DRINK COFFEE RIGHT, ADD YEARS TO YOUR LIFE

Let me go back to our days at Munnar in the 50s, 60s and 70s of the 20th century.

Papa was an employee of the KDHPCoLtd. He had to be present at the KDHP Workshop before 7 am. 

He would get up before 6 am in the morning, prepare black coffee with Jaggery and wake us up at 6 am sharp and serve the hot coffee. The routine still sticks on with me. I wake up before 6am every day, no matter however late I go to sleep the previous night. 

Munnar was very cold those days. We would be shivering as we were forced out of our sound sleep. 

Once coffee was over, Papa would herd us to the sitting room. It was prayer time. We would sing together a song. The rest belonged to Papa. He would read the bible and pray. Our role was to join when the Lord's prayer came up.

Papa's faith in God was rocklike. It stood with him at all times. 

6.40 am, he would leave for the Workshop. Once the job there was done, he would move on to the Head Quarters of the KDHPCo. A segment of his job was at the Engineering Department there.

Hardwork rewarded him, though the going was tough. He was a B Covenented official of the Company when he retired. His job profile had been varied. It covered all the estates and factories of KDHPCo and its  establishments along with the buildings and roads in and around Munnar, and at times at the Anamalais. The private estate at Kolugumalai too was in the armoury. 

When I went through the article in the newspaper on Coffee, memories sprouted.

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Coffee could add years to your life, if only you drink it right

Dr.S.K.Sarin, liver specialist, speaks to Durgesh Nandan Jha in Times of India of 3rdJuly2025

1.   Drinking 1 - 2 cups of coffee daily (black coffee and low sugar/fatcofee) lowers all cause mortality risk by 16%

2.   Drinking 2 - 3 cups of coffee daily lowers all cause mortality risk by 17%.

3.   Black coffee reduces mortality by 14%

4.   High sugar/ fat coffee has no mortality benefits.

5.   Moderate intake of coffee produces 35% reduction in cardiovascular episodes.

6.   Those drinking 1 - 2 cups of coffee daily were found to have reduced risk of death due to cancer and cardiovascular causes.

7.   Drinking more than two cups of unsweetened coffee daily reduces incidence of new cancers and cancer related deaths.

8.   Coffee can be considered a drug for metabolic liver diseases. It is not an antidote to smoking, alcohol, sugar and fat.

9.  Consumption of two cups of cofee reduces risk of death due to liver cirrhosis.

10.Each extra cup of coffee reduces depression risk by 8%

11.Drinking coffee helps mitigate the ill effects of metabolic syndrome - hypertension, obesity, diabetes, high lipids

12.Coffee changes the gut bacteria for good and has anti inflammatory and anti cancer compounds.

13.Coffee counteracts fatigue. Moderate consumption lowers the risk of stroke and dementia.

14. While coffee's main ingredient, Caffeine, is addictive and psychoactive if consumed in excess, Caffeine has potent antioxidant, antifibrotic and anti lipid properties if taken in moderation.. It suppresses adenosine - a molecule that causes sleepiness -  and stimulates the nervous system,releases hormones dopamine, and serotonin that lift mood, energy levels, alertness and memory.

15.Coffee raises levels of adiponectin, an insulin sensitising hormone linked to fat burning.

16.Coffee is a beverage, not a drug. It should be consumed like one, in moderation and at a proper time.

17.Milk and sugar add to the calorie count. That's why drip cofee or regular balck coffe is most beneficial to health. 

18.A spoon or two of milk in coffee may reduce acidity.

19.Milk is not for those with lactose intolerance.

20.Milk reduces absorption of chlorogenic acid which is anti inflammatory and anti oxidant.