How Coffee Affects Alzheimer’s, Depression, Diabetes & Fat Loss

Do you love your morning cup of coffee? Well, drink up! According to a European study a daily cup of coffee reduces oxidative damage to DNA by an impressive 40 percent! Coffee contains polyphenols that help protect cells from oxidation, regulate insulin and reduce inflammation. Another study published in the journal Molecular Nutrition & Food Research found that coffee may inhibit fat storage and lower triglycerides. The study reported that those who drank four cups of coffee/day lost 1.5 pounds of body fat in four weeks.

Studies have found that coffee has more antioxidants than most vegetables and fruits. For these benefits, the coffee has to be a special Arabica coffee blend that is rich in unroasted (green) and roasted bean compounds that gives coffee its antioxidant boost, which accounts for its apparent power to reduce DNA damage.

The caffeine in coffee may help prevent diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, gallstones, and increase bile flow. (Jonathan Wright, M.D.)

Coffee and Diabetes. Coffee has already been shown to be protective against diabetes due to its effect on insulin. A report in the Journal of Agricultural & Food Chemistry reported that those who drink four cups of coffee per day have a 50 percent lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Coffee Health Benefits. Researchers at Harvard Medical School reports that coffee may provide cognitive benefits and have neuro-protective abilities that may prevent diseases such as Parkinson’s, stroke, heart disease and cancer.

Preliminary research findings involving coffee suggest that coffee may be protective against obesity-associated cancers and cancers associated with insulin and estrogen. Scientists at Harvard School of Public Health (published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute) conducted a study in which men who regularly drank coffee had a lower risk of developing prostate cancer. Men who consumed 1-3 cups of coffee daily reduced their risk of the deadly form of prostate cancer by 30 percent and men who drank the most coffee lowered their risk of lethal prostate cancer by 60 percent.

Coffee and Alzheimer’s. The American Journal of Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias reported that caffeine may have a protective effect on the likelihood of developing dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Another study published in 2009 based on nearly 1,500 people showed a 65–70% decreased risk of dementia and a 62–64% decreased risk of Alzheimer’s in participants who drank 3–5 cups of coffee daily.

Coffee and Depression. The National Institute of Health reports that people who drink three or even more cups of this beverage a day are 12 percent less likely to be depressed. Studies from Harvard found that drinking coffee reduces the risk of depression by 20 percent and the risk of suicide by 53 percent.

Coffee and Liver Health. Coffee drinking is beneficial for the health of your liver and found to be associated with lower levels of enzymes that indicate liver damage and inflammation. Multiple studies have shown that coffee can lower the risk of liver cirrhosis by as much as 80% – the strongest effect for those who drank 4 or more cups.

Who Should Avoid Coffee?

Although coffee offers numerous health benefits, it can be problematic for some folks. It all depends on your unique biochemistry and your ability to metabolize caffeine and coffee, which can be determined through genetic testing.

Pregnant women and women planning to become pregnant should avoid caffeine and coffee. Women who consume caffeine and coffee while pregnant tend to have increased risks of smaller infants at birth. Just two cups of coffee ingested during pregnancy may be enough to affect fetal heart development and reduce heart function over the entire lifespan of the child.
Children should avoid caffeine and coffee.
Those with anxiety issues, insomniacs and adrenal insufficiency and adrenal dysfunction should limit their intake. Caffeine stimulates the adrenals. If adrenal hormones are constantly stimulated, the adrenals will become depleted and may eventually burn out.
Consuming caffeine on an empty stomach especially first thing in the morning can be the very reason you’re experiencing weight loss resistance and hard-to-get-rid-of belly fat. Caffeine on an empty stomach elevates cortisol and increases belly fat! Remember, that fat cells in the abdominal have four times as many cortisol receptors as anywhere else.
Excessive coffee consumption can have a negative impact on thyroid function. Drinking coffee within 60 minutes of taking thyroid medication reduces absorption.

Some women can drink all the coffee they want without any problems, but unfortunately women with fibrocystic breast problems tend to be caffeine-sensitive and would be smart to avoid caffeine and coffee.

Coffee consumption can increase the risk of acid reflux for some individuals.
Another point to consider is that excessive coffee consumption can cause dehydration. So be sure to replenish your body with plenty of water.
Excessive coffee consumption depletes nutrients such as B vitamins, magnesium, iron and calcium.
If you’re gluten-sensitive, you may want to avoid coffee. Cyrex Lab researchers found coffee to have the highest rate of cross-reactivity with gluten. Something to think about if you have an autoimmune disorder.
Coffee can interact with drugs such as Tylenol, causing liver damage.

If you drink coffee and get the jitters, become dizzy, anxious or wired, experience insomnia, these are signals that you’re probably not metabolizing caffeine efficiently.

Enjoy a cup of fresh organic coffee before your workout (pre-training) to enhance athletic performance and improve fat burning, energy and endurance. A study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology found that those who consumed caffeine after exercise experienced increased muscle glycogen that helped muscles refuel.

Opt for organic coffee ONLY versus non-organic coffee due to the high pesticide content in non-organic coffee. The non-profit Environmental Working Group (EWG) urges consumers to minimize exposure to pesticides whenever possible. Pesticides have been linked to a variety of health problems including hormone imbalances; neurodegenerative and cognitive dysfunction, skin, eye and lung irritation, gut dysfunction, leaky gut, birth defects, depression, weight gain, and cancer. The negative effects of pesticides can take years to show up and by the time symptoms are clear the damage may have already been done.

What you brew your coffee in matters too! I dumped my Keurig coffee maker and switched to an old fashioned stainless steel percolator coffee pot years ago. Even though the coffee I drink is always organic and I never used the Keurig K-cups, when I was using the Keurig coffee maker every single week I cleaned it by running a few cycles of vinegar & baking soda through it and then rinsed a few cycles with just water. Afterwards, it still reeked of a nasty, moldy aroma. Bye-bye Keurif coffee maker.

Be sure to rotate your brands of coffee. One of my favorites is PowerCafe, a combination of organic dark roast Arabica coffee and Yerba Mate. Tasty!

Although the numerous health benefits of drinking coffee apply to straight-up black coffee, some of my favorite add-ins are either grass-fed butter, coconut oil or organic heavy cream.

You may also enjoy adding a pinch of cinnamon or raw cacao to your cup of coffee. Need a sweetener? Ditch the chemical-loaded artificial sweeteners in the pink, yellow and blue packs and instead use the green packs, SweetLeaf Stevia – easy to carry in your purse, briefcase or keep at your desk. Pass on the sweetened syrups and flavored creamers (high in trans fats and GMOs), and definitely stay away from sugar-free syrups, which are full of artificial sweeteners and high-fructose corn syrup.

Send a kiss Excuse me while I brew up another cup of coffee. Coffee cup

As a holistic nutritionist and functional health practitioner, my philosophy is to identify the root cause of any underlying health issues, slowly "peel away the layers of the onion," and design a healing protocol and comprehensive LIFESTYLE plan specific to your unique biochemistry so you can heal, experience vibrant health, balanced hormones, age well, and look, think and feel better than ever for a lifetime. I consult with men and women around the world, all over the U.S. and with clients locally in the Phoenix area. Schedule a free 15-minute consultation!

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