Paul Shaytin, Owner, Empire Coffee:
I'm a coffee drinker by heart. I program the coffee maker to go off at 7:30 in the morning and I'm drinking my first cup while I'm diapering my son.
ANNOUNCER:
Sure it’s delicious and brings you to life, but can your morning cup of java also improve your health?
Risa Schulman, Nutrition Expert:
There's been a lot of research recently to show that there are some important health benefits for coffee in major diseases including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, Parkinson's disease and also in cirrhosis and liver cancer.
ANNOUNCER:
And what do researchers think is behind coffee’s health benefits?
Risa Schulman, Nutrition Expert:
It is known that coffees have high levels of antioxidants and that those antioxidants may have a positive effect. Also, coffee is very high in magnesium and that's thought to be beneficial. And the last thing is the caffeine itself may actually also have health benefits in certain conditions.
ANNOUNCER:
In fact, caffeine has already proven helpful in treating asthma and headaches, and is now used in some drugs to treat Parkinson’s disease. But decaffeinated coffee also appears to have health benefits.
Risa Schulman, Nutrition Expert:
Actually for type II diabetes patients who drank decaffeinated coffee had a higher positive effect than those who drank caffeinated coffee so the answer is yes. Decaffeinated coffee can also have strong benefits.
ANNOUNCER:
Of course, coffee, regular or decaf, is not a cure-all or a miracle drug.
Risa Schulman, Nutrition Expert:
One should not take this research to mean that drinking lots and lots of coffee is the thing to do as your method of reducing your disease risk. It's important to understand that coffee can have benefits, but to use it in moderation along with other healthy foods that have positive health benefits.
ANNOUNCER:
Thanks for joining us on today’s Once Daily!
