Good news to coffee drinkers! Let me share with you an informative article about these “Magic Beans” that I’ve come across from www.realage.com/ct/tips. Yet be sure to read its downside too.

If you sometimes have trouble cutting yourself off after only one cup of coffee in the morning, don’t fret. Actually, going back for a refill might not be a bad move. A few recent large-scale studies have uncovered some new by-the-cup health benefits of coffee. Check them out:

1 cup . . . may lower your risk of cancer.
A 13-year Japanese study revealed that men and women who drank a cup or more a day were half as likely to develop cancer of the mouth, pharynx, and esophagus compared with people who didn’t drink coffee.

2 cups . . . may fend off strokes.
In a 24-year study, women who drank 2-3 cups a day were 19 percent less likely to have a stroke compared with women who drank less than a cup a month. One caveat: The benefit applied only to nonsmoking women with no history of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or diabetes.

3 cups . . . may safeguard your neurons.
Middle-aged adults who reported drinking at least 3 cups of coffee a day were 65 percent less likely to have developed dementia or Alzheimer’s by the time most of the group had reached their mid-sixties to seventies. Now, that’s a lotta coffee.

What’s in Those Magic Beans?
Although it’s not clear how coffee does all of these wonderful, protective things, researchers suspect that the coffee bean’s high level of inflammation-fighting antioxidants (called polyphenols) may have something to do with it. Furthermore, although most of the research is in the early stages, studies show that drinking coffee may be linked to some desirable health outcomes, such as:

* decreased risk of Parkinson’s disease: A study revealed that men may experience up to a 40% reduction in risk by drinking as little as one cup per day. However, the effects were not observed in postmenopausal women who take estrogen replacement. In this case, coffee drinking may actually increase Parkinson’s risk.

* reduced risk of type 2 diabetes: However, this reduced risk is only linked to people who drink excess amounts of coffee, which is not recommended; the risks of drinking too much coffee outweigh this possible benefit.

* decreased risk of liver cancer: Drinking coffee may be especially helpful reducing the risk of liver cancer caused by cirrhosis, a type of liver disease that causes scarring of the liver.

The downside of caffeine
But even if there are clear health benefits to the brew, there are caveats. Although coffee consumption does not seem to raise the risk of cardiovascular disease, research shows that chronic consumption may increase aortic stiffness. Plus, unfiltered coffee can raise levels of blood fats, and excessive caffeine intake may be bad for people who are sensitive to caffeine.

Caffeine may cause: nervous, jittery feelings, sleeplessness, rapid heartbeat, increased blood pressure, stomach upset.

Caffeine may not be recommended for people who have: overactive bladder, heartburn, high blood pressure, arrhythmia, anxiety disorder, insomnia.

So there is give and take with coffee. If you don’t already drink it, the recent news about antioxidants is not necessarily a reason to pick up the habit. And for people who already drink it, it’s no excuse to stop eating fruits and veggies. Finally, because of the caffeine content, moderation is still the key to enjoying it healthfully.