Coffee is the number one source of antioxidants in the American diet, according to a new study.
First Time Shown
Over half of Americans drink coffee every day. But fruits and vegetables are usually promoted as the best sources of antioxidants, so the new finding is somewhat surprising. This is the first time that coffee has been shown to be a primary source for antioxidants.
Antioxidants Provide Health Benefits
Antioxidants are associated with many health benefits, including protection against heart disease and cancer. High antioxidant levels in foods, however, don't always mean high antioxidant levels found in the body, which depends on how the foods are absorbed, a process that is still not well understood.
Dates are Actually a More Concentrated Source
While coffee provided the most dietary antioxidants for Americans based on frequency of consumption, dates actually proved to have the most antioxidants per serving. However, dates are not consumed in anywhere near the same quantities as coffee.
Black tea came in second after coffee, while bananas, dry beans and corn came in third, fourth and fifth. Dates, cranberries and red grapes, however, were among the best antioxidants on the basis of amount per serving size.
I have drank a total of less than four ounces of coffee in my entire life. It is not like I am a dietary saint, it is just that I have never enjoyed the taste and have more than enough energy than I could possibly ever use, so I have no need for any stimulants.
Being a "coffee virgin," I was somewhat surprised that people are getting most of their antioxidants from coffee. I was oblivous to the massive quantities of the stuff that many Americans drink. But it appears that the average person in this country has more than SEVEN pounds of coffee per year.
Although coffee may have some health benefits, drinking coffee does have some well-documented problems. For example, it can interfere with your body's ability to keep homocysteine and cholesterol levels in check, most likely by inhibiting the action of the vitamins folate, B12 and B6. Coffee has also been associated with an increased risk of stroke and rheumatoid arthritis.
Also, it is vital to recognize that coffee, like alcohol, should be absolutely avoided during pregnancy, as it has been clearly linked to spontaneous abortions.
There is also a danger from drinking most decaffeinated coffees, as most of the decaf processes introduce additional chemicals that may be more harmful than the caffeine that they remove. It is likely that all of us would be wise to severely limit its use.
For more information on practial uses of coffee, please review the first related article "Coffee: How Bad is it Really?" below.
Given that the study shows that fruits like dates are actually a more concentrated antioxidant source anyway, I urge you to save the money you'd planned to spend on those extra decaf mochas, and start adding better, more natural sources of antioxidants, like the ones below: