The good news about Coffee
by: William Campbell Douglass II, MD
Coffee the king of the antioxidant hill...
I love it when there's good news about java - almost as much as I like a
nice hot "Cuppa Joe" (or three) every
day.
After all, I've been championing the joys and benefits of java since long
before the marketing geniuses behind Starbucks came
along and made hot coffee cool again. I was singing the praises of the
caffeine, vitamins, and antioxidants in Juan Valdez's favorite drink back in the
70s and early 80s - when the mainstream was doing everything it could to malign
this "black gold" for health. And lately, there's plenty to crow
about on the Coffee/Java front…
According to a 2005 study by researchers at the
University of Scranton, Americans now get more healthy, cancer-fighting
antioxidants from coffee than from any other dietary source.
Overwhelmingly so, in fact. This includes the litany of largely needless
(and sometimes downright harmful) vegetables, grains and fruits the mainstream
pundits seem always to recommend INSTEAD of a cup or three of delicious Joe.
The research, presented at a recent national
meeting of the American Chemical Society (the world's largest scientific
society, according to Medical News Today), compared the relative antioxidant
content of 100 different food items and beverages in the American diet -
including mainstream darlings corn, grapes, and beans.
Interestingly enough, Dates topped the list from
an antioxidants-per-serving standpoint. But since Dates are not widely
considered a staple of American eating habits, the top honors went to the much
more commonly consumed coffee (more than half of Americans drink it). It
wasn't clear from the research summary I read whether red wine or dark beer was
considered in the study. These are the only two things I can think of that
might give java a run for its money, antioxidant-wise.
Of course, the ever-PC authors of the study were
quick to point out in the summary that high levels of dietary antioxidants don't
necessarily correlate to high levels in the body, owing to the poorly-understood
process by which these polyphenols are absorbed into the bloodstream. They
also stated that Americans still don't eat enough fruits and vegetables, and
that these are better sources overall for antioxidant nutrition…
But they're wrong on both counts. They'd
have more credibility if instead of modifying the study's real findings to
mollify the mainstream, they'd just admit that once again, hard evidence shows
that coffee carries with it major health benefits - like protection against
liver and colon cancers, diabetes, Parkinson's and more, not to mention the
great lift it gives to the mind and spirit every day.
And that lift must really be something for one Omaha man.
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* These statements have not been
evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to
diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This information is nutritional in nature
and should not be construed as medical advice. This notice is required by the Federal
Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.
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Last modified:
July 22, 2011
