Say good morning to better health!
Your cup of coffee just got a whole lot more health cred. Three new studies point to our a.m. brew as a way to ward off disease. Grab a cup and sip in the latest health benefits of coffee.
1. Coffee Cuts Cancer Risk
Researchers from Imperial College London found that women who drank three cups of coffee daily had an 19 percent lower risk of developing endometrial cancer compared to those who drank less than one cup a day. It isn’t clear how coffee has this effect but one theory is that coffee reduces estrogen levels and another is that the oxidants in coffee may help slow or prevent cell damage that tends to allow cancer cells to proliferate.
2. Coffee May Keep Your Arteries Clear
According to a study published in the journal Heart, drinking 3 to 5 cups of coffee a day may keep the arteries free of calcium deposits, which could lead to hardening of the arteries and stroke. We should note that this study didn’t show a cause and effect relationship between coffee and less calcium, only a strong association.
3. Coffee Reduces Multiple Sclerosis Risk
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system. Researchers at John Hopkins University found that the caffeine in coffee may have neuroprotective properties that suppress the formation of the cells that are associated with MS. They came to this conclusion when they found that women who abstained from coffee for a year were 1.5 times more likely to develop MS than women who consumed at least four cups a day during that time.
We love good news in the morning. Are you pouring another cup yet?
Carey Rossi is a writer and editor with 10 years of experience covering all aspects of nutrition and fitness. She was the editor-in-chief of Better Nutrition, a shopping magazine for natural living, and the founding editor of Muscle & Fitness Hers. In addition, her work has appeared in Muscle & Fitness, Looking Good Now, Healthy Family, Vegetarian Times and Natural Health. She is the author of No More Diets Ever, Lose Weight the Natural Way.
