Is Coffee a Health Drink?

Filed Under (Healthy) by Webmaster on 16-09-2009

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Is Coffee a Health Drink?

 
Coffee lovers, the people who love coffee would be surprised to hear that their most beloved drink can also be considered as a health drink nowadays. 
 
Before, coffee is not considered as a health drink because of its high caffeine content. But now, more and more studies show that coffee—in moderation—can be considered as a health drink because of the number of benefits one can enjoy from drinking it. 
 
In most workplace settings, a normal person can consume at least four cups of steaming brewed coffee in a day. This is to keep him or her to stay alert and awake in the next hours. In most countries, coffee is considered as a staple drink. In fact, all over the world, people have their specialty coffee from beans that only grow and found in that part of the globe. 
 
The coffee revolution
 
Nowadays, a lot of people are getting more and more apprehensive about what they are actually buying and how it is grown or made especially their coffees. One of the most noticeable trends is coffee now is organic coffee. This type of coffee very much similar to regularly grown coffee, the only difference is the method by which the farmer grew the coffee. The process does not include pesticide, chemicals, and other substances except the ones found in nature were used to grow the coffee beans. This kind of coffee is untouched by the ravaging effects of chemical used to kill pests that’s why some people believe it has therapeutic properties. 
 
Today, coffee—whether its organic or not—is considered by many people as a health drink because it is believed to contain more antioxidants in one typical serving compared to that of other juices such as grapes, oranges, and raspberries blueberries. In fact, more and more dieticians agree that coffee can be a good alternative for commercial health drinks because it can bring benefits that can be good for a person’s overall health.
 
Here’s a list of what coffee—as a health drink—can do for the coffee lovers out there. 
 
1. Excellent source of anti-oxidant. A cup of coffee is believed to be loaded with tannin and antioxidants that are beneficial in keeping diseases away and can help achieve a healthier skin. Certain properties of coffee are believed to help control the cell damage which leads to the development of certain diseases.
 
2. Good for the cardiovascular system. Experts agree that coffee contain properties that are good for the heart and its arteries. It also helps improve the circulation of blood within the person’s heart.
 
3. An alternative headache and asthma reliever. People who consume enough amount of caffeine are known to reduce risks of possible asthma attacks because the caffeine is believed to be a good pain buster. 
 
4. Promotes healthy liver. Aside from reducing the risk of several serious cardiovascular illnesses, coffee is believed to bring about healthy benefits to the liver especially those who have cirrhosis and gallstones.
 
5. Controls sugar levels among diabetics. Coffee is known to be a good source of "chlorogenic acid," that are proven to reduce large amounts of glucose concentrations in the blood. People who are prone to diabetes can consume larger quantities of coffee because it greatly helps in the prevention of diabetes. 
 
6. It can boost to athleticism. As a health drink, drinking coffee can be a good way to boost one’s athleticism because of its high caffeine content. Experts agree that caffeine can enhance the athletic endurance and performance of an athlete, what more in an ordinary person?
 

Health Drinks and Their Benefits

Filed Under (Healthy) by Webmaster on 14-09-2009

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Health Drinks and Their Benefits

 
Health drinks have become increasingly popular nowadays.  Before it was difficult to find health drink supplement, but currently there seems to countless options that you can choose from. Right now the question is if you can find a health drink that truly has health benefits.  
 
Because of the competition, there are health drinks out there which are just sugar and flavoring.  But still, there are health drinks backed up by scientific researches and testimonials of their companies and consumers.  Consumers are not afraid to testify or give a testimonial regarding the effectiveness of a product because of its given benefits to them.  
 
Health drinks are becoming a part of the daily routine and meal.  Health drinks are also starting to replace coffee, juices and even vitamins as nutrient sources.  Some of their claimed benefits would include rejuvenation (specially for the skin), improved eye-sight, anti-aging benefits like memory enhancement, anti-inflammatory, blood  cleanser, detoxifier, immune system re-enforcer, goof heart benefits and may even slow down certain cancers.  
 
When choosing the best health drink for you,  check the product component and said benefits based on the testimonials of the consumers.  The more testimonials you can find, then the better.  But do not assume that these same effects will happen to you or help you the same way.  
 
Fruit drinks, as a health drink,  are often times used to supplement the diet.  Fruit drinks are refreshing that is why a lot of people are including it in their diet.  There are some sweetened fruit drinks available commercially,  it is oftentimes used to replace soft drinks.  
 
Fruits and vegetables clean the body, the fibers removing the toxins.  Fruits and vegetables are great source of vitamins and can even ward of diabetes and obesity.  If parents are having difficulty including fruits and vegetables in their children’s diet, then they would make health drinks out of it.  It would make it more appealing  to the children. They are better tasting and require less consumption.
 
It is better to consume natural health drinks, unfortunately most of the health drinks available in the market today are usually soft drinks designed to provide energy.  These kind of health drinks  are made in a way to provide nutrients in the body so that the body will be able to recover from injuries and other kinds of ailments.  
 
Natural health drinks would include fruit juices, as mentioned earlier.  Recent studies showed that coffee is even a natural health drink.  It helps in fighting diseases, even reduce diabetes and heart diseases.  There were also some studies showing tat coffee can reduce the risk of bladder cancer for women.
 
Researches and studies have always shown that tea has natural benefits. Green tea has antioxidants capabilities, boosts the immune function and  helps prevent arteriosclerosis and cancer.  
 
But compared to other health drinks, water is still the most valuable drink for our body.  Water is important for the body since it would help the body absorb vitamins and nutrients.  Body wastes are carried away by water, water can detoxify your kidneys and liver.  Without water, the body will dehydrate.  Water dehydration can make the blood thicker making it difficult to circulate around the blood streams.
 
There are a lot of commercially-made and natural health drinks which claim that can be beneficial to the body. But it is the decision that should always be done with the in consideration with the body and its long term effects on the body.   
 

Health Drinks: A History

Filed Under (Healthy) by Webmaster on 09-09-2009

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Health Drinks: A History 

 
Ancient Chinese have long believed in the benefits of drinking natural health drinks to improve one’s health disposition.  Tea has been drunk for at least 4,000 years.  While coffee has been around for centuries.  Both have immense benefits for health improvement.  
 
Tea was first discovered in China in 2737 B.C.  According to Chinese records, the emperor would only drink water which is boiled to make sure that it is indeed clean.  During a trip, a servant boiled water and a dried leaf fell on the boiling water.  It turned the water brown but was still served to the emperor.  The emperor drank the concoction and found it very refreshing.  
 
Coffee, on the other hand, has can be traced as early as the 9th century.  Coffee was largely cultivated in Ethiopia. Soon, the Arabs started trading it, bringing it to northern Africa where it was mass-cultivated.  After being popular in Africa, it started to enter Indian and European Markets.  
 
Europe and Asia pioneered energy drinks.  In 1901, the first energy drink was released in Scotland called Im-Bru. While in Japan, their energy drinks can be traced as early as 1960s.  Although they cite that there are already some attempts in mixing different minerals with water before World War II  they released Lipovitan in early 1960s.  South Korea also produced “genki drinks” which are also energy drinks.
 
In 1929, Lucozade Energy was used as a hospital drink in the United Kingdom.  This drink was primarily for helping the speedy recovery of hospital patients.  In the 1980s, this drink was commercially released as an energy drink meant to replace lost energy.
 
The worldwide leading energy drink, Red Bull, was created and marketed by an Austrian entrepreneur.  This leading energy drink was created in Europe.  It was based on a Thai drink called Krating Daeng, which is also based on Lipovitan.  Red Bull entered the United States market in 1997, and currently the dominant brand.  It’s approximate market share is as big as 47 percent.  
 
For sports drinks, the first one created was for the purpose of improving the performance of athletes and sports star, was for the Florida Gators.  That is why the first product, which was released during 1960s, was called Gatorade. The main purpose of this drink is to provide to lengthen the performance levels and aid hydration of athletes.  
 
As early as 1985, the United States have started to introduce energy drinks.  They had the Jolt Cola.  While in 1995, PepsiCo launched the Josta.  This was the first energy drink made by a leading United States beverage company.  
 
Since then, energy drinks have started to gain fair market share and popularity.  More and more companies are taking advantage of such popularity and high demand.  Most people who consume energy drinks are within the range of 13 to 35 years old.  Young adult and male drinkers comprise 65 percent of the target market.  Since 2001, the increase of the energy drink market has been increasing by 50 percent every year.  Since this market is relatively new, with 20 years under its belt, there is still much hype about it. 
 
More and more people seek out energy drinks and new developments.   People are trying to be heath conscious amidst all the pressure of a high and fast paced life.  With the demand increasing, there are unlimited possibilities. We are trying to discover ways in fitting all the nutrients and more vitamins and minerals that we can have in just one gulp.  Health can be just in one drink after all.