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Coffee News
Coffee: The New Health Food?
Plenty of health benefits are brewing in America's beloved beverage,
coffee.
By Sid Kirchheimer
Reviewed By Brunilda Nazario, MD
January 26, 2004
WebMD Feature
Source: MSN Health News
Want a drug that could lower your risk of diabetes,
Parkinson's disease, and colon cancer? That could lift your mood and treat
headaches? That could lower your risk of cavities?
If it sounds too good to be true, think again.
Coffee, the much maligned but undoubtedly beloved beverage, just made
headlines for possibly cutting the risk of the latest disease epidemic,
type 2 diabetes. And the real news seems to be that the more you drink,
the better.
Reducing Disease Risk
After analyzing data on 126,000 people for as long as 18 years, Harvard
researchers calculate that compared with not partaking in America's favorite
morning drink, downing one to three cups of caffeinated coffee daily can
reduce diabetes risk by single digits. But having six cups or more each
day slashed men's risk by 54% and women's by 30% over java avoiders.
Though the scientists give the customary "more research is needed"
before they recommend you do overtime at Starbuck's to specifically prevent
diabetes, their findings, reported just two weeks ago, are very similar
to those in a less-publicized Dutch study last year. And perhaps more
importantly, it's the latest of hundreds of studies suggesting that coffee
may be something of a health food -- especially in higher amounts.
In recent decades, some 19,000 studies have been done examining coffee's
impact on health. And for the most part, their results are as pleasing
as a gulp of freshly brewed Breakfast Blend for the 108 million Americans
who routinely enjoy this traditionally morning -- and increasingly daylong
-- ritual. In practical terms, regular coffee drinkers include the majority
of U.S. adults and a growing number of children.
"Overall, the research shows that coffee is far more healthful than
it is harmful," says Tomas DePaulis, PhD, research scientist at Vanderbilt
University's Institute for Coffee Studies, which conducts its own medical
research and tracks coffee studies from around the world. "For most
people, very little bad comes from drinking it, but a lot of good."
Consider this: At least six studies indicate that people who drink coffee
on a regular basis are up to 80% less likely to develop Parkinson's, with
three showing the more they drink, the lower the risk. Other research
shows that compared to not drinking coffee, at least two cups daily can
translate to a 25% reduced risk of colon cancer, an 80% drop in liver
cirrhosis risk, and nearly half the risk of gallstones.
Coffee even offsets some of the damage caused by other vices, some research
indicates. "People who smoke and are heavy drinkers have less heart
disease and liver damage when they regularly consume large amounts of
coffee compared to those who don't," says DePaulis.
There's also some evidence that coffee may help manage asthma and even
control attacks when medication is unavailable, stop a headache, boost
mood, and even prevent cavities.
The Benefits of Caffeine
Is it the caffeine? The oodles of antioxidants in coffee beans, some of
which become especially potent during the roasting process? Even other
mysterious properties that warrant this intensive study?
Actually, yes.
Some of coffee's reported benefits are a direct result of its higher caffeine
content: An eight ounce cup of drip-brewed coffee contains about 85 mg
-- about three and a half times more than the same serving of tea or cola
or one ounce of chocolate.
"The evidence is very strong that regular
coffee consumption reduces risk of Parkinson's disease and for that, it's
directly related to caffeine," DePaulis tells WebMD. "In fact,
Parkinson's drugs are now being developed that contain a derivative of
caffeine based on this evidence."
Caffeine is also what helps in treating asthma and headaches. Though not
widely publicized, a single dose of pain reliever such as Anacin or Excedrin
contains up to 120 milligrams -- what's in a hefty mug o' Joe.
It's also caffeine -- and not coffee, per se -- that makes java a powerful
aid in enhancing athletic endurance and performance, says physiologist
and longtime coffee researcher Terry Graham, PhD, of the University of
Guelph in Canada. So powerful, in fact, that until recently, caffeine
in coffee or other forms was deemed a "controlled" substance
by the Olympic Games Committee, meaning that it could be consumed only
in small, designated amounts by competing athletes.
"What caffeine likely does is stimulate the brain and nervous system
to do things differently," he tells WebMD. "That may include
signaling you to ignore fatigue or recruit extra units of muscle for intense
athletic performance. Caffeine may even have a direct effect on muscles
themselves, causing them to produce a stronger contraction. But what's
amazing about it is that unlike some performance-enhancing manipulation
some athletes do that are specific for strength or sprinting or endurance,
studies show that caffeine positively enhances all of these things."
In other words, consume enough caffeine -- whether it's from coffee or
another source -- and you will likely run faster, last longer and be stronger.
What's enough? As little as one cup can offer some benefit, but the real
impact comes from at least two mugs, says Graham. By comparison, it'd
take at least eight glasses of cola to get the same effect, which isn't
exactly conducive for running a marathon.
But the harder you exercise, the more benefit you may get from coffee.
"Unfortunately, where you see the enhancing effects from caffeine
is in hard-working athletes, who are able to work longer and somewhat
harder," says Graham, who has studied the effects of caffeine and
coffee for nearly two decades. "If you a recreational athlete who
is working out to reduce weight or just feel better, you're not pushing
yourself hard enough to get an athletic benefit from coffee or other caffeinated
products."
But you can get other others benefits from coffee that have nothing to
do with caffeine. "Coffee is loaded with antioxidants, including
a group of compounds called quinines that when administered to lab rats,
increases their insulin sensitivity" he tells WebMD. This increased
sensitivity improves the body's response to insulin.
That may explain why in that new Harvard study, those drinking decaf coffee
but not tea beverages also showed a reduced diabetes risk, albeit it was
half as much as those drinking caffeinated coffee.
"We don't know exactly why coffee is beneficial for diabetes,"
lead researcher Frank Hu, MD, tells WebMD. "It is possible that both
caffeine and other compounds play important roles. Coffee has large amounts
of antioxidants such as chlorogenic acid and tocopherols, and minerals
such as magnesium. All these components have been shown to improve insulin
sensitivity and glucose metabolism."
Meanwhile, Italian researchers credit another compound called trigonelline,
which gives coffee its aroma and bitter taste, for having both antibacterial
and anti-adhesive properties to help prevent dental cavities from forming.
There are other theories for other conditions.
Children and Coffee
How does this brew affect growing minds and bodies? Very nicely, it seems,
says DePaulis. Coffee, as you probably know, makes you more alert, which
can boost concentration. But claims that it improves a child's academic
performance can be exaggerated. Coffee-drinking kids may do better on
school tests because they're more awake, but most task-to-task lab studies
suggest that coffee doesn't really improve mental performance, says DePaulis.
But it helps kids' minds in another way. "There recently was a study
from Brazil finding that children who drink coffee with milk each day
are less likely to have depression than other children," he tells
WebMD. "In fact, no studies show that coffee in reasonable amounts
is in any way harmful to children."
On the flip side, it's clear that coffee isn't for everyone. Its legendary
jolt in excess doses -- that is, more than whatever your individual body
can tolerate -- can increase nervousness, hand trembling, and cause rapid
heartbeat. Coffee may also raise cholesterol levels in some people and
may contribute to artery clogging. But most recent large studies show
no significant adverse affects on most healthy people, although pregnant
women, heart patients, and those at risk for osteoporosis may still be
advised to limit or avoid coffee.
The bottom line: "People who already drink a lot of coffee don't
have to feel 'guilty' as long as coffee does not affect their daily life,"
says Hu. "They may actually benefit from coffee habits in the long-run."
Published January 26, 2004.
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