Coffee. Everyone has, does, or will drink it at some point in time. It is a staple in households, offices, and every restaurant. It is the most traded commodity in the world after petroleum. You have probably heard somebody talk about how bad coffee is for you. You may not be aware that coffee also has a significant health benefit.

Until recently coffee has been mainly used for the caffeine to aid in mental alertness. Since the rise in popularity of natural foods and diets rich in antioxidants, coffee has been scrutinized more carefully. It has been found that the biomarker for detecting oxidized DNA is greatly reduced in humans. This has led to even more studies to see whether or not coffee is actually preventing oxidation of DNA.

Coffee actually has an abundance of antioxidants that can help to prevent disease. According to the research, Columbian and Ugandan coffee performed the very best at preventing oxidation. The brewing methods that provide the most benefit are drip/filter brewing and Italian brewing. Espresso methods diminished the antioxidant content slightly but, not enough to really make a difference with one exception. The decaf espresso was 25-30% less effective at preventing oxidation.

If you are rejoicing that coffee will save you from aging, hold on a minute. It is very interesting to note that the researchers had to include Vitamin C to activate the antioxidants. Without the Vitamin C....the coffee was terrible at preventing oxidation! So, make sure you are taking your multi-vitamin and eating plenty of fresh fruit.

It turns out that coffee is a much better antioxidant than coco, black tea or even Vitamin C alone but without the presence of other antioxidants coffee will do you no good.

Other studies have found significant health benefits from drinking coffee also. Coffee inhibits gallstones. It lessens the affects of asthma. It inhibits histamine and allergic reactions.

Coffee has also been shown that it may have an effect on cardiac diseases, primarily heart disease, the number one killer in first world countries. The effects come from the antioxidants and the LDL (bad) cholesterol lowering properties. While there are a number of benefits that can be gained from drinking coffee it can also cause complications if you have a heart conditions. This is caused by the caffeine. It is one of the reasons why decaffeinated versions of various coffees were also included in the test. The decaf coffee performed equally as well unless it was made with the espresso method as mentioned above.

Coffee is one of the worlds most frequently consumed beverages. Just about every country in the world drinks it and studies show that it has great potential to provide a significant health benefit to a wide variety of illnesses. It can help to prevent or reduce symptoms and in some cases it can even protect you from disease.

Some people have given coffee a bad name. Just remember, eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, take your multi-vitamin and Omega-3's and enjoy your morning brew!