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HowToPreventHeartDisease.com |
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Can
Antioxidants in Coffee Really Help Prevent Heart Disease? Antioxidants include nutrients like beta carotene, vitamins A and C. They have the capability to fight against free radicals that are produced as part of human body’s natural metabolism. Free radicals, as explained by scientists, are substances that can accelerate the process of ageing, heart disease and certain types of cancer. When talking about the health effect of coffee on human body, mixed opinions have been found among the experts. Those favoring the consumption of coffee believe coffee may not only help people stay up an extra hour or 2, but also have the antioxidants that are good for the health. Chlorogenic acid is believed to be the main type of antioxidant found in coffee. A study by researchers from the University of Scranton, Pennsylvania in 2005 reported that coffee was the main source of antioxidants in the diet of an average American, and also found that both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee provided similar levels of antioxidants. Meanwhile, another research by the department of public health in the University of Parma, Italy also revealed that espresso had the highest amount of antioxidants among a list of beverages including whisky, tea and rum. According to the researchers, the antioxidant capacity of coffee is almost 3 times that of red wine, and close to 10 times that of orange juice.
Nevertheless, not all experts would agree on the arguments that came from studies that favor consuming coffee as a way to keep healthy. In fact, some nutritionists think that fruit and vegetables are a better source of antioxidants because they contain vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals that coffee does not have. Most people would prefer to drink coffee with the addition of milk and sugar, but many of them are not aware that a combination of sugar and coffee would actually cause mood swings and anxiety. Moreover, other compounds found in coffee like diterpenes are actually bad for the blood pressure, cholesterol, heart and bone health. Even if we ignore the negative aspects of coffee, the question on the amount of coffee we should be drinking to gain significantly from its antioxidants seem remain un-answer thus far. The usual guideline is 2 cups a day. However, some experts fear that people will need more coffee as time goes by. More likely than not, people may increase their consumption to 4 cups just to get the same level of stimulating effect after a few years. As such, some health professionals suggest fruits like dates, cranberries and red grapes as an alternative on the basis of concentration. Others recommend seaweed and algae that contain good amounts of different antioxidants. For people preferring something hot, green tea should also be a good choice. Yet some experts do feel that high antioxidant levels in food and beverages do not necessarily translate into similarly high levels in the body when consumed. In fact, the amount of benefit the body can receive depends greatly on how they are absorbed and utilized. Unfortunately, such process is still not readily and clearly understood. Therefore, rather than drinking 10 cups of cappuccino a day just to capitalize on the antioxidants, people are urged to exercise and have good eating habits in order to keep healthy.
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