While fans of coffee have long held it up as an essential part of their day, the quantifiable health benefits of coffee have come into the spotlight in recent years. A new Harvard study is the latest to provide data showing that coffee's utility may go far beyond helping people to wake up.
The Harvard School of Public Health published a coffee study that found "coffee may be associated with a reduced risk of prostate cancer." The study found "a strong inverse association between coffee consumption and risk of lethal prostate cancer," but also said caffeine was not the reason--"the association appears to be related to non-caffeine components of coffee."
Caffeine does have a health component beyond possible cancer prevention. It is used by many athletes, for instance, to enhance muscle output during a workout. Coffee's most common use, of course, is to kick-start the day, both through caffeine consumption and morning ritual.
