Why Coffee Could Be a Health Benefit Research Paper

Coffee lovers round the world who reach for his or her favorite morning brew probably aren’t pondering its health benefits or risks. “Drinking coffee was associated with a modestly (less than 20%) reduced risk of dying from various conditions, compared to not drinking coffee.” (Van Dam, Harvard Women's Health) And yet this beverage has been subject to a protracted history of debate. A cup of coffee is the variety of coffee, how it's brewed, and the way it's roasted. Human response to coffee and caffeine as a whole may also vary substantially across individuals. 

In 1991 coffee was included in a very list of possible carcinogens by the WorldHealth Organization. By 2016 it absolutely was exonerated, as research found that the beverage wasn't related to an increased risk of cancer; but rather, there was a decreased risk of certain cancers among people who drink coffee regularly once smoking history was accounted for. “Coffee doesn’t appear to raise your risk of developing or dying from cancer, and some studies suggest that coffee drinkers even have a slightly lower risk of certain types of cancer, such as cancer of the liver or the endometrium (the lining of the uterus).” (Harvard Women's Health) Additional research suggests that when consumed carefully, tin can be considered a healthy beverage.

Coffee is “chock-full of biologically active phytochemicals (components of plants that affect their taste, smell, and color).” (Harvard Women's Health) Still, the research on coffee points within the direction of a health benefit. Where does the pleasure from coffee come from, the caffeine or plant compounds within the coffee bean? What's the particular amount of coffee needed during a day to supply an actual health benefit?

Studies show that coffee drinkers are at a lower risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, they also show that individuals who drink four or more cups of coffee daily have a 50% lower risk of Type 2 diabetes. “There  may  even  be  some  benefits, particularly for reducing risk of type 2 diabetes, which is a risk factor for heart disease and stroke.” says Rob van Dam, the review’s first author and an adjunct professor of nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Drinking four cups of coffee daily could help reduce body fat by about 4%, however, “people who consumed more than 25 cups of coffee a day were excluded, but the BHP claimed that “no increased stiffening of arteries was associated with those who drank up to this highlimit.” (David Reid) Professor Metin Avkiran, Associate Medical Director at the British Heart Foundation follows up on this idea by stating, “This research will hopefully put some of the media reports in perspective, as it rules out one of the potential detrimental effects of coffee on our arteries.” 

To summarize, Coffee provides plentiful health benefits which have antioxidants, coffee may lower cancer rates, and may also reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes. So the next time you go to drink a cup of coffee, try and remember all of the amazing benefits derived from a cup of coffee. 

Works Cited

Van Dam, Rob. “5 Things to Know about Your Morning Cup of Joe.” Harvard Health, 1 Nov. 2020, https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/5-things-to-know-about-your-morning-cup-of-joe. 

Staff, Editorial. “Drink Coffee, Live Longer?” Tufts Health & Nutrition Letter, 17 Sept. 2019, https://www.nutritionletter.tufts.edu/diabetes/drink-coffee-live-longer/. 

Avkiran, Metin. “Drinking 25 Cups of Coffee a Day Is Still Safe for the Heart, Study Says.” Edited by David Reid, CNBC, CNBC, 3 June 2019, https://www.cnbc.com/2019/06/03/bhf-says-drinking-25-cups-of-coffee-a-day-is-safe-for-the-heart.html. 

“Coffee.” The Nutrition Source, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 6 July 2021, https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/food-features/coffee/.