I love when I find more excuses to pound coffee during the day.....
From Natural News:
(NaturalNews) Recent research suggests that drinking caffeinated coffee daily may protect against developing Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, prostate cancer, depression and more, according to reports from Science Daily. Animal studies at the University of Florida discovered an ingredient in coffee that interacts with caffeine and increases blood levels of granulocyte colony stimulating factor (GCSF), a growth factor that that prevents the production of beta amyloid plaques, which are thought to be the causative factor in Alzheimer's disease.
It appears that four to five cups of caffeinated coffee daily are necessary to produce the increase in GCSF and protect against Alzheimer's. This amount may seem high for the average American coffee drinker, who consumes approximately 1.5 to 2 cups daily. Researchers suggest that using coffee to protect against Alzheimer's should start in early middle-age, between 30-50 years old; however, older people are also likely to benefit from consuming caffeinated coffee daily.
Additional benefits
Coffee is rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents, which provide the body with additional ingredients to increase cognitive function to protect the brain; as well as protect against other diseases of aging, such as Type II diabetes, depression, stroke, and Parkinson's. Studies also suggest coffee may help fight against breast, skin and prostate cancer.
Reports in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry discusses the effects of caffeine in coffee regarding the prevention of Type II diabetes. Animal studies were performed on mice, which showed that caffeinated coffee helped control blood sugar levels and insulin sensitivity, lowering the risk of developing the disease. Coffee also triggered other beneficial changes in their bodies, further reducing the risk of diabetes. Researchers believe that it is the caffeine in coffee that acts as an anti-diabetic compound.
Drinking two to three cups of caffeinated coffee daily may also lower the risk of depression in women by 15%, according to research published in the Archives of Internal Medicine -- and those who consume four or more cups daily have shown an even greater reduction in their risk of developing depression. Caffeine affects brain chemicals and is known to release mood-altering transmitters.
Additional studies at the Harvard School of Public Health indicated that men who drink six cups of coffee daily have a 20 to 60 percent decreased risk of developing several forms of prostate cancer. The study was published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, and indicated that even small quantities of coffee consumption can lower the risk of prostate cancer.
The fact that coffee reduces depression is probably no surprise to anyone who has been drinking the black gold. The only downside to coffee is becoming dependent and building up a caffeine tolerance.
From myaddiction.com
With a week of steady use, the body actually changes its makeup and the receptors that caffeine interacts with change in number and function so that the initial effects of small caffeine doses are no longer felt. The rush and nervous energy seen with the first few uses of the drug goes away after tolerance occurs.
The other side of the equation is that these same body changes have to happen in reverse when caffeine is removed from the diet. A good rule of thumb is that it takes as long to get rid of withdrawal symptoms as it does to heal a bruise. Just as a bruise takes time to heal and repair tissue, resetting tolerance level also requires actual changes in cells.
Try to take a day or two off from caffeine during the weekends, then when you have a cup on Monday morning you might experience an extra boost.
Sources:
http://www.myaddiction.com/education/articles/caffeine_withdrawal.html
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