Coffee (a summary of "The Power of Coffee" from Today's Dietitian Magazine)

Coffee is one of the world's most popular beverages, and many people can't go a day without drinking at least one cup (myself included). But, there are many more benefits to drinking coffee than just the caffeine alone.

In the magazine "Today's Dietitian", there is an article by Judith C. Thalheimer RD, LDN about the "power of coffee", and the benefits to drinking multiple cups of coffee daily. The article is pretty long, so I picked out some key points about of one America's favorite drinks.

1. Drinking caffeinated coffee has shown to lower risk of developing certain cancers, such as prostate cancer, endometrial cancer, melanoma, oral cancer, leukemia, non-melanoma skin cancer, and liver cancer.

Smokers beware; coffee has shown to increase lung cancer rates in smokers.

2. Consumption of coffee is associated with lower risks of Parkinson's disease, but only with caffeinated coffee. Coffee drinkers also have lower risks of Alzheimer's disease and depression.

3. Coffee is good for your liver! Coffee can decrease the risk of chronic liver disease, fibrosis, cirrhosis, and liver cancer.

4. Coffee can lower your risk of dying from heart disease, or getting heart disease in the first place.

Although these are great benefits that coffee can have, it doesn't mean everyone should be drinking 10 cups of coffee a day. There are other factors that coffee can make worse, like anxiety, heart burn, and sleeping issues.

What you put in your coffee also plays a role. Black coffee is best, but if you put low-fat milk in your drink that is great as well, because the milk will add protein and calcium. Don't load your coffees up with sugary syrups, heavy creams, and other additives. This will just add unwanted calories to your day.