For years many viewed coffee drinking as an unhealthy addiction. Children were warned that drinking coffee – or consuming coffee-flavored ice cream – would stunt their growth.
Over the past fifteen years or so, however, scientists have offered a very different view – and a very positive view – of the effects of coffee drinking on human health and wellbeing. Recent scientific studies have almost uniformly been finding positive benefits; living a longer life, increasing driver safety, preventing or lessening the effects of dementia, improved athletic performance, and reduced risk of Type 2 diabetes, prostate cancer, breast cancer recurrence, and more.
On May 31 the New York Times sent out an email with links to six different articles published by the Times between 2013 and 2017 reviewing recent findings on the effects of coffee drinking. This collection of articles makes very interesting reading; complete list here, a few of our favorites as follows:
- Boost Your Workouts With Caffeine, Even if You Chug Coffee Daily
- For Coffee Drinkers, the Buzz May Be in Your Genes
- This Is Your Brain on Coffee
- Coffee Tied to Lower Risk of Dying Prematurely
- I Don’t Drink Coffee. Should I Start?
- How to Be Mindful With a Cup of Coffee
Although not mentioned in any of the Times’ articles, it should be noted that residents of Hawaii have the greatest longevity of any of the 50 states. While not suggesting causation, many Kona coffee farmers believe there is a correlation between Hawaii’s longevity statistics and consumption of Kona coffee.