Lose Weight with Coffee

Every day there are articles about how healthy coffee is, and studies are being quoted that support coffee’s benefits for literally every part of the anatomy. We’ve reported in this space about coffee’s links to lower incidences of heart disease, Parkinson’s disease, cancer of the liver, type 2 Diabetes and dementia. There have been discussions of antioxidants and their beneficial effects on health. Now comes Dr. Andrew Smith with a couple of additional benefits we haven’t covered. He states in his article that not only have studies found statistically lower rates of several other cancers in coffee drinkers, including breast, prostate, esophagus, mouth and throat, but dental cavities and even gout are less prevalent with coffee drinkers. But here’s the kicker for those who need to lose weight. Dr. Smith cites research reported in the Journal of Physiology & Behavior showing that coffee drinkers have a sixteen percent higher metabolic rate than non-coffee-drinkers. With the higher metabolism, more calories are burned daily than by someone with the same characteristics in all other areas but the coffee habit. These findings contradict all normal expectations. We’re accustomed to thinking that everything that tastes good must be bad for you, like ice cream, greasy chips, chocolate cake, doughnuts, etc., and those detestable foods, like lima beans, are good for us. Now we’re told that there is actual scientific evidence that something lovable that tastes great and provides comfort – namely coffee – is also very good for us. Before you throw all your greens out of the fridge and fill up the coffeepot again, remember our cardinal rule: all things in moderation. The recommended daily intake of coffee is still three servings, the same as the recommended minimum number for greens. To be fair, Dr. Smith also points out the downside of coffee, which he says isn’t for everyone. But we can keep counting those antioxidants and extra calories burned while choking down the lima beans, knowing that the best – the coffee - is waiting.