Is coffee beans healthy? Check out what the research results say!
Is Whole Bean Coffee Healthy? Check Out What the Research Says!
Coffee is one of the most popular beverages in the world. Statistically, we drink up to 2.25 billion cups of coffee a day! But lovers of this energetic brew are increasingly wondering about its impact on our health. So - is whole bean coffee healthy? Scientists rush to provide answers!
1. Healthier Liver and Better Immune System
Marc Gunter from the International Agency for Research on Cancer conducted an extensive study involving up to 521 thousand people from ten European countries. It turned out that people who drank coffee had a lower risk of fatal diseases. And why? Because the immune systems of these individuals worked better, and their livers were healthier. What's more! It turns out that it didn't matter whether the participants used to drink caffeinated or decaffeinated coffee, whole bean or ground coffee, and how they prepared the brew. Participants who consumed at least three cups of coffee a day were protected against cardiovascular and digestive diseases.
2. Longer Life
Gunter's research was funded by the European Commission and was published in the scientific journal "Annals of Internal Medicine". It also revealed that three cups of coffee a day lead to a lower probability of death. In women, the probability is reduced by 7%, while in men, it's higher, reaching up to 18%! Commenting on the study, Professor Riboli stated, however, that it's difficult to recommend more or less coffee consumption because more extensive studies need to be conducted for this purpose. But well, these results convince us!
3. Healthier Heart
Further research by Frank Hu from Harvard, lasting over 30 years and involving 210 thousand people, proves that participants who drank coffee within the range of 3-5 cups a day significantly less often suffer from neurological, cardiovascular, or type 2 diabetes. The scientist concluded that the presence of anti-inflammatory properties in coffee is the reason for such results, which have a beneficial effect on the heart and serve as a kind of protection against diabetes!
4. Caffeinated Coffee Improves Memory Consolidation
Michael Yassa, a neurologist from California, conducted a slightly smaller study involving 160 people, examining their memory retention ability. Each person was presented with different images, after which the first group of participants took a caffeine tablet equivalent to two espresso cups, while the second group received a placebo. When, after 24 hours, both groups were shown more images and were asked to indicate which ones they had already seen, both groups performed equally well. However, when participants were asked to indicate differences between previously seen images and completely new ones, it turned out that the group receiving the caffeine tablet performed significantly better!
5. Protection Against Serious Illnesses
In the United States, every five years, a commission of independent experts works on current dietary recommendations. Recently, this commission conducted a meta-analysis of studies from around the world on coffee. The conclusions indicate that drinking from 3 to 5 cups of coffee a day or the equivalent of 500 ml of caffeine content is not harmful to health. What's more, it seems that coffee consumption reduces the likelihood of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, heart diseases, and in women, it reduces the chance of depression by 20%.
PS if you love excellent whole bean coffee - check out why it's best to choose specialty coffees!
