Coffee: the number one source of antioxidants?! ‎

Say what???!!!‎

I looked again to verify what I had read. Yes, I got that right: ‎moreover, I was able to confirm the information from multiple ‎sources…‎

So yes, coffee is the number one source of antioxidants for the ‎American people. Not surprising at all. Are they not the same people ‎who proclaimed that ketchup and French fries are vegetables (Healthy ‎Hunger-Free Kids Act, HHFK)?‎

Of the top sources of antioxidants found in the American diet, coffee is ‎crowned king.

It was not surprising to see the consumption of coffee ‎top off the charts but antioxidants?

Really?!‎ Healthy?!

Coffee drinking has a place of honor with all of the nasty’s: ‎alcohol, cigarettes, junk food consumption…

Coffee drinking: a ‎healthy drink or simply a bad habit?‎

Many side effects have been attributed to coffee including irritability, ‎headaches, sleep disorders and elevated blood pressure. Coffee is an ‎extremely acidic substance. It can create internal havoc to the ‎digestive system and cause, heartburn, reflux and ulcers. Coffee is a ‎diuretic and as such will cause the body to lose fluids. Additionally, ‎coffee stimulates the adrenal glands: stress, depression, loss of libido, ‎brain fog, fatigue and even chronic fatigue may develop. Coffee ‎contains caffeine, a stimulating substance, known for its addictive ‎properties. ‎

Plant based nutrition equates health.

This is a well-known fact. Coffee ‎is sourced from a plant, is it not? The coffee bean comes with its own ‎heavily stocked arsenal of antioxidants.

Nutrition is a fledgling science.

There is still much to be understood. ‎New research leads to new discoveries which often contradict ‎previous research. In order to fully understand the beneficial and ‎perhaps harmful qualities of a specific food, we must take into ‎account many factors including, but surely not limited to: a multitude ‎of variables, nutrient-nutrient interactions and reactions, ‎environmental factors, lifestyle and many others. The best and most ‎reliable research is that performed outside of the lab where it is ‎extremely difficult to isolate a single variable amongst a sea of ‎possibilities…‎

Of late researchers have revealed new information highlighting ‎numerous benefits: black may be the new gold…‎

Coffee, black coffee, void of any “add ins”: no sugar, no sugar ‎substitutes – natural or artificial, no milk, no cream, no, no, no!‎

The benefits of the black drink include:‎

♦ Lowers risk of type 2 diabetes
♦ Offers protection from Parkinson’s disease
♦ Shields against Alzheimer’s Disease
♦ Lowers the risk of prostate, liver, kidney and colon cancers
♦ May lower the risk of cardiovascular disease
♦ When consumed prior to physical activity aids to burn body fat

Personally, coffee never had any appeal. My parents drank coffee and ‎a lot …

The aroma of fresh roasted coffee beans and coffee percolating ‎is heavily ingrained forever.‎..

At thirty-something I taught myself to drink tea. At forty-something it ‎was “coffee”, a very weak Israeli Elite instant brand and later a “whiter ‎than white” cappuccino of sorts: coffee and tea drinking were ‎acquired habits, never acquired tastes rather a social adaptation to fit ‎in.‎

Today at the young age of 54, I decided to experiment for the first ‎time with a shot of espresso prior to mountain biking. Clearly this was ‎not a scientific experiment by any account. Impulsive by nature, I ‎added yet another variable to the equation. I lay my bike down and ‎took a demo bike at the forefront of technology for a “test drive” with ‎my hubby.

What a rush! I do not know which variable (perhaps both) ‎was responsible for the punch, but I was on fire, supercharged!‎ ☺

Dramatic discoveries indeed but hold off on the celebration festivities… ‎

Be wary of false prophets!

Know the source of information as it comes ‎to you. Always check, cross check and confirm from multiple sources. ‎Is the source reliable and accredited or merely gossip or advertising? ‎Most important: is the source promoting a specific agenda? Does the ‎source have hidden associations? Should all of your research conclude ‎that the newly crowned “superfood” is legitimate, please do not begin ‎to consume it in excess.

Each person is unique: everybody, every ‎woman and every man. One person's medicine is another person's ‎poison…‎

Back to coffee: for all of its benefits there are still many harmful ‎effects to be wary of. Practice moderation. For best results drink dark ‎quality fresh joe, if not for its superior taste and aroma than for its ‎nutritional edge. The very best brew would be organic and promote ‎sustainability but that is another story…‎

Black as the devil,
Hot as hell,
Pure as an angel,
Sweet as love.

That’s the recipe for coffee, according to the French ‎statesman ‎Talleyrand (1754-1838‎)‎