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Coffee and Cancer
Health | April 21, 2015
It’s no secret that I love coffee, especially in the form of bulletproof coffee. Tea is also a favorite, but coffee is my first love. There’s a reason why I have coffee talks rather than tea times :). I love the taste and l love the boost caffeine gives me in the morning. I totally understand if you coffee just isn’t your thing, but to those warriorz who do drink a fair amount throughout the day you’re doing your body a favor.
Besides taste and a nice little buzz, coffee has surprisingly good health benefits that researchers are only just finding out about. One of the biggest surprises to me is that coffee can prevent the development of skin cancer. In fact, the more coffee you drink the lower your risk for skin cancer. That’s great to know living out here in sunny California. The Journal of The National Cancer Institute published this recent study suggesting that four to five cups coffee reduce the risk of skin cancer by 20%.
But wait, there’s more! Coffee may also reduce the risk of colon cancer. According to research done by Stephanie Stenzel, a researcher at USC’s Norris Comprehensive Cancer, studies now suggest that the more coffee you drink the lower your risk of colon cancer as well. Her research is quite promising and indicates that drinking more than two cups a day may reduce the risk of colon cancer by 44%!
Coffee may even help in the prevention of breast cancer and prostate cancer. You’d think that all we need to do is kick back and just drink coffee all day! That’s obviously just wishful thinking. There are still much more established and proven ways to prevent disease – diet, exercise, reducing stress, etc.
I think it’s unfair that coffee often gets labeled as poisonous by some people in the health and fitness industry. If anything, the only think that makes it unhealthy is when people dump a bunch of sugar in it or drink one of those dessert drinks at a coffee shop and think they are drinking coffee. Those frappes and frappuccinos have as much do to with coffee as eating a giant piece of coffee cake.
Any hardcore coffee lovers out there? Do you have a specific type of coffee bean or brand that you swear by? Any fancy brewing methods besides a coffee maker?
Private Member |
uk
I like coffee but only one for me in the morning. If I drank more I wouldn’t sleep at night. Cant handle too much caffeine.
Private Member |
Guilty in charge 😉
I’m trying to reduce it though: I started drinking this drink that is 60% chicory and 40% coffee. Of course I sometimes drink more than one, lol!
Private Member |
Unfortunately caffeine makes me feel quite sick. If I drink it on an empty stomach especially it will actually make me vomit. I drank coffee for a couple of years but the last cup I drank I felt so ill and I just thought, why am I doing this to myself? I agree it gives an energy boost in the morning and makes my workouts seem easier but it wasn’t worth feeling gross. Sorry for this but it also gave me really bad diarrhea. I think I am allergic to it or something. Green tea does it to me as well. I have to be careful if I drink black tea. I try to stick to organic herbal teas now. I don’t miss it at all.
Private Member |
This could be the result of acid reflux (coffee and tea are highly acidic). Unlike the majority I do not drink coffee. I like the smell, but not the taste (except maybe cappuccino). I drink tea with milk and this in itself is a problem (lactose and protein). The milk acts as a buffer to the acidic effects in my stomach. I have recently switched to powdered organic matcha for the health benefits. I can add almond milk and maple syrup to this, but not to the tea bag option which taste horrendous (IMO) with any type of milk. 1 cup of matcha in the morning gives me lots of health benefits and is equivalent to about 5 cups of green tea throughout the day which I would never be able to drink because of the stimulating effects. This is strictly an early morning ritual and occasionally I forgo it if my stomach is misbehaving.
Private Member |
Love my morning coffee!!! Love Starbucks but lately enjoying Trader Joe’s variety pack of coffee pods. 🙂 The Costa Rican blend rocks
Private Member |
Zuzka I’d love your insight on seasonal allergies; I’m suffering terribly from seasonal allergies and I even just finished a long round of allergy shots. :/ I’m stuck inside a lot all day. (But of course I make sure I still do my Zwow workouts!! 😉
Private Member |
Interestingly enough, I clicked on the website you found your info regarding coffee and colorectal cancer. The website doesn’t link to the studies it references and the information sounds skewed. Disappointed you’re spreading unfounded statistics with no proof as I’ve followed you for MANY years.
Private Member |
lake tahoe, nv, usa
Here’s the link to the study: http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/74/19_Supplement/1267.abstract
And here is the most telling comment in the abstract:
“Overall, we demonstrated that even a modest level of [coffee] consumption, regardless of caffeine status, is associated with a meaningful reduction in the risk of colorectal cancer.”
Private Member |
Hello Zuzka:
Could I ask you in which scientific paper did you read this information?
I’m a biochemist and always known of disadvantages of coffee in cancer. I’d like like to know which researchers did the experiment so I can read it too… Journalism isn’t science x
Private Member |
lake tahoe, nv, usa
Here you go: http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/74/19_Supplement/1267.abstract
Private Member |
Thank you!
Private Member |
Hello Zuzka:
Could I ask you in which scientific paper did you read this information?
I’m a biochemist and always known of disadvantages of coffee in cancer. I’d like like to know which researchers did the experiment so I can read it too… Journalism isn’t science x
I can’t post?
Private Member |
I love coffee too BUT…unfortunately, I just can’t drink it!!! 🙁 It makes me a CRAZY mess!!! Seriously. Soooooo unfair! I can’t even drink a cup of decaf bc the small amount of caffeine that is still there gets me pretty messed up. So I opt for black teas which effect me totally differently, which I still don’t understand. I guess I should take the time to figure out why the two effect me that way. But for all of you that are able to drink it, cheers….Im jealous!
Private Member |
….forgot to mention this strangeness too tho! I went to Greece on my honeymoon and was able to drink their espresso and coffee drinks ALL day long and had no ill effects!!! Whats up with that?!!!