Who knew? Your favourite beverage fights depression, cancer…
and more
Drink to your
Health
Coffee or tea – take your pick. New research shows that both
deliver unexpected health pluses. A 2011 study at Harvard University in US, for
example, found that female coffee drinkers who averaged four cups a day cut
their risk of endometrial cancer (occurring on the lining of the uterus) by 25%
and, with more than three cups of caffeinated coffee, lowered their odds of basal-cell
carcinoma (a type of skin cancer) by 20%. Tea also contains cancer-fighting
antioxidants. The beverages may a decreased risk of depression and tea is
linked to less anxiety. Here’s how to get the most from your morning mug:
1.
Go for the high-octane (if you can)
The health bonuses haven’t been found as consistently in
decaffeinated versions of coffee and tea. But since regular coffee can pack as
much as 200mg of caffeine per 240ml cup (depending on the bean and how it’s
brewed) and tea can go up to 60mg per cup, stick to decaf if you have a
glycaemic-index issue such as irritable bowel syndrome or acid reflux. The same
applies if you suffer from anxiety or sleep disturbances, or are sensitive to
caffeine. You’ll still get some benefit from other compounds in your brew, such
as the antioxidant chlorogenic acid in coffee.
There is the
antioxidant chlorogenic acid in coffee
2.
Skip the creamer
A Swiss study suggests that adding non-dairy creamer and
sugar to coffee interferes with the absorption of antioxidants. Also, creamers
are often made with partially hydrogenated oils, which contain heart-damaging
trans fats. To lighten your coffee, use cow’s milk or soya or almond milk
instead.
Adding non-dairy
creamer and sugar to coffee interferes with the absorption of antioxidants.
3.
Take your tea black
Adding milk may blunt tea’s heart-health benefits, a German
study found. And speaking of black, green tea may be the health star, but all
members of the Camellia sinensis (the plant used to make Chinese tea) family –
black, white and oolong tea, as well as green tea – have health benefits,
including aiding in fighting infections and slowing cognitive decline.
Adding milk may
blunt tea’s heart-health benefits
4.
Favour filters
Coffee brewed without a paper filter – in a plunger or
espresso pot, for example – retains an oily residue that contains cafestol, a
substance that raises levels of heart-damaging LDL cholesterol. You could – if
you’re addicted to your plunger – pour your coffee through a paper filter into
a cup. Or just save special brews for a special occasion. Breakfast in bed,
anyone?
Coffee brewed
without a paper filter – in a plunger or espresso pot
