Do you enjoy a good cup of coffee?  A lot of people do.  Coffee is one of the most widely consumed and one of the oldest beverages in the world.  There is nothing like the aroma of freshly brewed coffee to stimulate your senses.  Unfortunately, coffee has had a bad reputation and has been associated with unhealthy habits such as smoking and eating fast food.  However, recent studies have shown that coffee can actually be good for you, helping decrease the risks of several diseases including Parkinson’s and Diabetes.

The history of coffee goes back to the 9th century when it was first discovered in Ethiopia.  It was first adopted in the Muslim world, and then traded in Europe, where coffee houses became very popular with intellectuals.  Because of its stimulating effect, coffee even became prohibited in the 16th century, but given its popularity, this rule was reversed.  Coffee then expanded in the colonies and gained popularity in America in the early 1800s.  Today coffee is one of the most important commodities in the world.  Almost seven tons of coffee is produced annually, with Brazil being the largest producer.

But while the Europeans and South Americans have enjoyed good coffee for many years, it wasn’t until recently that good coffee became widespread in the United States.  A Seattle based company called Starbucks started a new revolution in coffee drinking in the US in the 80’s.  In fact, Starbucks was inspired by American entrepreneurs that had traveled to Europe and realized how much better European coffee was compared to what most Americans drank.  In 1971 Starbucks opened its first store.  In 1987, Howard Schultz became the company CEO, which then only had 17 locations in Seattle.  Today Starbucks has thousands of locations in many countries and employs about 60,000 people.

Many studies have been performed on the relationship between coffee consumption and health.  Some of these studies have been contradictory, and in the past they tended to emphasize negative consequences of drinking coffee, but more recently studies have shown more benefits than risks.   It is also unclear whether the benefits or risks of drinking coffee are associated with caffeine or other components of the drink.

A typical cup of coffee contains about 100 milligrams of caffeine.  Coffee represents about 70% of the caffeine consumed in the United States.  This is one of the reasons why coffee is seen so negatively by so many.   What most people don’t know is that the caffeine only represents 2% of the contents of coffee.  “The other 98% might easily include 50 or 100 active compounds” says Terry Graham, chair of the nutritional sciences department at the University of Guelph in Ontario, as reported in the USA Today.

Among these compounds are certain fats that are produced when the beans are roasted.  Some studies suggest that these fats help control the blood-sugar level in the body.  Other compounds include antioxidants which may protect against cell damage and inflammation.  One recent study showed that coffee is the single biggest source of antioxidants in America.

Some people seem to be more negatively impacted by the effects of coffee than others.  Insomnia is a common side effect from drinking coffee that is generally associated with its caffeine.  Steve Pavlina wrote an article in his popular personal development blog about how to give up coffee.  Steve says that coffee makes one part of his brain overactive and another part underactive.  He states that coffee helps him work on low priority items, but that he cannot do high-level thinking if he drinks to much coffee.  “I find it very hard to focus on the big picture from a holistic whole-brain standpoint if I’ve consumed caffeine. I also feel that caffeine blocks too much of my intuition and creativity.  I miss subtle sensory input, and my thinking becomes too linear”, says Steve.

Other people are less bothered by the negative effects of coffee drinking and find the stimulating effects very beneficial.  Coffee has been found to improve mood and memory, as well as improve endurance on athletes.  There is also speculation that coffee may help you lose weight, but this has not been proven.  I can personally attest to the fact that the day goes much better when it starts with coffee. 

More recent studies have shown that drinking coffee reduces the risk of the following:

1. Parkinson’s Disease
2. Alzheimer’s Disease
3. Suicide
4. Liver damage in Alcoholics
5. Gallstones
6. Type 2 diabetes

With so many potential side benefits in addition to the mental stimulation, why should anyone give up coffee?  Unless you feel negatively impacted by the effects of caffeine, and suffer from insomnia, go ahead and enjoy your cup of java.  The next time you are wondering if you should give up coffee, listen to the wonderful Java Jive song from the Manhattan Transfer Live CD, pick up a good cup of coffee, and just sing along:

I love coffee, I love tea, 
I love the Java Jive and it loves me 
Coffee and tea and the java and me, 
A cup, a cup, a cup, a cup, a cup!

Why shouldn’t you have your cake and eat it too?  And please, have some coffee with that cake, will you?