and vegetables.

Research studies have shown that the typical adult takes in 1,299 milligrams of antioxidants each day from coffee. The next item that comes close to that is tea, which provides 294 milligrams. Finishing off the top five sources of antioxidants is bananas, at 76 milligrams; dry beans, at 72 milligrams; and corn, at 48 milligrams.

It is estimated that the average adult in America consumes approximately 1.64 cups of coffee each day. It is important to remember however that coffee should not be consumed in place of health fruits and vegetables in your diet.

This is because fruits and vegetables are an essential part of your diet and offer you a higher content of vitamins, minerals and fiber than does coffee.

The antioxidants that are found in coffee are what are known as polyphenols. At times these antioxidants are bound to a sugar molecule, which hides the antioxidant group.

In doing research on the antioxidants found in coffee, the first step in measuring them was to sever the sugar link. A researcher made note that the chemicals in the stomach do the same thing, which then frees the polyphenols.

Even though more research is needed, antioxidants are thought to be good for you in numerous ways by affecting enzymes and genes.

If you are drinking coffee to make use of healthy antioxidants, the smartest thing to do is spread your coffee consumption out so that the levels of antioxidants in your body remain up.

Researchers in Japan found that people who drink coffee either daily or close to daily had half the amount of liver cancer risk as do people who never drink coffee. People who consumed three to four cups of coffee each day up from one or two cups each day were more protected from liver cancer.

Harvard School of Public Health researchers found that the risk of developing the most common form of diabetes was cut down by those who drink coffee.

The risk in men for developing diabetes was cut in half by those who consume over six eight ounce cups of coffee with caffeine each day.

Women lowered their diabetes risk by almost thirty percent when they were compared against people who avoid coffee beverages.

The good news for those who like coffee but do not want to consume too much caffeine is that decaf coffee has the same antioxidant benefits, as does regular coffee.

People should be careful however about considering coffee to be a health drink. Researchers suggest about a cup of coffee a day will provide you with the antioxidant benefits without causing the negative risks off too much caffeine consumption.