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News: Coffee Counts
Lifestyle
30 January 2007
Did you know that coffee is the most popular drink in the world with two billion cups drunk every day?
Did you know that coffee grows in more than 50 countries
worldwide?
Did you know that coffee is the second largest export in the world
after oil?
One of the first things we are often advised to cut out of our
diets when detoxing is coffee.
But is it necessary to discount coffee from our diet and could it
actually benefit our health and fitness?
The health and fitness benefits of coffee are revealed below and may surprise you...
Coffee and fluid intake
If you're feeling
parched on the running machine, your hydration level has already
dipped - if it drops by as little as 1-2% it can have an impact on
your performance. Drinks containing caffeine will not result in
dehydration if drunk in moderation. Coffee, along with other
popular hot and cold drinks, is recognised as an important source
of fluid in the diet when consumed in moderation. Contrary to
popular advice consumers DO NOT need to drink more water to
compensate for consuming caffeinated drinks. The British Dietetic
Association recommends '6-8 glasses of fluid a day; for example
water, milk, fruit juice, tea or coffee to keep the balance
right'.
Coffee and stamina
Drinking coffee before you go to the gym can increase your stamina
and help you work out for longer. Drinking coffee can make you feel
more alert and increase concentration as well - this can help when
you feel tired or lethargic before those early morning gym sessions
or when heading to the gym after a hard day's work.
Coffee and antioxidants
Antioxidants may be of great benefit in improving quality of life
by preventing or postponing the onset of degenerative ageing
diseases. Protection against damaging free radicals can be enhanced
by intakes of dietary antioxidants and coffee has been shown to be
a significant source. That, along with the calcium benefits to your
teeth and bones from the milk in a skinny latte means that you can
carry on enjoying the drink that you love, and feel good about it
too!
Other coffee benefits
- Some research has suggested that drinking coffee on a regular basis may help protect against a range of diseases, including liver cancer, Type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease
- Drinking a cup of coffee with an ibuprofen tablet has been shown to increase the painkilling effect
- A cup of coffee has been shown to help relieve the symptoms of a cold
What is moderation?
Coffee is one of the
most heavily researched commodities in the world today and the
wealth of scientific evidence suggests that moderate coffee
consumption, of 4-5 cups per day, is perfectly safe for the general
population and may confer health benefits.
For more information, visit
www.britishcoffeeassociation.org
Recent artices in Lifestyle
- Drink Decaf To Lower Your Diabetes Risk! (23 January 2008)
- Most of us like a good cup of coffee now and then, whether it’s an espresso in the morning to wake us up or a latte in the afternoon when catching up with friends, but research has suggested that decaffeinated coffee is associated with a lower risk of developing diabetes. So should we all be switching to decaf?
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