Is Coffee Good for You?

Our church family drinks a lot of coffee. But is coffee good for you? Well, God likes it. It says so right in the Bible: “He Brews.”

Lame joke, I know. But it gave me a chuckle.

National Coffee Day 2022

This year it falls on September 29 in the United States and Canada. International Coffee Day is on October 1. What is National Coffee Day?

According to NationalToday.com:

The history of National Coffee Day seems a bit, well, cloudy. We believe September 29 came about as a jolting reminder to get back to work following a long summer — even though it’s a full week after the first day of fall. After all, Americans have turned procrastination into an art form.

On the other hand, the history of the brew itself clearly goes back to 15th century Yemen.

They go on to say that the Boston Tea Party in the US in 1773, the high taxes on tea moved people to start drinking coffee. Nice!

But is coffee good for you?

A Cuppa Joe in the Morning Does Have Some Good Health Benefits

Yes, it does! Although too much of a good thing can have adverse effects, there are studies proving that this brew has some positive health benefits. Let’s look at some of them:

1. Reduces Risk of Type 2 Diabetes
Harvard School of Public Health and Brigham and Women’s Hospital conducted a study of coffee and found it lowers your risk of type 2 diabetes.

2. May Lower Risk of Colon Cancer

A study from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute reported this week that regularly consuming four or more cups of caffeinated coffee could help prevent colon cancer recurrence and also reduce the likelihood dying from the cancer. Charles Fuchs, professor of medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Dana Farber Cancer Institute, is the lead researcher of the study.

3. This Brain Juice Can Make You Happy
And who doesn’t want to be happy? Christians thrive on happiness!

Dr. Alan Leviton of Harvard University conducted the review and commented: “Evidence shows that coffee drinkers are significantly less likely to be depressed than people who do not drink coffee.

4. Your “Morning Jolt” and Your Brain

Lifelong coffee/caffeine consumption has been associated with prevention of cognitive decline, and reduced risk of developing stroke, Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease. Its consumption does not seem to influence seizure occurrence.

Interesting. Maybe I should start drinking more and I’ll have less brain fog!

5. Protection Against Some Diseases
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine:

Caffeine is the first thing that comes to mind when you think about coffee. But coffee also contains antioxidants and other active substances that may reduce internal inflammation and protect against disease, say nutrition experts from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

But What About Decaf? Does “Unleaded” Have Its Benefits?

Unfortunately, I have to drink decaf coffee, tea, soda; I develop fibroid cysts from too much caffeine. At one point, while I was in college, I was drinking up to 20 cups of caffeinated coffee per day. That is a lot!

A couple of months after my mother passed away from cancer, my gynecologist found a lump and I lost it. I just cried and cried. My doctor told me I was okay, it was only a fibroid cyst, but to stay away from the leaded stuff.

That was 30-some years ago and I rarely drink anything with caffeine in it at all. I may have one or two cups of the “jitter juice” if decaf isn’t available. But for the most part, I am 98% caffeine free to avoid the recurrence of that issue.

Decaf Coffee Is Not 100% Decaffeinated

But it is still good for you! That’s a plus, since I have to drink it. According to Healthline.com, decaf also contains almost the same amount of antioxidants as regular coffee. Removing the caffeine reduces the antioxidants by about 15% from regular coffee.

You can read more about their research in their article “Decaf Coffee: Good or Bad?”

So the Bottom Line: Is Coffee Good for You?

Yes, when consumed in moderation. I wouldn’t go overboard and drink mass quantities of it, but three or four cups a day actually is good for your health and well-being, as God intended it!

How much coffee do you drink a day, if any?

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