How Healthy Is A Cup Of 'Joe'?

I don't know about you - but I have a very busy life. My busy life makes it difficult for me to eat a healthy breakfast. In its place I have coffee. And I am not the only one to do this.

Millions of Americans drink at least one cup of coffee every morning and usually more throughout the whole day. It gives them the energy they need to make it through the day and get everything on their list accomplished. But is coffee really healthy?

Many studies show that coffee helps to clear the drinker's mind and of course give them energy like we stated previously. What most people don't know is that besides it rich taste it also has the ability to provide many healthful antioxidants than most other foods and drinks that Americans consume on a regular basis.

But with every positive there is always a negative to balance things out. Too much of a good thing is never good and when you drink too much coffee it can turn you into a jitterbug and can raise your levels of cholesterol. That is why the majority of food experts say that when you drink coffee do it in moderation.

Joe A. Vinson a chemistry professor at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania performed a study and learned the health benefits from coffee. “The point is, people are getting the most antioxidants from beverages, as opposed to what you might think," Vinson said.

Researchers believe that antioxidants help to fight against cancer and to give our bodies other beneficial health benefits. Most antioxidants are found in tomatoes, grains, fruits, and vegetables. Vinson chose to study coffee after first researching the health benefits of tea and chocolate.

Both he and his team were able to analyze the amount of antioxidants in over 100 different foods that included nuts, spices, fruits, oils, vegetables, and some of the more common beverages. After doing this they were able to use the Agricultural Department information on the average patterns of food consumption to help them calculate how much these antioxidants help to contribute to someone's diet.

Their results showed that an average adult will eat 1,299 milligrams of antioxidants from coffee on a daily basis. Many fruits and vegetables ranked in at 76 and 72 milligrams. But despite these good numbers Vinson does not believe that coffee is a good substitute for vegetables and fruits. Something that people are not eating enough of.

“Unfortunately, consumers are still not eating enough fruits and vegetables, which are better for you from an overall nutritional point of view due to their higher content of vitamins, minerals and fiber," Vinson said.