CHOLESTEROL DIET SECRETS |
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According to the American Heart Association, a very large study was conducted on almost 120,000 people in the U.S. who were followed for between 14 and 20 years. The people carefully answered questions about how much coffee they drink and whether or not they'd had any presentation of heart disease. And the answer was dramatically clear: People who drank as much as six cups of coffee a day, versus people who drank less than one cup a month, showed no difference in the incidence of heart disease. Coffee lovers can drink up without fear of increasing their risk of heart disease. Note that this study is based on people drinking drip or filtered coffee, which is basically how American prepare this beverage.
Interestingly, there is some evidence linking drinking unfiltered or boiled coffee to increase in blood cholesterol levels based on another study. Such coffee, typically known as the French-pressed coffee or the boiled coffee, doesn't have a paper filter in between what you drink and what's coming out of the bean, and there's potentially a difference in certain chemicals between the two.
Meanwhile, other studies have discovered that coffee could possibly prevent some cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. Coffee has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant that helps reduce the risk of cancer. It also has a tendency to speed the passage of waste through the digestive tract. This could possible reduce the risk of colon cancer.
So is coffee good or bad? Well, in all case, we should always exercise moderation in whatever we eat and drink. Choose filtered coffee over boiled, and decaf over regular, where possible. Some people, however, should simply stay away from coffee in any event. They include people who are agitated after they drink it, who have difficulty sleeping, have stomach or abdominal pain or discomfort, or feel the urge to smoke.
It’s exciting that something as simple as drinking coffee might help lower our risk of cancer, diabetes and heart disease. However, while brewed coffee (not instant) is a concentrated source of antioxidants, it can’t be a substitute for berries, legumes, nuts, and other fruits and vegetables that provide antioxidants along with a wide range of vitamins, protective compounds and dietary fiber.
To your health,
Nancy
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