Coffee, consumed daily by millions worldwide, often carries worrying health warnings. It’s well known that coffee contains caffeine and that drinking too much can make us jittery, anxious and less likely to sleep. At the same time, withdrawing from it altogether can leave us suffering from headaches.

However, drinking coffee in moderation can offer protection against a whole host of diseases. And with so much of what we enjoy eating or drinking being deemed bad for us, it makes a welcome change to learn that a beverage as popular as coffee, can actually do us some good.



The caffeine in our daily cappuccino or latte actually provides many of the health benefits associated with coffee. However, it’s not only the caffeine that makes coffee so beneficial. Researchers discovered that the coffee beans themselves are loaded with antioxidants which help protect us against the damaging free radicals in our body.

With around 54% of the adult population in the US drinking coffee every day, this is possibly a major source of antioxidants in their diet.

Diabetes

Drinking coffee may be beneficial in reducing the risk of developing type II diabetes. During lab tests, scientists found that certain antioxidants found in coffee had improved the sensitivity of rats to insulin. These same benefits were also found in decaffeinated coffee, although in lower quantities.

Furthermore, studies undertaken by the Harvard School of Public Health involving over 125,000 healthy participants found that those drinking four to six cups of coffee daily had reduced their risk of developing diabetes by as much as 54% for men and 30% for women when compared with non coffee drinkers.

Parkinson’s Disease 

There have been several studies into the effects of coffee drinkers and their associated risk of developing Parkinson’s Disease. Many of them show that incidence of developing Parkinson’s dropped among men when compared with non coffee drinkers. It was estimated that those who didn’t drink coffee were two to three times more likely to develop Parkinson’s Disease than coffee drinkers consuming four to twenty four ounces a day.

Stroke and Heart Disease 

Among healthy people, it seems that drinking coffee can reduce the risk of a stroke by nearly 20%. A study involving over 83,000 women during a 24-year period found those who drank four or more cups of coffee a day were 20% less likely to suffer a stroke.

Another study at the Autonomous University of Madrid tracked 129,000 men and women and found that those drinking four to five cups of coffee daily were 34% less likely to die of heart disease It is believed that these benefits are most likely due to the antioxidants found in coffee rather than the caffeine as other caffeinated drinks didn’t show the same benefits. The reason these antioxidants are so helpful is that they can help lower inflammation as well as improve blood vessel functions.

Skin Cancer 

We may not associate coffee with protecting us against the sun, but scientists have discovered that caffeine seems to protect the skin against ultraviolet rays from the sun, thereby reducing the risk of cells becoming cancerous. Tests on animals showed the effects of caffeine encouraged damaged skin cells to self destruct. Previous studies have also suggested that coffee drinking can reduce the risk of skin cancer by around a third. With this information, it’s possible we’ll one day be smothering ourselves in sun screen made from coffee.

If you’re affected by side effects from caffeine, it’s good to know that by switching to decaffeinated, you can still enjoy many of the benefits from the antioxidants found in coffee. So carry on drinking your lattes and cappuccinos, for here is one popular beverage we can enjoy, happy in the knowledge it’s actually doing us some good. Just don’t overdo it!