One study found that those who drank two or more cups of coffee per day had a 28% lower risk of dementia than those who drank less than one daily cup.


WHAT’S IN COFFEE? Coffee is essentially a plant food; coffee beans are the seeds of the coffee plant. “It’s a bit like fruit and vegetables,”


says van Dam, “so it has hundreds of different plant compounds.” These include some magnesium, potassium, and vitamin B3. Coffee also contains polyphenols,


a group of beneficial plant compounds. It’s an especially rich source of chlorogenic acid, a polyphenol with some specific benefits. “It has some antioxidant effects,”


says van Dam, “and in different ways, it seems to help the body deal with sugar.” It slows down the absorption of glucose in the intestine, reduces how much glucose is produced by the liver, and may improve the way that glucose is used in other parts of the body. Altogether, these mechanisms


help to reduce risk for Type 2 diabetes and atherosclerosis. On the other hand, another


compound in coffee — cafestol — can raise cholesterol if the coffee is brewed without a filter. Turkish and Scandinavian boiled coffees and those brewed with a French press are unfiltered. Tests of cafestol levels found


that instant coffee and filtered coffee contains negligible amounts. Filtered coffees include drip and percolated brews, and coffee made with machines that use coffee pods or capsules, such as Nespresso and Keurig.


Caffeine?


How Much


from a coffee shop Brewed coffee


Americano from a coffee shop


Cold bottled coffee drinks


These are approximate amounts of caffeine in popular serving sizes. Caffeine content varies, depending upon the variety of coffee or tea and how


it’s brewed, or how a specific soda or energy drink is formulated. The


recommended limit for adults is 400 mg of caffeine daily.


Regular home- brewed coffee


Instant coffee


12 oz = 200 mg Espresso


12 oz = 150-170 mg 8-12 oz = 75-300 mg


Decaffeinated coffee


Black tea


8 oz = 92 mg


Green tea


8 oz = 63 mg


Chamomile or peppermint tea


1 oz = 63-150 mg


Cola-style soft drink


8 oz = 2-15 mg


Energy drink


8 oz = 47 mg


Energy shot


8 oz = 28 mg


OTC drug for alertness, such as NoDoz


8 oz = 0 mg


Headache medication with caffeine


12 oz = 32 mg


8.5 oz = 41-246 mg Cafestol levels in espresso and


coffee brewed in a moka pot (a traditional Italian stovetop coffee maker) are about midway between unfiltered and filtered versions.


HOW TO BENEFIT Steer clear of flavored coffee drinks loaded with sugar — some can contain 20 teaspoons of sugar in the largest size. And avoid whipped cream, chocolate, or other flavorings.


2 oz = 200+ mg


1 pill = 200 mg


1 pill = 65 mg


The calories in these drinks can equal or exceed some burgers. Plain coffee or tea without sugar is


best; a little milk or cream is fine. If you like the drink sweet, van


Dam doesn’t recommend sugar- free sweeteners but points out that a teaspoon of sugar per cup isn’t harmful. If you’re used to sweeter drinks, it won’t taste good so use a little more sugar at first and gradually reduce the amount.


DECEMBER 2024 | NEWSMAX MAXLIFE 85


DECAF/CHARLIE WARADEE/SHUTTERSTOCK / ESPRESSO/KARANDAEV©ISTOCK / COLD COFFEE/ADAM MCCULLOUGH/SHUTTERSTOCK / AMERICANO/FOTOGRAZIA/GETTY IMAGES / RED CUP/NAZMAN MIZAN/GETTY IMAGES


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