Folgers makes it. Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts do too. What am I talking about? Coffee of course! There is nothing better than waking up to a freshly brewed cup of coffee. Coffee wakes you up due to the healthy amount of caffeine found in coffee. However, today there are new ways coffee is being used, and it could just help you fight off the aging process.
Coffee has always been a way to rev our engines in the morning or late afternoon. Did you know there are 150 billion coffee drinkers in the US, and they drink an average of 3.1 cups of coffee per day? Also, did you know coffee shops exceed 12 billion in yearly sales? Pretty impressive numbers, for a product which comes from a simple seed!
Those numbers are impressive, but what is even more impressive is the effect coffee has on the body. Coffee has been shown to prevent strokes, heart disease, type 2 Diabetes, and helps to prevent the onset of Parkinson’s disease. The reason: coffee is full of phenolic nutrients which are antioxidants that help fight off oxidative stress and damage to cells in the body.
So what are phenolic nutrients?
Phenolic nutrients are antioxidants found in certain foods which can help reverse damage created by free radicals in the body. Oxidative stress and damage is a common reaction in the body due to metabolic processes. This can lead to inflammation, degenerative(s) disease, and can lead to heart disease. Oh yeah and one more: aging.
We want to clean up and rid our bodies of free radicals from oxidative stress. But how?
Coffee to the rescue.
Coffee has high levels of phenolic acid. One cup of coffee has 350 milligrams of phenolic nutrients, and 12% of the coffee bean itself is full of chlorogenic acids! Out of all foods tested, adults get more antioxidants from coffee than from other phenolic-rich foods. But what if you do not like coffee?
No problem! We have the answer for you!
Coffee comes from a berry, and this berry is undergoing research to determine its effectiveness in the body. One study has found that 1g of coffeeberry has the same ratio of phenolic nutrients as one cup of coffee. Do not like the caffeine rush from coffee? Coffeeberry only has 1.5% of the daily caffeine intake recommended. Much lower than a cup of coffee!
Not only do you get the same benefit from a single coffeeberry as a full cup of coffee, you get less caffeine, which will put you at ease. Not only can caffeine clear your mind and wake you up in the morning, it can also lead to increased blood pressure and heart rate.
Caffeine is a stimulant in the body. Drinking coffee stimulates our fight or flight system to release a hormone called adrenaline. Extra levels of adrenaline lead to the brain closing blood vessels. This raises the amount of dopamine in the body, which helps us stay alert and ready to go. Having too much caffeine can be a drain, since it causes us to stay awake.
One more thing: coffee can help prevent Diabetes!
I know, crazy to think that drinking coffee decreases your risk for developing Diabetes, especially type 2 Diabetes. The reason: minerals found in coffee help to regulate insulin.
Coffee has two minerals shown to help regulate insulin levels and help shuttle blood sugar into the cells. In type 2 Diabetes, the body becomes resistant to insulin, limiting the amount of sugar from the bloodstream we can use as energy. Magnesium and chromium found in coffee can help insulin do its job: shuttle sugar into the working cells!
Caffeine found in coffee can be a useful tool in the fight against Diabetes. Research done by Wedick et al. has found caffeine to be effective in fighting the development of Diabetes. Through research, they determined caffeine to have an effect on a hormone found in fat cells. Adiponectin decreases, helping the body to regulate insulin more effectively.
Guess what? You do not have to drink just regular coffee! You can get the same benefits from drinking de-caffeinated coffee.
WOW, who could imagine coffee can have such tremendous effects on the body! How can coffee help slow the aging process?
When the body is exposed to high levels of oxidative stress, this speeds up the aging process. Oxidative stress can lead to damage of our DNA, protein, and lipids in the body. Once again, here comes coffee to the rescue!
Coffee and coffeeberries have higher levels of phenolic nutrients, which can help reduce the effects oxidative stress has on the body. By reducing the high concentration of free radicals, you are saving the cells of the body from aging. This slows the aging process considerably.
Coffee is amazing! Coffee contains high levels of phenolic nutrients, which are another class of antioxidants that the body uses to slow the aging process. These antioxidants also help reduce the chance of heart attacks, stroke, and your chance of developing type 2 Diabetes. The Coffeeberry is a little powerhouse of nutrition, carrying the same level of phenolic acid in a small amount, compared to levels you would find in one cup of coffee! Amazing little fruit!
Next time you reach for your next cup of coffee, know you are making a wise decision for the health of your body.
By Kevin DiDonato MS, CSCS, CES
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