Drink up: Health benefits of coffee are numerous

Your morning cup of coffee provides more than a jolt of caffeine—it can also have significant health benefits. A September 28, 2015 Harvard Gazette article highlighted several studies by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health researchers illustrating the positive effects of coffee. One study, led by Alberto Ascherio, professor of epidemiology and nutrition, showed that drinking four or five cups of coffee daily cut risk of Parkinson’s disease nearly in half compared with drinking little or no caffeine.

The benefits of coffee are wide-ranging—from protecting against type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease to lowering rates of depression among women. But it’s not entirely clear why coffee is so beneficial. “Coffee is a complex beverage,” Frank Hu, professor of nutrition and epidemiology, told the Gazette.

Read the Harvard Gazette article and watch the video: How coffee loves us back

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