Ode to KILLER BEANS!!!

[Kilobyte]

This one is for Mr Jerry!!

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Ode to (java) joy

I felt so guilty last month when I wrote some harsh words about coffee (The New Ice Cream, Daily Dose 8/19/2005). Of course, I took some small solace in the fact that it wasn't really COFFEE I was writing about, but rather, what a lot of people have made it into these days: A 500-calorie coffee-flavored milkshake in a glass.

But this month, I've got good reason to once again sing the praises of a good ol' cuppa Joe - one of my favorite nutritious drinks (along with red wine, dark beer, good scotch and raw milk). According to a study released just a few weeks ago, coffee contains more powerful, heart-healthy, cell-cleansing antioxidants than ANY OTHER food or drink in the American diet.

Of course, I already knew this - but nobody in the mainstream listens to ME. That's why I was so heartened to see this exact factoid in a recent Associated Press article, along with a summary of some research from Japan, Harvard, and the University of Scranton showing the following:

* Average per-day antioxidant consumption from coffee tops 1299 milligrams for the average American, from 1.64 cups of java daily (not nearly enough, if you ask me). The closest other sources were tea at 294 milligrams, and bananas at 76 milligrams. Corn was a distant 5th at 48 milligrams.
* People of both sexes who drink coffee every day enjoyed 50% less risk of developing liver cancer than their non-java swilling counterparts. This protective benefit INCREASED the more cups per day of coffee consumed.
* Compared to non-coffee drinkers. A 6-cup per day coffee regimen (8-ounce cups) cut the risk of type 2 diabetes in adult men by approximately 50% and in women by 30%.

These kinds of benefits have been documented before, along with coffee's proven effects at clearing and focusing the mind, perking up energy, and relieving stress.

Of course, the AP piece also contained a bunch of ambiguous claptrap from various study-affiliated researchers to the effect that restraint or "moderation" should be used in coffee drinking - and that fruits, vegetables and grains are also great sources of antioxidants.

Yeah, if you feel like strapping on a 5-pound bag of oats or mowing down a dozen ears of corn to get the same antioxidants as drinking a cup or two of java every morning.

Bottom line: Like I've said for years, coffee and certain other drinks (like tea and red wine) are by far your best sources of antioxidants - blowing away all foods and even surpassing many supplements. Drink some every day and you'll be healthier and happier for it.

Always "believing" in bean-power,

William Campbell Douglass II, MD

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-KD7HTH, "Lovin' Every Sip of it!"