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Coffee
& Wellness
Coffee helps delay the signs of aging
May 2008
FOUNTAIN of youth, restorative spring, water of life—there are many names with which different cultures have conjured legends about the drink by which one could restore youth.
But do you know that the drink that delays aging can actually be found in your favorite supermarket and even in your neighborhood store? Yes, you need not traverse mountains or chart oceans to find the means that can help you delay the onset of the signs and symptoms of old age. Recent medical research has indicated that coffee, the second most popular drink in the world, actually helps in slowing down the aging process.
Coffee does this by supplying our bodies with a healthy amount of antioxidants to combat oxidative stress, a collective term that refers to the breakdown of chain reactions in the body caused by free radicals.
Free radicals are in themselves not bad. They are, after all, byproducts of normal cell processes that involve oxygen. The important thing is that we maintain a healthy balance between the free radical and antioxidant activities to keep the body in good condition.
While our bodies naturally produce antioxidants to help combat free radicals, they are not enough. We are, after all, constantly exposed to oxidants such as: atmospheric radiation and environmental pollutants such as cigarette smoke and pollution, stress, toxins and other factors. Because of all these, our bodies always need a good boost of antioxidants.
And among food and beverages, coffee tops the list of antioxidant sources for most people.s
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According to positivelycoffee.org, a research study in Norway showed that coffee is a significant source of antioxidants in the diet.
The study sought to determine the contribution of various food groups to total antioxidant intake and coffee topped the list at 64 percent. Fruits came in second at only 11 percent, while tea came third at 8 percent.
Though the Philippines has yet to make a definitive study about the coffee consumption habit of Filipinos, it is undeniable that we have a rich coffee culture. We take coffee not just during breakfast, but after lunch or dinner as well, and even when socializing.
So who needs to look for the Fountain of Youth when you can easily and conveniently enjoy a good cup of coffee—and enjoy a good dose of the age-delaying antioxidants—anywhere and anytime you want. |
