Coffee is the most complex food known to man. It has 1200 flavor components. The nearest comparison is red wine with 450 chemical compounds in the flavor make-up. In most commercial blends there are 10 to 12 different coffees, from different farms (BBC, http://goo.gl/m2LwD).
Health Benefits of Coffee - MarketWatch video.
Coffee is not usually thought of as health food, but some recent studies suggest that it can be beneficial.
A 2005 JAMA meta-analysis concluded that habitual coffee consumption was consistently associated with a lower risk of Type 2 diabetes. However, caffeine, seems to have little to do with it. In fact, caffeine (C8H10N4O2) is the natural pesticide of coffee beans, paralyzing and killing insects that try to feed on them.
A Norwegian study found that women who drank 1-3 cups a day reduced their risk of cardiovascular disease by 24% compared with those drinking no coffee at all. At an average of 3 kg of coffee consumption per person per year, Americans are well behind world leader Norway at 11 kg (http://goo.gl/qxgg6).
Antioxidants in coffee may decrease inflammation, reducing the risk of disorders related to it, like cardiovascular disease. A typical serving of coffee contains more antioxidants than typical servings of grape juice, blueberries, raspberries and oranges.
References:
Health Benefits of Coffee - WebMD.
Coffee as a Health Drink? Studies Find Some Benefits - New York Times, 2006.
Health Benefits of Coffee - MarketWatch video.
Coffee is not usually thought of as health food, but some recent studies suggest that it can be beneficial.
A 2005 JAMA meta-analysis concluded that habitual coffee consumption was consistently associated with a lower risk of Type 2 diabetes. However, caffeine, seems to have little to do with it. In fact, caffeine (C8H10N4O2) is the natural pesticide of coffee beans, paralyzing and killing insects that try to feed on them.
A Norwegian study found that women who drank 1-3 cups a day reduced their risk of cardiovascular disease by 24% compared with those drinking no coffee at all. At an average of 3 kg of coffee consumption per person per year, Americans are well behind world leader Norway at 11 kg (http://goo.gl/qxgg6).
Antioxidants in coffee may decrease inflammation, reducing the risk of disorders related to it, like cardiovascular disease. A typical serving of coffee contains more antioxidants than typical servings of grape juice, blueberries, raspberries and oranges.
References:
Health Benefits of Coffee - WebMD.
Coffee as a Health Drink? Studies Find Some Benefits - New York Times, 2006.
Coffee vs. Tea - Infographic of Health Benefits and Risks http://goo.gl/StIsr
Caffeine is a major source of antioxidant activity in coffee. WebMD, 2011.