Once in awhile, Charlie and I will give you the inside nutritional scoop on something that Vassar students (and most college students) would consider to be a must-have in their daily intake. This week, I’m taking on my personal favorite: coffee.
For so long, coffee has gotten a bad rap as a bad-for-you beverage, an indulgence of the weak who don’t get enough sleep. Not so, as it turns out! Coffee is chock full of…nuts?…no! Antioxidants! Antioxidants so powerful, in fact, that recent research has linked coffee consumption to preventing the cell damage associated with Parkinson’s disease. Similar compounds can reduce your risk for type 2 diabetes up to 30%, a study of people who drank 3 to 4 cups a day found.
Coffee also releases phytoestrogens and flavonoids, which are powerful anti-cancer agents. Research has found that coffee drinkers half their risk for oral cancer, while pre-menopausal women who drink four cups a day have almost 40% less risk of developing breast cancer says The Journal of Nutrition. Coffee may even prevent skin cancer, as people who drink coffee have a 17% less chance of developing melanoma.
Now, you’re probably wondering…what about all that caffeine? That can’t be good for you! Wrong! The caffeine does have particular benefits. Caffeine is an anti-inflammatory because of the way it constricts blood vessels; that means drinking a cup of coffee can help relieve some aches and pains (that’s also why Excedrin works so well for headaches….it contains caffeine). Many researchers have linked caffeine, especially coffee consumption, to relief from migraines; as a migraine pain is caused by stretching, or dilated blood vessels, constricting them helps relieve some discomfort. I personally suffer from migraines, and I find this works! The anti-inflammatory qualities of coffee have also been linked to blocking inflammation to the brain, which helps prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s.
Despite its health benefits, too much of a good thing can be bad…and too much coffee may be really bad. When our body processes caffeine, it reabsorbs some calcium, which can come from our bones. Though the early research isn’t conclusive, there has been a link between excessive coffee drinkers and bone loss. That said, as long as you replace some of that calcium with sources like yogurt, milk, and leafy green veggies, you should be fine.
