Coffee Bean
coffea arabica



The New Health Food?
Plenty of health benefits are brewing
in America's beloved beverage, coffee.

Caffeine is what helps in treating asthma and headaches.
though not widely publicized, a single dose of pain reliever
such as Anacin or Excedrin contains up to 120 milligrams
-- what's in a hefty mug o' Joe.

It's caffeine -- and not coffee, per se -- that makes java
a powerful aid in enhancing athletic endurance and performance,
says physiologist and longtime coffee researcher
Terry Graham, PhD, of the University of Guelph in Canada.

So powerful, in fact, that until recently,
caffeine in coffee or other forms was deemed
a "controlled" substance by the Olympic Games Committee,
meaning that it could be consumed only in small,
designated amounts by competing athletes.

"What caffeine likely does is stimulate the brain and nervous system
to do things differently," he tells WebMD.

"That may include signaling you to ignore fatigue or recruit extra units
of muscle for intense athletic performance.
Caffeine may even have a direct effect on muscles themselves,
causing them to produce a stronger contraction.

But what's amazing about it is that unlike some performance-enhancing manipulation
some athletes do that are specific for strength or sprinting or endurance,
studies show that caffeine positively enhances all of these things."

In other words, consume enough caffeine
-- whether it's from coffee or another source
-- and you will likely run faster, last longer and be stronger.
What's enough?
As little as one cup can offer some benefit, but the real impact comes
from at least two mugs, says Graham.
By comparison, it'd take at least eight glasses of cola to get the same effect,
which isn't exactly conducive for running a marathon.

But the harder you exercise, the more benefit you may get from coffee.

"Unfortunately, where you see the enhancing effects from caffeine
is in hard-working athletes, who are able to work
longer and somewhat harder," says Graham, who has studied the effects
of caffeine and coffee for nearly two decades.
"If you a recreational athlete who is working out to reduce weight or just feel better,
you're not pushing yourself hard enough to get an athletic benefit
from coffee or other caffeinated products."

But you can get other benefits from coffee that have nothing to do with caffeine.
"Coffee is loaded with antioxidants, including a group of compounds
called quinines that when administered to lab rats, increases their
insulin sensitivity" he tells WebMD.

This increased sensitivity improves the body's response to insulin.

That may explain why in that new Harvard study,
those drinking decaf coffee but not tea beverages showed a reduced diabetes risk,
albeit it was half as much as those drinking caffeinated coffee.

"We don't know exactly why coffee is beneficial for diabetes,"
lead researcher Frank Hu, MD, tells WebMD.
"It is possible that both caffeine and other compounds play important roles.
Coffee has large amounts of antioxidants such as chlorogenic acid and tocopherols,
and minerals such as magnesium.
All these components have been shown
to improve insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism."

Meanwhile, Italian researchers credit another compound called trigonelline,
which gives coffee its aroma and bitter taste, for having both
antibacterial and anti-adhesive properties to help prevent dental cavities from forming.
There are other theories for other conditions.



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