The latest studies show that coffee has healthful benefits.  Let me say up front that if you are one of those nervous types who, when you ingest caffeine, your molecules vibrate so quickly they start to become invisible as you bounce off the walls – by all means ignore this article.  I’d hate to think that harm came to you or your loved ones from seeking the healthy coffee benefits I am about to describe.

But for the rest of us, coffee has been shown to offer some nice benefits; according to an article in Southern Living magazine.  The Mayo Clinic and Harvard Medical School agree, and that’s good enough for me.

Coffee is a Brain Builder

Caffeine increases short term recall; making it easier for us to remember where we left things; like our coffee mug.  Plus, those who drink 3 to 5 cups of coffee a day are 65% less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease or dementia.  And it reduces the chance of developing Parkinson’s in men.  Let’s remember that a standard coffee mug holds two cups of liquid.  I generally drink 3 mugs of coffee before *breakfast*!

Coffee Fights Diabetes

Folks who drink 3 to 4 cups of coffee per day have been shown to be 25% less likely to develop type 2 diabetes – UNLESS they load it down with sweeteners.  I figure the caffeine buzz gets our cells dancing around so well that it burns off the extra glucose almost as efficiently as a hard day’s work out in the field.  Almost. (Or maybe it’s the appetite suppressant quality that just helps us eat less and crave fewer sweets.)

Coffee and Antioxidants

Antioxidants help protect you from heart disease, stroke and other maladies.  Coffee is rich in antioxidants.  That makes it “health food”, right?  Now, it can raise cholesterol if you do not use paper filters; which take the fatty stuff out.  Even if you have a “permanent” filter in your machine, use paper filters too.

Coffee and Exercise

If you’re a coffee drinker and a hard worker (or periodic exerciser) a recent study showed that two cups of fresh brew ingested just before exercising reduced muscle soreness and stiffness afterward by almost 50%.

Coffee and Cancer

Of course cancer studies are often open to interpretation, but there is evidence showing that those who drink coffee regularly show up in the groups that resist liver cancer twice as often as those who don’t.  That should mean a 50% reduction in your risk of liver cancer just by enjoying a mug of Joe every day.

Coffee and Food Groups

Since coffee comes from beans, it counts as a serving of vegetables.  Oh, no, wait… that’s only if you eat the grounds after finishing the coffee.  Never mind!

Now… if I could just get coffee bushes to grow here in our mountains!