Tea and coffee: the benefits and risks
The UK is a true nation of tea and coffee drinkers. Each person drinks on average 25 cups of tea and coffee a week, and, as a whole, almost 10 million cuppas every hour.
A cuppa is one of life's small pleasures, but there has always been some confusion and debate about whether tea and coffee are good for you.
A new study has found that tea and coffee could be good for your heart. In a report published in November 2009, nutrition expert Dr Carrie Ruxton compared the findings of 47 independent studies and found that drinking up to eight cups of tea a day gives you 'significant health benefits', including a lower risk of heart attacks and strokes, as well as making you feel more alert and cheerful. She said the optimum caffeine intake for an adult is 400mg a day, equivalent to eight cups of tea or four coffees, and it's good for kids too, although they should be limited to 95mg a day.
Another study revealed that drinking just two strong cups of coffee a day could be enough to fight Alzheimer's.
Research carried out on mice by scientists in Florida discovered that 500mg of caffeine a day sharpened their memories - a major breakthrough because caffeine is a safe drug for most people.
Nueroscientist Dr Gary Arendash said: 'The new findings provide evidence that caffeine could be a viable "treatment" for established Alzheimer's disease, and not simply a protective strategy.'
It seems that, as with many things we drink or eat, tea and coffee have some health benefits, but also a few risks too. Read on to find out more...
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V GULVANESSIAN, about 1 year
COFFEE IS AN EXCELLENT DRINK AND HELPS ALERTNESS I DRINK 14 CUPS A DAY EXCELLENT FOR MEMORY. I HEARD THERE LAST NIGHT ON THE BBC NEWS THAT IS A NEW DRUG THAT FIGHTS AND REVERSES ALTZEIMERS CALLED ENTACEPT OR ENTRACEPT OR SOMETHING SIMILAR HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT IT?
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sryan, about 1 year
if you take painkillers coffee gives the painkillers to work quicker
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