Coffee is Herbal Medicine, not just a cup of joe.

Possibly that trip to the corner coffee house has more benefits than just the immediate wakeup call. I bet you never thought of coffee as an herbal medicine, but there is more to coffee bean than meets the eye. There are many benefits to ingesting this herbal medicine in moderation. Terry Graham, Chairman of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, is a coffee researcher and says, "Coffee is a complex beverage with hundreds, if not thousands, of bioactive ingredients, a cup of coffee is 2% caffeine, 98% other stuff."

People don't think of the coffee bean as an herb. Indeed, the coffee plant belongs to the Rubiaceae family, which is a source of several different Chinese medicinal herbs. At the proper dosages, the coffee bean has the ability to improve health in several ways. Drinking coffee can increase cardiovascular health and lower the risk of colon cancer, gallstones, cirrhosis, and Parkinson’s disease. A typical dosage for this type of herbal medicine is in the range of 6-18 grams per day, which translates to about 1-3 cups of coffee, depending on how many grams of ground beans are used. Roasting the coffee beans does not detract from the beneficial effects of this herb.

The primary active substances in the coffee bean are chlorogenic and caffeic acids. These substances have been shown to have anti-depressant and anti-anxiety effects. No wonder those local Starbucks have become our favorite pit stop. Another potential beneficial effect of these herbal medicine substances is to regulate blood sugar levels by reducing the absorption of glucose (thus reducing blood glucose levels).

There have been case studies done to examine the effect of long-term coffee drinking on type 2 diabetes mellitus, and it has been found that, “… long-term coffee consumption is associated with a statistically significantly lower risk for type 2 diabetes,” (Salazar-Martinez E et al. 2004). This study by Salazar-Martinez et al. took into consideration age, body mass index, as well as other risk factors to ensure accurate results. Type 2 diabetes mellitus is associated more with behavioral and lifestyle choices than necessarily with genetics and can be brought on by obesity, smoking, and physical inactivity.

Coffee, just like any other potent herbal medicine, is not necessarily for everyone. Some people may be more sensitive to the effects of caffeine or other ingredients present in coffee, such as potassium, niacin, magnesium and tocopherols. However, coffee has proven to be safe for the majority of people when consumed in reasonable amounts. So start your day guilt-free with a freshly brewed cup of herbal chlorogenics, drink up and enjoy.