Coffee is number one source of antioxidants..

[IGBT]

Text


The news follows a growing number of reports touting the potential health benefits of drinking coffee. It also comes at an appropriate time: Coffee consumption is on the rise in the United States and over half of Americans drink it everyday, according to the National Coffee Association.

Antioxidants in general have been linked to a number of potential health benefits, including protection against heart disease and cancer. For the current study, Vinson and his associates analyzed the antioxidant content of more than 100 different food items, including vegetables, fruits, nuts, spices, oils and common beverages. The data was compared to an existing U.S. Department of Agriculture database on the contribution of each type of food item to the average estimated U.S. per capita consumption.

 

[Whaspe]

That's GREAT (as I quickly down the rest of my cup o' jo). I love it how he quickly has to say we shouldn't go over the deep end now with our coffee drinking and that we shouldn't ignore fruit and vegetables.

 

[TRUMPHENT]

Beer is number 7 in the rankings!
:beer:

 

[Stunt]

It says coffee is the "number one source of anti-oxidants in the US diet".
IIRC, the US diet is nothing stellar to begin with, I'd be more interested in knowing the best foods and beverages to consume for anti-oxidants.

ie. If i were to say that the number one source of vegetables in my diet is on my hamburgers, that doesn't mean it's the best way to get it, or that I'm eating right.

 

[Stunt]

But don't forget about fresh fruits and veggies, the researcher cautions. "Unfortunately, consumers are still not eating enough fruits and vegetables, which are better for you from an overall nutritional point of view due to their higher content of vitamins, minerals and fiber," Vinson says. Dates, cranberries and red grapes are among the top fruits for antioxidants on the basis of concentration (antioxidants per serving size), he says.

From the article...

Skip on the coffee, have a cranberry juice...helps prevent prostate cancer too!!

 

[wasserkool]

YAY! time to make my morning coffee!

 

[Bitek]

Tea is better for you tho

 

[sandorski]

Makes my breakfast of Coffee and cigarrettes seem not so foolish anymore!

Speaking of which, ran out of coffee beans yesterday, had to resort to Tea this morn. Must go shopping.

 

[Legend]

Green Tea is superior. Better for you and doesn't ruin your breath. It's just not in the American diet so much. Even people that drink tea tend to drink black tea. The process in which black tea is made destroys many of the anti-oxidants found in the tea leaf.

http://chinesefood.about.com/library/weekly/aa011400a.htm

The secret of green tea lies in the fact it is rich in catechin polyphenols, particularly epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG is a powerful anti-oxidant: besides inhibiting the growth of cancer cells, it kills cancer cells without harming healthy tissue. It has also been effective in lowering LDL cholesterol levels, and inhibiting the abnormal formation of blood clots. The latter takes on added importance when you consider that thrombosis (the formation of abnormal blood clots) is the leading cause of heart attacks and stroke.

Links are being made between the effects of drinking green tea and the "French Paradox." For years, researchers were puzzled by the fact that, despite consuming a diet rich in fat, the French have a lower incidence of heart disease than Americans. The answer was found to lie in red wine, which contains resveratrol, a polyphenol that limits the negative effects of smoking and a fatty diet. In a 1997 study, researchers from the University of Kansas determined that EGCG is twice as powerful as resveratrol, which may explain why the rate of heart disease among Japanese men is quite low, even though approximately seventy-five percent are smokers.

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=146

Health Benefits
Protects against Coronary Artery Disease
Inhibits Atherosclerosis
Special Benefits for Persons with High Triglycerides
Thins the Blood and Helps Prevent Blood Clots
Protects the Heart in Patients with Acute Cardiovascular Disease
Minimizes Damage and Speeds Recovery after a Heart Attack
Minimizes Damage to the Brain after a Stroke
Lowers Blood Pressure and Helps Prevent Hypertension
Helps Prevent the Development of Atherosclerosis and Cancer
Protects against Cancer
Prostate Cancer
Green tea polyphenols halt prostate cancer at multiple levels
Ovarian Cancer
Breast Cancer
Brain Tumors in Children
Colon Cancer
Lung Cancer
Bladder Cancer
Improves the Efficacy of Cancer Drugs While Lessening Their Negative Side-Effects
Improves Insulin Sensitivity in Type 2 Diabetes
Protects against Kidney Disease
Prevents Osteoporosis and Periodontal diseases
Protects the Liver from Alcohol and Other Harmful Chemicals
Promotes Fat Loss
Increases Exercise Endurance
Protects against Cognitive Decline, Alzheimer's Disease and Parkinson's Disease

 

[Legend]

I also liked how when they found cocoa was good for you, people went out and bought chocolate.

If you want the health benefits of cocoa, buy cocoa and eat a spoonful each day. May be too bitter for some people. Kind of tastes more like coffee. But not everything is supposed to taste like candy.

 

[0roo0roo]

w00t now i brew another cup

 

[Stunt]

IGBT, your title is highly misleading...people are thinking this is a good source of anti-oxidants.

*Runs off to eat hamburgers to get the average person's intake of vegetables *

 

[Legend]

w00t now i brew another cup

You do realize the article says that it's the #1 source of antioxidants in the American diet. In other words, you've already got it. Great, now get some diversity. More != better.

What you should do is get more antioxidants from tea, fruits, and vegetables.

 

[Future Shock]

Wait - can I title another thread "McDonald's most consumed nutrients in the U.S!" and feel good about my Big Mac and supersized fries??

FS

 

[Stunt]

Originally posted by: Future Shock
Wait - can I title another thread "McDonald's most consumed nutrients in the U.S!" and feel good about my Big Mac and supersized fries??

FS

lol....welcome to the forum Future Shock

 

[Whaspe]

But Stunt, coffee comes from beans... and (from the site):

Besides keeping you alert and awake, coffee has been linked to an increasing number of potential health benefits, including protection against liver and colon cancer, type 2 diabetes, and Parkinson's disease, according to some recently published studies.

Quit trying to pop my bubble... COFFEE IS GOOD FOR YOU (said from a guy who drinks WAY too much coffee).

 

[BaliBabyDoc]

Wow! The American diet is so devoid of substantive micronutrient rich foods that friggin' Starbucks and breakfast at McDonalds' get props?!

 

[piasabird]

Just think of all that sugar and cream and junk that they dump in their coffee. I hate coffee myself. All that yuckie oily taste that comes from coffee is horrible. Too much caffine can inhibit the production of bone marrow. You could just pop some caffine pills.

 

[ahurtt]

If so many American's are getting so many antioxidants because so many of us are drinking so much coffee, then why are so many people still getting heart disease and cancer? I tell you its because Americans buy low fat versions of snack foods and then think it's ok to eat the whole bag. Sure antioxidants might help but all the coffee in the world isn't gonna help if you are 350 lbs and smoke a pack a day.

 

[ntdz]

Originally posted by: TRUMPHENT
Beer is number 7 in the rankings!
:beer:

:beer:

 

[IGBT]

..I drink green tea as well and also take green tea caps (5:1 water extract 40% ployphenois 30% catechins 500mg caps) and drink a pot of black coffee a day. So I'm covered on both ends..I think.

 

[vivaj]

Coffee also depletes hydration and health to our cells. Water and DHEA are the best antioxs.

 

[ITJunkie]

Originally posted by: Stunt
It says coffee is the "number one source of anti-oxidants in the US diet".
IIRC, the US diet is nothing stellar to begin with, I'd be more interested in knowing the best foods and beverages to consume for anti-oxidants.

ie. If i were to say that the number one source of vegetables in my diet is on my hamburgers, that doesn't mean it's the best way to get it, or that I'm eating right.

good question...what's the best source of anti-oxidants

 

[0roo0roo]

Originally posted by: vivaj
Coffee also depletes hydration and health to our cells. Water and DHEA are the best antioxs.

only if ur incapable of drinking water as well as coffee. and the diuretic effect of coffee is really only significant in coffee n00bs. regular drinkers aren't really affected

 

[Whaspe]

Originally posted by: vivaj
Coffee also depletes hydration and health to our cells. Water and DHEA are the best antioxs.

It's true that coffee is a diuretic, and a laxitive.... But seeing as how we get it in an aqueous form... we're not really dehydrating ourselves.