ADNKRONOS, LA STAMPA (Italy), BIOSCIENCE TECHNOLOGY (USA)
MILAN – Great news for coffee junkies worldwide from the place where it’s brewed to perfection: Italian researchers say even three or four cups of espresso a day is actually good for you.
A study at Mario Negri Pharmacological Institute in Milan showed the daily cup or three of Joe was more than just safe to drink – in healthy people, it can have beneficial effects too, reports La Stampa.
The components of coffee (among them, the famous antioxidants) have positive effects, including preventing heart problems, mouth and throat cancers, liver tumors and cirrhosis, as well as endometrial and colorectal cancers. Recent data shows that coffee could even reduce mortality rates, though this has yet to be confirmed.
“It’s important not to confuse caffeine with coffee,” explains Alessandra Tavani, who headed the Milan study. The effects of caffeine vary from person to person, and those with a low tolerance for it should stick to decaffeinated coffees, according to the Adnkronos news agency.
The caffeine in a cup of coffee can help prevent fatigue, increase alertness and boost intestinal activity. Caffeine can also have the same painkilling effects that aspirin has, with an increased rate of absorption into the bloodstream.
In coffee-loving Italy, these three to four cups a day are enough to double the intake of antioxidants, thanks to the Italians’ Mediterranean diet, which is full of fruit and vegetables.
This isn’t the first time that coffee has been hailed as healthy fare, as the American Chemical Society looked into a potential link between un-roasted coffee beans and the prevention of type-2 diabetes. It seems that the cholorogenic acids, which are found naturally in coffee beans, can help control blood sugar levels – a key requirement for diabetes sufferers – and also control weight too, reports Bioscience Technology.
