Coffee is serving as an antioxidant for Americans as green tea has been doing the trick in Asia, however there are better sources of antioxidants available, said nutritionists.
Coffee and tea contain a lot of antioxidants and can be beneficial to the body in limited amounts.
The beverage with the highest caffeine content is espresso and cappuccino, said Dr Rania Al Halawani, dietician at the Al Mousa Medical Centre in Dubai, and no more than two cups should be drunk in a day.
Coffee has been dubbed the top antioxidant for Americans according to researchers from the University of Scranton, Pennsylvania, however fruit and vegetables are better sources, said Al Halawani
"Coffee contains a lot of antioxidants which are good for the heart and arteries but more than the maximum amount can be bad. Around two to three cups a day is enough. More than 200mg of caffeine can affect the nervous system.
"The heart will beat faster, it affects blood pressure and anybody who drinks a lot of coffee will be stressed and nervous," said Al Halawani.
She said one cup of espresso and cappuccino contains 100 to 150mg of caffeine whilst decaffeinated coffee has only 2 to 5mg of caffeine.
Turkish coffee has between 70 to 155mg caffeine and black and green tea contain between 30 to 50mg.
"I don't recommend for people to get their antioxidants from coffee. Also a 250ml can of energy drink contain 30 to 80mg of caffeine and will make you hyperactive. People who have problems of insomnia or anxiety should start by cutting down on caffeine," said Al Halawani.
Coffee importers and merchants, Cubita Trading in Dubai said they import about 50 tonnes of coffee annually. This mainly includes Turkish, Italian and American coffee.
"Turkish coffee is the most popular here and it is sold in supermarkets, groceries as well as coffee shops. The most popular is Najjar coffee from Lebanon.
"There is somewhat of a coffee culture here but the Arabic coffee is different and has a lot of cardamom, a little bit of coffee and saffron," said a salesperson from the company.
Antioxidants are nutrients vitamins and minerals as well as enzymes (proteins in the body that assist in chemical reactions).
They are believed to play a role in preventing the development of such chronic diseases as cancer, heart disease, stroke, Alz-heimer's disease, Rheumatoid arthritis, and cataracts.
It's estimated that there are more than 4,000 compounds in foods that act as antioxidants. The most studied include vitamins C and E, betacarotene and the mineral selenium.
Habit
Report highlights benefits
Asians have green tea but Americans have their own source of antioxidants coffee, researchers reported on Sunday.
Americans drink plenty of coffee, which is high in antioxidants, compounds such as vitamins that fight damage to cells and to DNA, the study found.
But Americans are not eating enough fruit and vegetables, the sources of antioxidants as well as fiber and other nutrients that dietitians, scientists and doctors recommend, said Joe Vinson of the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania.
Reuters
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