5 reasons to drink coffee

Coffee gives millions that jump start they need in the morning, but it may actually be doing much more than that. Over the past few years, researchers have been finding countless ways in which coffee might be preventing diseases.

Here are five recent studies highlighting the benefits of java:

• Reduced risk of liver cancer. Three cups of coffee a day may significantly lower your risk of liver cancer, according to a study presented at the annual American Association for Cancer Research meeting in 2014.
• Decreased risk of endometrial cancer. Women who drank three cups of coffee a day reduced their risk of developing endometrial cancer by 19 percent compared to women who drank less than one cup, according to a study published in Cancer, Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention.
• Improved heart health. The caffeine in a cup of coffee can significantly improve blood flow in small vessels, which can lead to better heart health, according to research presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2013.
• Better memory. Coffee also improved the memory of young adults in a study published in Nature Neuroscience.
• Decreased risk for Type 2 diabetes. People who increase their coffee consumption by more than one cup a day for several years are less likely to develop Type 2 diabetes.

While these studies, may make coffee appear to be a miracle drug, physicians say more research is needed on the benefits of drinking java.

“Recent studies in the past 10 years have found an association between coffee and a lower risk of colorectal cancers, head/neck cancers, prostate cancer and pancreatic cancers, among others,” said Dr. John Brems, general surgeon with Advocate Medical Group in a previously published article. “Obviously, more studies need to be conducted to determine a cause-and-effect relationship. At this point, it appears that coffee has many beneficial effects that we’re just starting to realize.”