Coffee

December 2, 2002

Since we’ve had a couple of coaches miss their scheduled practice, Jim Montgomery set a new standard in begging for forgiveness when he showed up with Starbucks for all the St Mark’s morning swimmers. Some of you expressed a little concern about caffeine and coffee consumption. I know the worries that coffee can increase risk of a variety of diseases such as cancer, and heart disease. But guess what, coffee may actually be a health food.

Registered Dietician Susan Moore looked at the literature to determine what the real dangers of coffee consumption are. What she found may surprise you.

Coffee doesn’t raise cholesterol. Modern filters actually remove the chemicals that cause an increase in cholesterol. Coffee doesn’t cause pancreatic cancer and may reduce the your risk of colon cancer. Coffee will cause a small loss of calcium, which can easily be corrected by adding cream or milk to your morning brew. Coffee can cause stomach problems in people with reflux disorder or ulcers. On the positive side coffee has been shown to reduce the chance of Parkinson’s disease, prevents gallstones, improves short-term memory, and relieves headaches. And from an athletic standpoint, coffee increases strength and energy levels, which will help you workout a bit more intensely.

So next time you head for the pool stop by 7-11 and pour yourself a 20 ounce cup and get ready for one great swim, and remember all the healthy benefits that cup is giving you.

See you at the pool
Bobby