The biological active classes of compounds in coffee are usually considered to be caffeine, chlorogenic acids, melanoidins and diterpenes.
Researchers have found strong evidence that coffee reduces the risk of several serious ailments, including diabetes, coronary heart disease and cirrhosis of the liver.
It is also reducing the risk of several cancers, rheumatoid arthritis and possibly Alzheimer’s disease.
Habitual coffee consumption appears to be associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes. Decaffeinated coffee is also associated with decreased risk of diabetes, substances other caffeine are responsible for this activity possibly the chlorogenic acids.
Coffee contains antioxidants that help control the cell damage that can contribute to the development of the disease.
Larger quantities of coffee seem to be especially helpful in diabetes prevention. In a report that combined statistical data from many studies, researchers found that people who drank four to six cups of coffee a day had a 28 percent reduced risk compared with people who drank two or fewer. Those who drank more than six had a 35 percent risk reduction.
Epidemiological research as well as large prospective cohort studies in the Netherlands, the United States, Finland and Scotland – have shown that coffee consumption is associated with a significant dose dependent reduction in the risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus.
There was study in Amsterdam that components in coffee seem to help the body metabolize sugar, thereby reducing the risk of diabetes, which affects 130 million people worldwide.
Initial studies found that heavy coffee consumption was correlated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease. However, in more recent studies, the controversial harmful effects were likely exacerbated by association between high intakes of coffee and unhealthy lifestyle habits including smoking, alcohol drinking, and physical inactivity high fats diets.
Some studies show that cardiovascular risk also decreases with coffee consumption. Norwegian researchers found that women who drank one to three cups a day reduced their risk of cardiovascular disease by 24 percent compared with those drinking no coffee at all.
The antioxidants found in coffee have been found to inhibit inflammation and thereby reduce risk of cardiovascular and other inflammatory disease in post menopausal women.
In males, consumption of 8 or more cups of coffee a day reduce d the risk of cerebral infraction (stoke) when compared to non coffee drinkers.
Coffee health benefits
