Something has always bothered me about the bad rap that coffee seems to perpetually get. The reason for this is because it comes from the Earth, I just cannot be convinced that it has all the bad qualities its been given in the past. I’m not suggesting that you consume loads of it, but I’m a firm believer that there is no harm in drinking it in moderation. In years past, I had taken a few classes with regard to Wholistic Health. In these classes, we discussed some of the positives coffee has. I’ve started seeing more positive things being said about it recently, and it’s encouraging to see that because I feel its deserving of it. It is still a food that should be used in moderation, but if the Earth produces it, there has got to be something of use to us in it.
One of the biggest positives about it is the antioxidant content it has. Antioxidants are free radical quenching substances that mop up the damage that toxins do to our cells. That can’t be bad huh? Chlorogenic Acid is the polyphenol that is of the most abundant in coffee and may be helpful in fighting cancer, but there are hundreds of other antioxidants in coffee as well, helping us fight the good fight. We can thank the roasting process for this because some of the antioxidants increase their potency by this process.
In a WebMD feature, reviewed by Dr. Michael Smith, it refers to this tasty eye opener as being somewhat of a “health food,” and that studies done at Vanderbilt University for coffee studies have found that it is actually “more healthful than harmful” as stated by Tomas DePaulis, Ph.D. He goes on to say that “very little bad comes from drinking it, but a lot of good”. That’s a pretty glowing statement for something portrayed as being so damaging in the past.
In the classes I had mentioned earlier, I learned that coffee was helpful in aiding good bile flow. For that reason, it has been linked to reduced incidences of gallstones and is helpful to liver function by reducing liver enzymes, which can be especially helpful to people that are heavy alcohol drinkers. In fact in the feature article by WebMD states an 80% decrease in liver cirrhosis. With a good flow of bile, you will also experience good sound elimination, something that’s important to the wellbeing of your colon, cutting colon cancer by 25%. It has also been shown to be helpful in decreasing the risks with regard to the latest epidemic of Type II Diabetes. Heavy smokers reap some benefits as well by experiencing 25% less effects from heart disease. An 80% less likelihood of developing Parkinson’s Disease is another benefit.
Coffee has suffered a bad name with regard to fertility issues. Over the years there have been many studies done that have concluded that it should be avoided for maximizing fertility potential. I have read claims that say caffeine is a possible contributing factor in early miscarriages. While I am not a scientist and have no way of disproving the findings in these studies, I have often wondered what the other aspects of the lives of these women were like. In the months prior to the study being done, what were their diet and lifestyles like other than just drinking coffee or other caffeinated beverages? Did they exercise? Were they eating a lot of processed food? Were they smokers? How about alcohol intake? Were they recreational drug users? What was the status of these things months before becoming pregnant and participating in these studies? Diet and lifestyle have a big role in the health of women’s eggs many months prior to becoming pregnant. I wonder what the overall health of their eggs was upon undertaking these studies. My take is because coffee has been found to improve liver function in recent studies, it would be helpful in keeping our toxin level at a minimum. If our toxin is at a minimum that means there is less of it circulating within us and harming our eggs, therefore contributing to better egg quality. I guess I’ll let the readers decide with regard to this issue.
As a moderate coffee drinker myself, I find it encouraging to hear some good news about my favorite way to rev up every morning. For a short time I had given it up because of concerns with regard to achieving and maintaining pregnancy, but since then have become a moderate coffee drinker again. I guess it didn’t harm my ability to conceive and carry my pregnancies to term, because I have pretty much always drunk coffee throughout my childbearing years and have 8 kids! I do drink organic coffee though, because of the heavy use of pesticides with it. You can purchase organic coffee in most grocery stores as well as health food stores, it’s easy to find. So go ahead… if this favorite American beverage is your favorite as well, sip and enjoy!