We have known for years that coffee is good for your health. But how great are the benefits? It turns out that researchers have real numbers for us and those numbers tell give us a clear indication of the health benefits of coffee in regard specific diseases and health conditions. Specifically, how much does coffee help your health in terms of percentage reduction of specific health conditions and diseases?
Drinking Coffee and the Risk of Type II Diabetes
Diabetes is a disease in which a person’s blood sugar is elevated. This causes damage to blood vessels of the eyes, kidneys, nerves, heart and other organs over time. Type I diabetes is when a person does not produce enough insulin to control their blood sugar. Type II diabetes is when a person’s body becomes resistant to the effects of insulin. Type II is by far more common, occurs in adulthood, and is treated with pills instead of insulin shots. About a million and a half people die every year because of complications of diabetes. It is wonderful news that drinking three to four cups of coffee a day cuts the risk of getting Type II diabetes by 25%! Drinking coffee has been associated with pre-diabetic individuals returning to a state of normal blood sugars which fits the association of more coffee and less diabetes!
Drinking Coffee and the Risk of Heart Disease
We have also known for some time that coffee consumption is helpful in reducing heart disease risk. It turns out that the benefit is a ten to fifteen percent reduction in the risk of cardiovascular disease from drinking coffee. There is apparently a “U-shaped” benefit curve with the maximum benefit from reduction of risk of dying from heart disease at three cups a day. That risk benefit is a twenty-one percent less chance of death by heart disease. This risk reduction includes heart attacks and heart failure but not arrhythmias.
Drinking Coffee and Liver Disease
Research has indicated that drinking coffee can reduce one’s risk of hepatocellular cancer (liver cancer) as well as cirrhosis. Retrospective studies have shown that drinking two cups of coffee a day or more protects against virtually all forms of liver disease. These conditions include advanced cirrhosis, liver cancer and cirrhosis. This protective effect applies no matter what the cause of the liver disease. The benefits of drinking coffee increase as one consumes more, up to the four to six cups a day range.
The percentage reductions in liver diseases were significant across the board. The reduction in hepatocellular cancer risk ranges from thirty to eighty percent depending on the amount of coffee consumed per day up to six cups a day at which the benefit appears to level off.
Drinking Coffee and Risk of Parkinson’s Disease
Research has shown a reduction in the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease in coffee drinkers as well as those who drink other beverages containing caffeine. Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative neurological disease seen in older individuals. The risk of Parkinson’s was reduced by forty-two percent between men who drink the most coffee and those who drank no beverage with caffeine. In women the maximum benefit occurred at about three cups a day and fell off with both greater and lesser consumption. No one yet understands the male to female difference in this case. Nevertheless, there is a distinct and measurable benefit for caffeine consumption including drinking coffee in the prevention of Parkinson’s disease.