Paul told Timothy to have a little wine for his stomach (1
Tim. 5:23). I think if Paul lived today he would tell Timothy to have some
coffee for mind and body. I love coffee, I drink it in the morning, I drink it
in the afternoon, I share it with friends and strangers alike. I like it in a
French Press, a pour over, as espresso (a triple please), or drip is fine by me
as long as it is good coffee. I love going to coffeehouses to enjoy a good cup
of coffee and study. It helps me to think, to write, to be nice when I don’t
get enough sleep, and honestly I believe it is has had a great positive impact
upon the world we live in today. Let me give a brief historical overview and
then some medical facts. I think you will agree coffee is a wonderful thing, a
true gift from God.
How Coffee Changed
the World
The story is told that a goat herder in Ethiopia saw his
goats eating coffee beans and how they reacted to it, so he tried them and wow
that is good stuff. He took it to his local imam who dried the bean out and
made it into the wonderful drink we know today. Another story goes a man named
Omar was condemned to die of starvation, but he ate coffee beans and survived.
He brought them back to Mocha and the joys of coffee was shared.
Regardless if they stories are true, we know that coffee was
consumed in 1470 in Yemen. It was used in religious ceremonies to heighten the
attention (modern American equivalent would be drink a cup so you can stay away
for the sermon). By 1510 coffee had made its way to Cairo and Mecca. There some
thought it should be outlawed and thus it was put on trial, long story made
short, coffee was deemed good for the faithful. When Europeans visited
Palistine in the 1609-1610 they were first exposed to the wonders of coffee.
They brought back some to Pope Clement the 8th and he drank it, loved
it, and deemed it good for the faithful.
By 1650 there were coffeehouses in London, by 1660 they were
in Amsterdam and shortly after that in Paris. This brought about at least three
revolutions (in my non historian, coffee loving mind): the industrial
revolution, the scientific revolution, and political revolutions. You might
that that is a stretch, but bear with me for a moment. Perhaps they dark ages
were the dark ages because coffee was not discovered yet to bring the energy
needed to enlighten the world.
The Industrial and
Scientific Revolution
Consider the world of the early 17th century. The
most common drinks were beer and wine. Water was often tainted and not good to
drink. Often beer would be drunk at breakfast, then at work, and at home. Now
consider what would happen if you replace the intoxicated workforce with a
workforce that drinks coffee. The productivity would skyrocket. I am convinced
that the industrial revolution would not have happened if the workers did not
go from being half drunk to hyped on coffee.
Furthermore, the use of coffee and coffeehouses were
instrumental in the scientific revolution. The discussions of the day were
changed from taverns to coffeehouses consider the implications by the change of
beverage and venue.
Political Revolutions
Fueled by Coffee
London in 1650’s and 1660’s was perfect for coffee. Puritans
loved it as an alternative to taverns. It was a place of discussion, political
debate, and reading.
Charles the 2nd in 1660 came to power as his
support was gained in coffeehouses. The
London Stock exchange was founded in a London coffeehouse. John Locke taught
his political ideology in a London coffeehouse. The concept of the ballot box
was founded in a London coffeehouse. Voltaire
drank dozens of coffees a day in a Paris coffeehouse that was also frequented
by Benjamin Franklin. Handwritten newspapers were circulated in coffeehouses in
Paris. The French Revolution began in a coffeehouse in Paris café.
Honestly, the world was changed for good by coffee. Don’t
you agree.
Health Benefits of
Coffee
There are many health benefits now known for coffee. Let me
give you a few:
1)
Coffee and Energy and Mental Performance
Coffee can help people feel less tired and increase energy
levels (1, 2).
This is because it contains a stimulant called caffeine,
which is actually the most commonly consumed psychoactive substance in the
world (3). After you drink coffee, the caffeine is
absorbed into the bloodstream. From there, it travels into the brain (4).
In the brain, caffeine blocks an inhibitory
neurotransmitter called Adenosine.
When that happens, the amount of other neurotransmitters
like norepinephrine and dopamine actually increases, leading to enhanced firing
of neurons (5, 6).
Many controlled trials in humans show that coffee improves
various aspects of brain function. This includes memory, mood, vigilance,
energy levels, reaction times and general cognitive function (7, 8, 9).
Not only that, but it helps with migraines as well (as I
suffer with from time to time).
2)
Coffee and Burning Fat and Physical
Performance
Did you know that caffeine is found in almost every
commercial fat burning supplement? There’s a good reason for that… caffeine is
one of the very few natural substances that have actually been
proven to aid fat burning.
Other studies show that caffeine can specifically increase
the burning of fat, by as much as 10% in obese individuals and 29%
in lean people (12).
Caffeine stimulates the nervous system, causing it to send
signals to the fat cells to break down body fat (13, 14). But caffeine also increases Epinephrine
(Adrenaline) levels in the blood (15, 16). This is the “fight or flight” hormone,
designed to make our bodies ready for intense physical exertion.
Caffeine makes the fat cells break down body fat,
releasing them into the blood as free fatty acids and making them available as
fuel (17, 18). Given these effects, it is not surprising
to see that caffeine can improve physical performance by 11-12%, on average (29, 20).
Because of this, it makes sense to have a strong cup of coffee about a half an
hour before you head to the gym.
A single cup of
coffee contains (21):
·
Riboflavin (Vitamin B2): 11% of the RDA.
·
Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5): 6% of the RDA.
·
Manganese and Potassium: 3% of the RDA.
·
Magnesium and Niacin (B3): 2% of the RDA.
Although this may
not seem like a big deal, most people are drinking more than one cup per day.
If you drink 3-4, then these amounts quickly add up.
For people who
eat a standard Western diet, coffee may actually be the healthiest aspect of
the diet.
That’s because
coffee contains a massive amount of antioxidants.
In fact, studies
show that most people get more antioxidants from coffee than both fruits and
vegetables… combined (57, 58, 59).
Coffee is one of
the healthiest beverages on the planet. Period.
3)
Coffee and Mood
In a Harvard study published in 2011, women
who drank 4 or more cups per day had a 20% lower risk of becoming depressed (40).
Another study with 208,424 individuals found that those
who drank 4 or more cups per day were 53% less likely to commit suicide (41).
4)
Coffee and
Type 2 Diabetes.
Researchers at UCLA identified that drinking coffee
increases plasma levels of the protein (SHBG). SHBG controls the biological
activity of the body's hormones (testosterone and estrogen) which play a role
in the development of type 2 diabetes.
The studies show
that people who drink the most coffee have a 23-50% lower risk of
getting this disease, one study showing a reduction as high as 67% (22, 23, 24, 25, 26).
According to a
massive review that looked at data from 18 studies with a total of 457,922
individuals, each daily cup of coffee was associated with a 7% reduced risk of
developing type 2 diabetes (27).
5)
Coffee and Parkinson's disease
Researchers in the U.S. carried out a study that assessed
the link between coffee consumption and Parkinson's disease risk. The authors
of the study concluded that "higher coffee and caffeine intake is
associated with a significantly lower incidence of Parkinson's disease"
(see http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/248568.php)
In addition, caffeine in coffee may help control movement in
people suffering from Parkinson's, according to a study conducted at the
Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI MUHC) that was
published in the journal Neurology.6 (see: "Association of Coffee and Caffeine Intake With the Risk of
Parkinson Disease " G. Webster Ross, MD; Robert D.
Abbott, PhD; Helen Petrovitch, MD; David M. Morens, MD; Andrew Grandinetti,
PhD; Ko-Hui Tung, MS; Caroline M. Tanner, MD, PhD; Kamal H. Masaki, MD;
Patricia L. Blanchette, MD, MPH; J. David Curb, MD, MPH; Jordan S. Popper, MD;
Lon R. White, MD, MPH. JAMA. doi:10.1001/jama.283.20.2674.
2000;283(20):2674-2679. Accessed 15 December 2013.) and ("Caffeine for treatment of Parkinson disease" Ronald
B. Postuma, MD, MSc, Anthony E. Lang, MD, Renato P. Munhoz, MD, Katia Charland,
PhD, Amelie Pelletier, PhD, Mariana Moscovich, MD, Luciane Filla, MD, Debora
Zanatta, RPh, Silvia Rios Romenets, MD, Robert Altman, MD, Rosa Chuang, MD and
Binit Shah, MD. doi:10.1212/WNL.0b013e318263570d August 1, 2012. Abstract. Accessed 15 December 2013.)
In studies,
coffee drinkers have a much lower risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, with
a reduction in risk ranging from 32-60% (31, 32, 33, 34).
In this case, it
appears to be the caffeine itself that is causing the effect. People who drink
decaf don’t have a lower risk of Parkinson’s (35, 36).
6) Coffee and liver disease and cancer
Liver cancer is
the third leading cause of cancer death in the world, while colorectal cancer
ranks fourth (42).
Studies show that
coffee drinkers have up to a 40% lower risk of liver cancer (43, 44).
One study of
489,706 individuals found that those who drank 4-5 cups of coffee per day had a
15% lower risk of colorectal cancer (45).
Italian
researchers found that coffee consumption lowers the risk of liver cancer by
about 40%. In addition, some of the results suggest that if you drink three
cups a day, the risks are reduced by more than 50%. (see "Coffee Reduces Risk for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: An Updated
Meta-analysis" Francesca Bravi, Cristina
Bosetti, Alessandra Tavani, Silvano Gallus, Carlo La Vecchia. Volume 11, Issue
11 , Pages 1413-1421.e1, November 2013. Abstract. Accessed 15 December 2013.)
The lead author of the study, Dr. Carlo La Vecchia, from
Milan's Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, said "our
research confirms past claims that coffee is good for your health and
particularly the liver."
In addition, coffee consumption can lower the incidence of
cirrhosis of the liver for alcohol drinkers by 22%, according to a study at the
Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program, California, USA.
The authors of
the study concluded that the results "support the hypothesis that there is
an ingredient in coffee that protects against cirrhosis, especially alcoholic
cirrhosis." (see Coffee, cirrhosis, and
transaminase enzymes." Klatsky AL,
Morton C, Udaltsova N, Friedman GD. Arch Intern Med. 2006
Jun 12;166(11):1190-5. Abstract.Accessed
15 December 2013.)
Research published in the journal Hepatology in April 2014,
suggested that drinking coffee is linked to a decreased liver cirrhosis death
risk. The researchers suggested that drinking two or more cups of coffee every
day can reduce the risk of death from liver cirrhosis by 66%.
A study published in the journal Hepatology indicates that
drinking decaf coffee also lowers liver enzyme levels, suggesting the benefits
are not linked to caffeine content.
People who drink
4 or more cups per day have up to an 80% lower risk according to
these studies (37, 38, 39).
7) Coffee and heart health
Researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) and Harvard
School of Public Health, concluded that drinking coffee in moderation protects
against heart failure. They defined 'in moderation' as 2 European cups
(equivalent to two 8-ounce American servings) per day. (see "Habitual Coffee Consumption and Risk of Heart Failure: A
Dose-Response Meta-Analysis" Elizabeth
Mostofsky, Megan S. Rice, Emily B. Levitan, and Murray A. Mittleman. Circ Heart Fail. DOI:10.1161/CIRCHEARTFAILURE.112.967299.
published online before print 26 June 2012. Abstract. Accessed 15 December 2013.)
People who drank four European cups on a daily basis had an
11% lower risk of heart failure, compared to those who did not.
Some studies also
show that coffee drinkers have a 20% lower risk of stroke (53, 54).
In short, Coffee is a gift from God. Don't you agree?
