Effects of coffee on health

Look up in the sky, it’s a bird, it’s a plane, no wait… it’s coffee here to save the day?

As someone who enjoys coffee with her oxygen, I felt the need to put rumors to rest about all those caffeine-fueled myths. Can it really stunt your growth? Will it help you live longer? Could it help your memory? It's time to find out.

Does it stunt your growth?

No, it can’t stunt your growth; that’s an old wives tale mothers use to scare their children. There is no research that links coffee with bone development, but there are studies that indicate high doses of caffeine (more than two cups a day) can cause dizziness and may really mess up your sleep cycle. But, if you're one to disobey the scientists and max out on caffeine consumption, just beware: coffee may cure fatigue in the morning, but it's going to be no match for those dark circles under your eyes if you can't fall asleep at night, so lay off the stuff before bed.

Can it extend your life?

Next myth to bust is the notion that drinking coffee, in moderation, could help you live longer. Well actually, that’s kind of true. CBS News reported that, depending on your gender, drinking coffee could lower your chances of skin cancer 10 to 20 percent. They also say that two cups of coffee a day could lower the chance of heart failure.

Will it boost brain power?

Okay, so coffee could help fight cancer and save your heart, but what about your memory?

Hold on to your seats because coffee does it again. There actually have been links between coffee and decreasing the probability of Alzheimer’s. The Journal of Neuroinflammation released a publication that read, “…just one cup of coffee a day could protect the blood-brain barrier."  After a 12 week study on rabbits they found that after the equivalent of a daily morning Cup o’ Joe, the blood-brain barrier was “significantly more intact”… meaning it helped decrease aging memory. Hallelujah! Maybe coffee with help with the occasional geezer moments we all have from time to time. I know my mom, and boss, will be grateful!

Please note that this research does not include the yummy (and, well, fattening) additives we put into our Moca Grande Latte Espresso Frappuccino. So don’t expect to pour in the milk and sugar and find these same results

Now, what have we learned? Two cups a day of this slightly addictive drink might actually keep the doctor away, but research has been known to change. One thing about coffee to remember, just like everything else you put it your body, it’s all about moderation.

Wait.

Before you go charging off to Starbucks, remember that it still stains your teeth despite how good it may be for your brain, heart and body… so drink through a straw to make your dentist proud.

What about weight loss? The green coffee bean might have the answer

According to Beth Israel Medical Center in Boston, “an extract made from green coffee beans is undergoing increasing investigation as a possible health-promoting supplement.” Basically, they’ve been doing tests with green coffee bean extracts, or what they call GCBE, and the effects of their high dosage of anti-oxidants. After some tests they found that it can help maintain optimal levels of blood sugar and lower cholesterol.

Also, An elaborate study, from scientist Joe Vinson found that without altering diet or exercise, “overweight or obese people who consumed a fraction of an ounce of ground green coffee beans each day lost about 10 percent of their body weight.”

Studies are still being done so before you run out to buy GCBE, wait to ask your doctor what’s right for you.

Header image credit: amanda28192, http://www.flickr.com/photos/amanda28192/6216031916/sizes/z/