Coffee is a daily fixture of movement, motivation, and function in our high-paced Western society. It is the essential ingredient for many of us in our day-to-day effort to meet deadlines, earn money, and be efficient. Because of its role in the daily grind, so to speak, other aspects of coffee are often overlooked. Coffee producers take the most initiative to promote their coffee as a source of energy, while they should be emphasizing the natural health benefits of the coffee bean. Over the last fifty years, a number of studies have been conducted that tout the potency of coffee as a source of all-around vitality and well-being. Researchers have shown that coffee reduces the risk of Type II diabetes, slows the rate of cognitive decline in aging individuals, and reduces the risk of various forms of cancer.

A 2004 study in Sweden across all ages and demographics demonstrated a significant negative correlation between high coffee consumption and the risk of developing high insulin resistance (Agardh et. al 2004). This and other studies have demonstrated that persons who consume more than two cups of coffee a day are much more likely to avoid developing Type II diabetes. Interestingly enough, many individuals who fall into the category of obese also suffer from Type II diabetes or are "pre-diabetic". A number of studies have shown that coffee plays a significant role in preventing the increase in insulin resistance that causes Type II diabetes.

Coffee has also been shown to reduce the rate of cognitive decline in aging individuals. A 10-year study of Finnish, Dutch, and Italian men, ending in 2007, demonstrated that subjects who drank three or more cups of coffee per day experienced significantly less decline in cognitive function as they aged, as compared to a group that consumed zero or fewer than three cups of coffee a day (van Gelder et. al 2007). These findings could be potentially significant for the study of Alzheimers and other neurological diseases. In addition, one of the key complaints of aging individuals is the decline of cognitive function.

Several studies have shown a significant negative correlation between coffee consumption and risk of colorectal and liver cancers. One study in Japan found that men who consumed a cup of coffee a day for ten years had about half the risk of contracting liver cancer as compared to their non-coffee imbibing counterparts. For those who consumed more than five cups of coffee a day, the risk of liver cancer was 76% less than in those who had consumed no coffee (Inoue 2005). The fact that coffee helps to initiate bowel movements has been implicated in the significantly lower incidence of colorectal cancer in the coffee-consuming population.

Research related to the potential health benefits of coffee is only scratching the surface of the gold that lies beneath the brown surface of the coffee bean.
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