The Health Benefits of Your Morning Brew

If you watched the first segment of the Mornin' Grind, you saw that, according to the Archives of Internal Medicine, people who drink 3-4 cups of coffee each day are 25% less likely to develop Type 2 diabetes. And according to the American Association for Cancer Research, men who drink at least 6 cups of coffee a day have a much lower risk of developing advanced prostate cancer.

So, what other health benefits go along with your morning cup of joe?

According to Tomas DePaulis, PhD, a research scientist at Vanderbilt University's Institute for Coffee Studies, "Overall, the research shows that coffee is far more healthful than it is harmful".

And per WebMD.com:

• At least six studies indicate that people who regularly drink coffee are up to 80% less likely to develop Parkinson's, with three showing the more they drink, the lower the risk.
• Research also shows that compared to not drinking coffee, at least two cups daily can translate to a 25% reduced risk of colon cancer, an 80% drop in liver cirrhosis risk, and nearly half the risk of gallstones.
• Coffee may even offset some of the potential damage caused by other vices, according to some research. "People who smoke and are heavy drinkers have less heart disease and liver damage when they regularly consume large amounts of coffee compared to those who don't," says DePaulis.
• There's EVEN some evidence that coffee may help manage asthma and control attacks when medication is unavailable, stop a headache, boost mood, and even prevent cavities.
  

We'll look into each of these in more detail as we continue to post to this blog. But for now, it's good to know that our favorite way to start the day might not get us in too much trouble when we have to visit the doctor!

Mallie Dein