Brightly colored fruits and dark leafy vegetables have always been heralded as carriers of healthy antioxidant vitamins. However, new research shows that people are getting antioxidants from a much different source.
Coffee, typically associated with its high levels of caffeine, has now proven to also be the top antioxidant source for Americans.
Researchers at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania studied the amounts of antioxidants in more than 100 types of food. Then, they correlated this data with a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) database containing how much of each type of food Americans actually eat, which allowed researchers to analyze where we are getting the majority of our antioxidants.
Based on the USDA database used, the average American drinks 1.64 cups of coffee per day, which yields 1,229 milligrams of antioxidants. This is four times the amount of antioxidants that Americans are getting from tea.
Antioxidants exist as vitamins and minerals in a variety of foods we eat. The most common antioxidants are vitamins A, C, E and beta-carotene. Although coffee is the source from which Americans get the most antioxidant vitamins, vegetables such as spinach, carrots and kale have higher concentrations of antioxidants per serving -- we just don't eat as much of them.
Antioxidants are important to a healthy diet because they protect cells in our body from harmful free radicals. Free radicals are atoms or molecules that have an odd number of electrons. They are created through oxidation -- the interaction of oxygen with certain molecules.
If a free radical is formed in a cell and nothing is done about it, it can damage the DNA of the cell. This process has been implicated in natural aging, but excessive free radical damage to cells can also cause many types of cancer.
This is where antioxidants come into the picture; they help to stabilize free radicals and stop them from doing damage.
This is not the first time coffee has been found to have antioxidants and other health benefits. A study conducted this February in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute followed the coffee drinking habits of more than 60,000 Japanese men for up to ten years and found that a daily cup of coffee cut their cancer risk in half.
Last year, scientists in Germany found that an antioxidant that is only found in coffee reduces one's risk of colon cancer. Other studies have linked coffee consumption to decreases in the Parkinson's disease and type 2 diabetes.
Before you run to Starbucks, however, remember that just because Americans are getting the most antioxidants from coffee, that doesn't mean that is the way it should be.
"That is not a license to make it a mainstay of your health regimen," says Dr. Keith I. Block of the Block Center for Integrative Cancer Care & Optimal Health in Evanston, Illinois. "Vinson's results are perhaps more a reflection on the inadequacy of our fruit and vegetable intake than on the health benefits of coffee, which has some significant health concerns for many people.
Vinson's results are perhaps more a reflection on the inadequacy of our fruit and vegetable intake than on the health benefits of coffee, which has some significant health concerns for many people," noted Block.
The levels of antioxidants in a food don't directly translate to the antioxidant levels inside the body. Instead, this depends on how the antioxidant is processed. Foods like spinach and carrots may have antioxidants which are more easily utilized by our bodies.
Coffee has also received some bad press in the past few years, with some studies linking it to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure. In addition, large amounts of caffeine, while it might make an all-night study session at the library easier, can put stress on the body.
Although this fact is certainly worth noting, that coffee provides Americans with so many antioxidants is not the end of the story. A cup of coffee won't kill you.
"While a little coffee can be fine for most people, increasing beyond a cup or two a day can lead to clinical problems. The supersized caffeinated blends can actually be toxic! Though usually toxic dosing requires quite high dosing, upwards of 150 ounces daily, toxicity can result for some people if they were to consume 35 to 70 ounces in a short period. " notes Block.
However, the healthiest way to get antioxidants is through a diet which includes foods from all food groups.
In particular, experts emphasize the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables. Block states, "These reduce your risks of killer diseases."
