In fact, surprising new research shows that longtime coffee drinkers are less apt to develop diabetes, Parkinson's disease and even Alzheimer's. Harvard researchers report that men who drank more than six cups of coffee a day cut their risk of developing Type 2 diabetes by more than 50%, and women by more than 30%, compared with non-coffee drinkers. Decaf coffee (more than four cups a day) also cut men's risk by 25% and women's by 15%. Why? Researchers theorize that antioxidants and magnesium in coffee may counter diabetes by improving insulin's ability to control blood sugar.
Another Harvard study showed that coffee drinkers had one-third the Parkinson's disease risk of non-coffee drinkers. University of Toronto research tied coffee drinking to a lower risk of Alzheimer's disease. Norwegian researchers also found that two-cup-a-day drinkers were only 40% as likely to die of cirrhosis of the liver as non-drinkers.
Still, coffee has a downside for some. It can cause anxiety, headaches, heartburn and high blood pressure, and possibly promote heart attacks (consult your doctor if you have heart disease).
Copyright 2004 Jean Carper. Printed first in USA Weekend. All rights reserved.
For more information from Jean Carper, go to www.jeancarper.com
What's this?