Coffee has never been more popular.  There is likely a coffee shop within walking distance or short drive of your home.  From espresso shots to lattes to cappuccinos, coffee can be had in many new variations.  Americans drink, on average, almost four cups of coffee per day while Finland and the other Scandinavian countries drink three times that amount.  Most other countries average one and a half cups. 

Hurray…a health benefit?
Coffee has also been the subject of many studies.  Many of these are finding that coffee has health benefits.  For those of you who drink coffee, that’s good news. 

Most everyone could identify caffeine as an ingredient in coffee.  But did you know it also contains methylpyridinium, chlorogenic acid, p-coumaric acid, caffeic acid and ferulic acid?  All of these tongue twisters are antioxidants that may help to protect against colon and liver cancer and may reduce heart disease. 

What the studies are saying
A recent study found that women who drank three or more cups of coffee a day had half the risk of colon cancer as nondrinkers.  In another study, liver cancer risk was reduced by almost 50% with every two cups of coffee that participants drank.  A third study found that untimely death from heart disease was less in people who drank three to five cups of coffee a day.  All of these findings need further validation but they do indicate that coffee is safe to drink. 

Perhaps save your memory and stave off maladies
As we age, all of us are concerned about our ability to express ourselves.  A study done in France found that women who drank more than three cups of coffee a day had less decline in memory and verbal recall than the women who drank a cup or less a day.  Several studies have had findings that indicate that people with Alzheimer’s disease drank less coffee in the 20 years before their diagnosis than the people without the disease. 

There is research that suggests that drinking coffee may reduce the risk of having Parkinson’s disease.  Coffee drinkers have also been found to have gallstones and gout less often than nondrinkers.  There is also evidence that drinking coffee reduces the risk of diabetes. 

Stay alert
If you drink coffee to stay alert, research suggests that you drink 2-3 ounces every hour throughout the day instead of drinking 8-16 ounces in the morning.

Yeah, but…
However, some people need to avoid coffee because of the caffeine which can prevent sleep and cause reflux symptoms and migraine headaches.  Another note of caution; unfiltered coffee (includes espresso) may increase the level of the “bad” LDL cholesterol.

Check with your doctor
Even though all of these studies may make you abstainers want to start drinking coffee, experts are not recommending that you become a coffee lover.  However, coffee drinkers need only to worry about those extra calories in the specialty coffee drinks.  And don’t forget to eat plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains for their protective effects.