When Coffee Helps You Stay Healthy
Thanks to its antioxidants, coffee is said to be able to decrease the likelihood of many diseases, like liver and colorectal cancer, type 2 diabetes, dementia and skin cancer, the study said.
Regular coffee consumption improves insulin sensitivity and liver function as well as reduces the risk of other health problems.
"Coffee is loaded with antioxidants," Joe DeRupo, a representative for the National Coffee Association, told CNN. "Many are naturally occurring antioxidants found in the coffee bean, while others are created during the roasting process. It's these compounds that science links with positive effects in reducing the risk of several diseases."
Previous studies also came to the conclusion that the drink is good for health and longevity.
"We found that higher coffee consumption was associated with a lower risk of death from any cause, and specifically for circulatory diseases, and digestive diseases," Dr. Marc Gunter, from the International Agency for Research on Cancer, said in an interview with Sputnik earlier.
In particular, the researchers claimed that men who consume over three cups of coffee a day were 18 percent less likely to die than the rest of the population.
The benefits for women were slightly less — an 8 percent reduction in mortality.
When You Should Be Cautious
Despite its obviously positive impact on human health, some people should be cautious when consuming coffee, the researchers argue.
This, first of all, concerns pregnant women and people with various heart conditions.
"Caffeine is an aggravator and accelerator of one's heart rate," medical expert Dr. Vince Bufalino told CNN. "Those with atrial fibrillation (commonly known as irregular heartbeat) or hypertension should limit their caffeine intake. One to two cups daily is probably fine, but if you are sensitive, you should restrict all caffeine."
"The ability to process caffeine in a child's body is much less [effective] than in adults," nutrition researcher professor Jürgen Vormann told Sputnik earlier.