'Caffeinated' Workout May Cut Cancer

Japanese study finds benefits of 3 cups a day apply only to women

(NEWSER) - Drinking three or more cups of coffee a day can cut the risk of colon cancer in half—but the benefit manifests itself only in women. What's more, Reuters reports, the research was conducted in Japan, where men drink and smoke so much that scientists had trouble controlling for those factors. More»

Just drink 4 cups a day; decaf works, too

(NEWSER) - Consuming four cups a day of coffee, tea, or even decaf dramatically lowers the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, researchers say. In 18 studies that covered a whopping half-million people, coffee drinkers lowered their risk of diabetes by 7% per cup, Bloomberg reports. More research is needed, but the finding could eventually lead to doctors instructing patients to "increase their consumption of tea and coffee in addition to increasing their levels of physical activity," the scientists write. More»

Coffee, caffeine may have health benefits

(NEWSER) - Get this: Coffee's not bad for you, and it could have health benefits. New studies do a better job of separating the effects of coffee from those of its formerly frequent partner, cigarettes, the Los Angeles Times reports. And when you look beyond caffeine, "coffee is a complex beverage with hundreds, if not thousands, of bioactive ingredients," a Canadian researcher notes. Among the health benefits:

• Diabetes: Studies suggest the chlorogenic acid in coffee cuts the risk for Type 2 diabetes.

Beverage's mere aroma increases wakefulness, study shows

(NEWSER) - The aroma of coffee is enough to wake you up, a new study shows. Smelling coffee stimulated the expression of genes known to reverse the damaging effect of stress and sleep deprivation in test animals’ brains, international researchers tell LiveScience. Coffee’s stimulating effects have been known for ages, but are usually attributed to its caffeine kick. More»

Daily caffeine helps protect the brain from damaging cholesterol

(NEWSER) - A daily fix of caffeine helps shield the brain from the damaging effects of cholesterol, which is apparently the way coffee helps reduce the risk of dementia, new research suggests. The "blood-brain barrier" protects the brain from toxins in the bloodstream, but scientists have discovered that cholesterol makes it leaky. The strength of the barrier was boosted in rabbits given the caffeine equivalent of a daily cup of joe, reports the BBC. More»