The last time I had a cup of coffee was back in May, it was badly needed because I was still in a theater production then, and being the sound director meant that my creative juices must flow constantly, a tough challenge if I may say so, and for that to happen I must stay alert and awake for most of the time, especially when rehearsals and production meetings went on late at night. Coffee has always been the trusted solution. (Image link)
After the production was over, I stopped drinking coffee and went back to taking [tag]green tea[/tag], a cup in the morning and a cup in the evening, if green tea was not available, I’d go for the indigenous herbal drink ‘[tag]pito-pito[/tag]‘ which was cheaper and easily available here in rural Cavite. Don’t get me wrong, I’m fond of coffee but has opted for tea for its healthier benefits. A health ritual that my grandparents taught me since my early childhood days, a practice I’ve religously kept until just this morning at breakfast.
To start my weekend with something different, I decided to fix myself a cup of nice, hot instant coffee complete with the powdered creamer. The experience and delight of having coffee with fried rice, eggs and tuyo, (dried salted fish) were simply heavenly and it brought back some past thoughts and memories.
I remember arguing with my grandmother as to why should I take green tea if it’s available or pito-pito instead of coffee. With her eyes sharply gazing into my young soul she explained that green tea is healthier than coffee, it will help me stay fit and healthy despite my skinny form and it will greatly compliment my [tag]tai chi[/tag] practice. It was a lesson well learned and proven by my experience, but she must have forgotten that before that lecture on green tea, she has taught me another lesson that has often kept me at odds against her and her teachings. She earlier told me, “Always doubt what you learn, read, hear, believe and know. Even your self.”
So in doubt of her teachings I wondered off to verify, prove and disprove the lessons and bits of wisdom she has imparted unto me. In this case, it’s about coffee. Is [tag]coffee[/tag] really unhealthy? If so then how come many people are still drinking and loving it?
Benefits:
1. May reduce the risk of suicide among women.
2. Helps prevent gallstones and symptomatic gallbladder disease in men.
3. Contains caffeine-related compounds (theophylline) that can alleviate the symptoms of asthma in some cases.
4. Can increase alertness and prolong waking hours.
5. May improve short-term recall.
6. Promotes the effectiveness of certain migraine drugs.
7. May reduce the risk of cirrhosis of the liver among heavy drinkers.
8. May postpone muscle fatigue and thus enhance athletic performance and endurance.
9. May protect against free radical damage to tissues – one study found that coffee has more antioxidant activity than red wine, green or black tea, or orange juice.
Risks:
1. Increases blood pressure among people with high blood pressure.
2. Causes insomnia, anxiety, and irritability.
3. May worsen symptoms of PMS in some women.
4. Can reduce fertility in women trying to conceive.
5. Can cause heartburn and indigestion.
6. May increase the risk of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women.
6. May increase blood levels of homocysteine and the associated risk of cardiovascular disease.
Source: http://jrocas.com.ph/archives/coffee-health-and-risks-benefits/
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