Coffee is one of the most popular beverages in America, with more daily devotees than even soda. According to the National Coffee Association (NCA), 61 percent of Americans drink coffee daily (compared to 41 percent for soda).
Personally, I almost never drink coffee. I don’t like the taste, and I have more than enough energy to not need a caffeine boost. About the only time I use it is when travelling internationally to keep me up when I am tired to assist jet lag.
However, if you’ve been feeling guilty about this daily imbibing, perhaps worrying that the excess caffeine isn’t doing you any favors, don’t. Unless you are overdoing it or drowning your coffee with sweetener, a daily cup – or five! – can be quite good for you.
The coffee plant and its seeds (coffee beans) contain a natural blend of polyphenol antioxidants (including chlorogenic acids), bioflavonoids, vitamins, and minerals that all work together to offer some impressive health-promoting benefits, and even help neutralize the harsher effects of the caffeine that coffee naturally contains.
There are literally more than 1,000 different chemicals in coffee and researchers are only beginning to tease out how the synergy between them might benefit your health.
