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Coffee: A beverage full of goodness
That Coffee is a beverage full of goodness may appear difficult or untrue to some peopAle and the reason is simple. They have been warned by some medical practitioners or some relatives to stay away from the caffeinated beverage as they had attached many ailments to its consumption. This myth is being discarded by a group of people, who took interest in the bean and have discovered the many benefits of coffee. Ignite is a scientific based programme that seeks to take medical practitioners on a journey of health and coffee.
Speaking at a nutrition lecture organised for students of medical college in the University of Ibadan and Obafemi Awolowo University during the last weekend, a team member of the Ignite Scientific Group and Fellow at the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), Dr. Bartholomew Brai said contrary to the widespread myth, coffee is a unique beverage loaded with goodness.
Dr. Brai, who is also a member of the Nutrition Society of Nigeria, said coffee contains antioxidants, which help the body against oxidation stress. He said the modern day life exposes humans to many sources of oxidation stress such as inflammation, pollution, cigarette smoke and other free radicals that initiate chain reactions that can damage DNA, protein and lipids. With the antioxidants provided by food sources and mostly coffee, the body is immune against oxidation stress.
The nutritionist also said it a known fact from research findings that coffee helps in enhancing mental and physical performance, lowers the risk of ailments such as Type 2-diabetes, Colon Cancer, Hepatic Diseases, Alzheimer Disease, Parkinson Disease, just to mention a few. He said the fact that coffee contains bioactives like caffeine, antioxidants, minerals and vitamins, which in one accord implies that it does not only contribute to the daily recommended needs of the body, but also plays a major role in reducing the risk of developing some diseases like the ones listed above
Also speaking at the lecture, Public Health Physician and lecturer at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Dr. Kemi Odukoya said recent studies have indicated that a lower risk of coronary heart disease among moderate coffee drinkers is connected to the presence of antioxidants found in coffee.
Further, she explained that caffeine, which has been used to condemn coffee, is the most widely consumed pharmacologically active substance in the world. Caffeine, according to the public health physician is also found in tea, cocoa, chocolate products, soft and energy drinks and a variety of both the prescription and over the counter drugs.
She said the objectives of the lecture is to expose the medical students to the findings of the modern day research on coffee, educate them on the many benefits inherent in moderate coffee consumption so as stop the spread of the myth against a beneficial beverage like coffee.
