Benificial Effects of Caffine
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Beneficial Effects
Scientific evidence continues to show that not only is coffee drinking in moderation perfectly safe, and no threat to health, it can also have some health benefits.
COFFEE AND BRONCHIAL ASTHMA
Caffeine has long been known to help asthmatics and many have found regular consumption of coffee to assist in moderating attacks. Scientifically this has been supported by two large studies in the USA and in Italy (1,2) where three or more cups of coffee per day were associated in a dose related manner with reduced prevalence of asthma.
Further evidence of improved ventilatory function was shown in exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (3) but required approximately six cups of coffee. In this context the authors found no problem with tolerance of this dosage.
Chest physicians advise withdrawal of caffeine from the diet for at least four hours preceding bronchial challenge testing (4).
Overall, there appears to be support for the view that coffee drinking helps asthma sufferers, though care should be taken that the daily intake of caffeine does not cause over-stimulation in susceptible individuals.
ANTIOXIDANT SUBSTANCES IN COFFEE
Caffeine is clearly a major biologically active substance in coffee and has received the most research attention. Coffee has a complex chemical composition, however, and the potential importance of many other constituents, albeit present in small concentrations, cannot be ignored. A characteristic of many plants is that they contain a diverse array of compounds with antioxidant properties and coffee is no exception...