Health Benefits and Risks of Your Morning Brew
The past twenty-five years or so, research on coffee?s effect on the body has grown significantly, and scientists have every reason to be curious since almost a half billion cups of coffee are consumed every day. For sometime, healthcare professionals warned that partaking of coffee was bad for your health yet recent research has somewhat altered that view.
Caffeine, the active ingredient found in your coffee is consumed for its stimulating properties. For many, this can lead to a spike in blood pressure, increased heart rate and, hence, heart arrhythmias or irregular beating. However, scientists now believe that these effects are not too important as they are not lasting.
On the other hand, new research shows coffee consumption in a positive light as it can aid in many aspects of your well-being. For instance, new evidence suggests that coffee decreases your chances of contracting colon cancer. To get this benefit, however, you would have to drink at least four cups a day, which might really be harmful to your health.
However, moderate consumption has some incomparable benefits. Coffee is rich in antioxidants, which can help prevent heart problems as well as certain types of cancer. Antioxidants work to clear the blood of free-radicals which can cause cancer. Researchers report that the levels antioxidants in coffee are higher than that found antioxidant-rich produce. On the other hand, doctors would point out that eating fruits and vegetables that contain antioxidants will also supply your body with other necessary vitamins and minerals.
Other research suggests that drinking coffee, whether decaf or regular, cappaccino or espresso , reduces the onset of type-2 diabetes. In addition, some results show that coffee might lower the risk of contracting a kidney stone. Overall, there seem to be numerous benefits to the digestive system. Caffeine causes the stomach to secrete acid, which speeds along digestion.
For those who battle asthma, caffeine has been proven to open up the airways when consumed moderately. Theophylline, a bronchodilator which aids lung functioning, is also found in coffee.
Of course, there are risks to take into account as well. For instance, heavy coffee consumption has been linked with reduced fertility in men. Also, coffee has been associated with high blood levels of homocysteine, which has been linked to coronary heart disease. Further research shows increased LDL-cholesterol, which is the kind you try to limit. Furthermore, cafestol is in coffee, which has been proven raise cholesterol levels.
Overall, most scientists agree that the benefits of moderate coffee consumption counter the risks. For those heavy drinkers thinking of cutting back, colas contain a third of the caffeine per ounce. On the other hand, consuming too much soda is has its own drawbacks.
Shopping for an Espresso Machine? Here's a selection at affordable prices:
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De'Longhi EC155 15 BAR Pump Espresso and Cappuccino Maker List Price: $140.00 Sale Price: $79.99 Used From: $59.00  |
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Enjoy delicious espresso made your way with De'Longhi's pump espresso and cappuccino maker. You can choose to brew ground espresso or E.S.E pods with the unique patented dual filter holder. The choice is yours, making your espresso truly made to order... |
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Mr. Coffee ECM160 4-Cup Steam Espresso Machine List Price: $49.99 Sale Price: $39.99 Used From: $30.00 |
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Makes delicious espressos, cappuccinos, and lattes. Powerful milk frother. 4-Cup capacity: 20-ounce. Per shot. Removable drip tray. Easy to pour decanter. Removable frothing aid. On/off indicator light. |
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Capresso 303.01 4-Cup Espresso and Cappuccino Machine List Price: $59.99 Sale Price: Too low to display Used From: $38.91 |
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Experience the full taste of espressos, cappuccinos and lattes. The Capresso 4-Cup Espresso and Cappuccino Machine features an exclusive Coffee/Steam Selector that makes it easy to control both brewing and steaming, allowing the user to adjust coffee strength to their personal taste... |
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DeLonghi EC702 15-Bar-Pump Espresso Maker, Stainless List Price: $350.00 Sale Price: $149.95 Used From: $139.99 |
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Enjoy delicious espresso made your way with De'Longhi's pump espresso and cappuccino maker. You can choose to brew ground espresso or E.S.E pods with the unique patented dual filter holder. The Sempre Crema Filter, used with two measures of ground coffee, enhances the brewing process to produce a perfect crema... |
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Urnex Dezcal Home Activated Descaler, For Home Coffee & Espresso Equipt., 4 - 1 oz Packets List Price: $11.36 Sale Price: $2.87 |
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Dezcal home activated descaler, 4 portion packets per retail carton |
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Tags: antioxidants, caffeine, coffee, coffee consumption, espresso, espresso maker, free radicals
August 25 2008 08:03 am | coffee