7 Reasons You Should Consider and Re-consider Coffee’s Health Benefits

The following is a guest post by Jeff Pickett from FrenchPressAuthority.com. Enjoy!

It’s no secret that coffee’s health benefits is much like the stock market – some days up and some days down.  And as is true with the medical research we have to turn to, the studies have to be taken with a grain of salt.  However, the most recent round of studies, just from the past few months, gives us pause to say that coffee just may be healthy after all.

Frustration is the main emotion when I read any study about the ill effects of saturated fats.  There are too many factors about saturated fat that studies don’t adjust for.  Is the saturated fat from grass-fed sources or not?  Is the study on saturated fats taking into account the amount of processed foods or low quality carbohydrates?  Well, coffee is in that same camp with the misunderstood saturated fat.

Coffee is coffee.
Coffee contains caffeine.
Caffeine is caffeine.
Caffeine is in coffee.
Coffee is not caffeine.
Caffeine is not coffee.

Coffee, with its many antioxidant compounds, is not just caffeine, and deserves a little respect.  According to Harvard Health in a September 2012 article, and also quoting the New England Journal of Medicine, coffee consumption at the pace of two or more cups per day reduced the incidence of death for men by 10% and women by 15%.  Chlorogenic acid, one of many compounds found in coffee, is the main culprit they have targeted which increases insulin sensitivity and reduces the chance of developing type 2 diabetes.

Coffee’s health benefits don’t end there.  Coffee has also been found to reduce liver cancer by up to 50% compared to non-drinkers.  Additional studies also link coffee to a reduced incidence of colon, breast and rectal cancers.  Again, note – we are talking about coffee here specifically.  Not caffeine, Diet Mountain Dew, etc.  Parkinson’s Disease is reduced in men when drinking coffee, but not women.  The explanation of that lies in the theory that estrogen and caffeine need the same enzymes to be metabolized and estrogen captures those enzymes.

Of course the obvious still holds true – that cup of Joe certainly grabs your attention and stimulates your mental capacity, just as did with the goats in the 9th century who first stumbled upon the coffee plant.  Whether to start your day or before a workout, coffee just can’t be beat!

The Dark Side of Coffee

Coffee is not for everyone.  Too much coffee and the increase of adrenaline it provides may result in adrenal fatigue syndrome.  If you start to notice a loss or change in sleep patterns, focus or irritation, you may decide to lay off the magic bean for a bit.  And even then, you still may find issues as George of Civilized Caveman Cooking, relayed to me recently, after re-introducing coffee after a brief hiatus resulted in allergy symptoms and shakes.  See what works for you and adjust accordingly.  And before you decide to give up coffee altogether, test out varieties of coffee since not all coffees are equal.  Mark’s Daily Apple refers to the differences in coffee and its impact on insulin sensitivity.

Best Tips for a Great Cup of Coffee

Over at my blog, French Press Authority, we have a variety of tips and a few videos on how to make great coffee so you can start enjoying those health benefits.  Here are a few ways you can enjoy your next cup.

• Employ the “200-50-4” combination when making French Press coffee.  This is our own formula that helps you remember the important parts of good French Press Coffee.  200 degrees water, 50 grams of coffee and 4 minutes total brew time.
• Choose a high quality coffee bean with no toxins, etc.
• Use filtered water versus tap for enhanced flavor
• Experiment on what you like best and track the results so you can emulate your own perfect cup of coffee

7 Reasons Review Time

So in closing, let’s review the 7 reasons you should consider for coffee’s health benefits:

1. Coffee is not caffeine
2. Coffee contains many compounds, including antioxidants
3. Coffee can reduce insulin sensitivity, decrease diabetes as well as the incidence of death
4. Coffee can reduce liver, breast, rectal and colon cancer
5. Coffee may add to adrenal fatigue syndrome so watch your intake
6. Experiment with coffee yourself to see what works best for you
7. High quality beans, filtered water and the time/temperature/weight combination can not only impact the coffee’s health benefits, it will impact the flavor as well.

If you’re not already enjoying some coffee as you read this post, we encourage you to fix a cup after finishing.  And as we like to say to you all…”Drink Up!”

Jeff Pickett is a Paleo practitioner and lover of coffee.  For more articles and insights about coffee, visit French Press Authority for the lighter side of coffee and its many facets.

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