It’s no secret that Americans love their coffee – 61% of us to be exact, according to Consumer Reports. And wine is a definite favorite, with 31% of drinkers preferring wine to other alcoholic beverages. But the question remains – are there any health benefits to drinking coffee or wine?
Health benefits of coffee and wine
Good news, drinkers! There’s research to indicate that coffee and wine, when consumed in reasonable amounts, may have some of the same health benefits.
Specifically, wine and coffee may:
- Increase life span
- Boost blood flow
- Diminish the risk of depression
According to a recent study, more than 500,000 Americans spend more than $50,000 a year on prescription drugs. And while coffee and wine won’t solve all of your health problems, a cup or a glass a day could provide some added benefits!
Both wine and coffee contain antioxidants, which are powerful health agents that help your cells fight off damaging free radicals and boost your immune system.
In a recent study, red wine was shown to improve cholesterol. In 2010, Americans spent $18.7 billion on cholesterol medications…
Coffee can help cut your risk for type 2 diabetes, prevent Alzheimer’s, and of course, it helps you stay alert.
Oh, and by the way, brewing your own coffee at home can save regular drinkers up to $500 a year! Here’s more on that.
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The risks
Even with proven benefits, there are still some drawbacks. Coffee has been known to aggravate acid reflux and can intensify symptoms of insomnia and anxiety disorders, particularly in women. Drinking two to three cups of coffee per day may contribute to bone loss that can lead to osteoporosis in older women. Too much red wine can cause weight gain and also leads to dehydration; and cancer has been found to be more prevalent among individuals who drink any amount of alcohol.
So what is “in moderation” really?
“In moderation” may mean different things for different people, due to the fact that we each have a different height, weight and genetic makeup. If you have any health concerns that are further aggravated by either beverage, the best thing to do is to avoid it altogether.
However on average, to stay within the safety zone for coffee, limit your coffee intake to no more than four cups per day, or 400 milligrams, according to the experts at Consumer Reports. For pregnant women, limit it to two cups, (200 milligrams), and for kids, no more than one cup (45 to 85 milligrams). (Then again, why would you want to give your little bundle of energy coffee?!) Keep in mind that this is a rough estimate: Different coffee beverages will have varied amounts of caffeine.
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As far as wine is concerned: If you’re healthy, the American Cancer Society recommends no more than one drink per day for women, and two for men. The serving size as defined by “1 drink” is 5 ounces. It is not recommended for pregnant women to drink wine at all, and if you are at a high risk for cancer, be sure to talk to your doctor.
While there are still a lot of things to consider as far as your health is concerned, the data shows that there may be modest benefits to drinking both coffee and wine. And as it goes with many things, moderation is key!
