For years, coffee news has swung back and forth between positive and negative. At the same time, study after study extolled the health virtues of tea. But a raft of new research suggests that coffee offers almost as many health benefits while protecting against a host of diseases.
All of this is not to suggest that you should start chugging down endless cups of coffee if you’re not already a coffee lover. After all, excessive coffee consumption can be a drawback for some people. But if you like your daily “cuppa joe,” you might enjoy a bit knowing that your coffee habit has finally been vindicated.
Antioxidants and More
A few years ago, headlines heralded the news that coffee was the number one source of antioxidants in the American diet. It earned that claim not because it’s richer in antioxidants than fruits or vegetables, but because we drink so much of it.
One of the main antioxidants in coffee is methylpyridinium, which may help protect against colon cancer. This may explain the findings of a recent study that found that women who drank three or more cups of coffee a day had half the risk of colon cancer as those who didn’t drink.
Another antioxidant in coffee, chlorogenic acid, has been shown to inhibit liver cancer. In one study, for every two cups of coffee participants drank, there was a 43 percent lower risk of liver cancer. This same substance slows the absorption of glucose in the intestines and could help explain the protective effect of coffee against type 2 diabetes
Here’s something else you probably didn’t know: coffee is the main dietary source of the trace mineral boron. Biologist Curtiss Hunt of the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center found that an eight-ounce cup of instant coffee contains about 57 mcg. Boron An essential nutrient for plants, one study found that dietary boron reduced the amount of insulin in the blood needed to maintain proper glucose levels. It is also one of the minerals necessary for strong bones.
Coffee is also an amazing source of more familiar minerals and nutrients, like chromium, magnesium, and niacin. Also, a cup of coffee contains about a third of the potassium found in a small banana.
Coffee and Heart Health
Additional antioxidant compounds in coffee (caffeic, p-coumaric, and ferulic acids) may slow cardiovascular disease by protecting low-density lipoproteins (LDL, the “bad” cholesterol) from oxidation, preventing inflammation, and improving the function of Blood vesels.
In 2006, Norwegian researchers found that older women who drank one to three cups of coffee a day were 24 percent less likely to die of cardiovascular disease than those who didn’t drink. Another 2007 study found that people 65 and older who consumed four or more servings of caffeine daily had a lower risk of death from heart disease.
But curb your enthusiasm. Because the caffeine in coffee has a short-term elevated effect on blood pressure, people who drink cup after cup can keep their blood pressure high for long enough periods to put them at risk for heart problems.
The long-term effect of coffee on blood pressure has long been debated and must be weighed against any possible benefit. A 2007 Finnish study of 24,710 healthy men and women, ages 25 to 64, found that over an average follow-up period of 13.2 years, those who drank two to three cups of coffee a day had 29% more probability of starting pharmacological treatment for arterial hypertension. Pressure. The lesson here? Moderation is key when it comes to coffee, if you suffer from hypertension.
Benefits for the brain
Anyone who has experienced coffee’s morning wake-up call on the brain knows that it can temporarily help sharpen thinking. But coffee can also boost brain function in longer-lasting ways. A European study of 676 healthy men found that those who drank three cups of coffee a day had significantly less cognitive decline over 10 years than those who didn’t drink. And in 2007, a French study found that older women who drank at least three cups of coffee a day were 18% less likely to develop problems with verbal recall and 33% less likely to have memory problems. And new evidence shows that middle-aged coffee drinkers dramatically reduce their risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease later in life compared to those who drink little or no coffee. In fact, those who drank three to five cups a day reduced their risk by an impressive 65 percent!
Other research shows that coffee can defend against Parkinson’s disease. A remarkable Finnish study found that drinking 10 cups of coffee a day reduced the risk of developing Parkinson’s by up to 84 percent. The researchers suggest that the caffeine in coffee might stimulate dopamine, the brain chemical that is missing in the disease.
From gallstones to gout
Coffee also appears to protect against gallstones and kidney stones. In two large studies, people who drank two to three cups of caffeinated coffee a day were less likely to develop gallstones than non-drinkers. Decaf coffee did not protect against gallstones, but it did keep kidney stones at bay, perhaps simply by increasing total fluids.
And then there’s gout, a painful inflammatory condition that first attacks the big toe and then spreads to other joints. In the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, Harvard researchers found that coffee consumption was linked to lower levels of uric acid in the blood, the substance linked to this type of arthritic disease. People who drank six or more cups a day were 40 percent less likely to develop gout. Decaf was also associated with a modest reduction in flavor, suggesting that more than just the caffeine could be credited.
One last thing…
Despite the growing list of benefits of coffee, the caffeinated version may still not be ideal for some people. If you’re worried about coffee keeping you awake at night, try decaf or drink it earlier in the day. However, if you suffer from gastroesophageal reflux (GERD), be aware that decaffeinated coffee has been shown to aggravate reflux just as much as coffee with caffeine.
Caffeine is also often mentioned as a trigger for migraines, so those who suffer from it should moderate their consumption. Less clear is whether caffeine can aggravate arrhythmias or increase the risk of breast cancer in women with benign breast disease. The latest findings from the Harvard Women’s Health Study suggest an increased risk for women who drink four or more cups of coffee a day. However, in the Iowa Women’s Health Study, no link was found.
While the jury is still out on these few potential issues, the news is generally good for people who enjoy coffee. The news is so positive, in fact, that coffee may be the new milk with the ability to claim “it’s good for the body.”
Research Summary…
It’s common knowledge that most people tend to gain weight and lose bone mass as they age, neither of which are particularly healthy. But here’s the rub: If you try to lose unwanted weight, you only promote further bone loss, which increases your risk of fractures and the dangerous complications that come with them. The dilemma then is how to lose those extra pounds without damaging the bones. A study designed to answer that exact question provides some answers.
The research, from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign and Pennsylvania State University, studied 130 men and women ages 30 to 65. People in the one-year study ate one of two low-calorie diets: A low-calorie diet that provided the current recommended intake of 0.36 grams of protein per pound of body weight, plus two servings of low-fat dairy per day, or 0.64 grams of protein per pound of body weight with three daily servings of low-fat dairy products.
The researchers found that the weight-loss diet with nearly twice the recommended amount of protein and three daily servings of low-fat dairy products not only improved calcium intake, but was much more effective at preserving bone mass over time. weight loss, especially when compared to a low-protein (high-carbohydrate) diet for weight loss. These findings add to a growing body of evidence that high-protein diets do not remove calcium from bones, provided calcium intake is adequate. So when you’re cutting back on calories, make sure you’re getting enough high-quality protein, including three servings of low-fat dairy products a day, to protect your bones while you shed pounds.
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References:
Eskelinen MH, Ngandu T, Tuomilehto J, et al. “Coffee and tea consumption in midlife and the risk of dementia in old age: a population-based CAIDE study”. Journal of Alzheimer’s disease. 2009;16:85-91.
Je Y, Liu W, Giovannucci E. Coffee consumption and colorectal cancer risk: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies.” International Journal of Cancer. 2009;124:1662-1668.
Mukamal KJ, Hallqvist J, Hammar N, et al. “Coffee consumption and mortality after acute myocardial infarction: the Stockholm Heart Epidemiology Program”. American Heart Journal. 2009;157:495-501.
Thorpe MP, Jacobson EH, Layman DK, et al. “A diet high in protein, dairy, and calcium attenuates bone loss over twelve months of weight loss and maintenance relative to a conventional high-carbohydrate diet in adults.” Nutrition Magazine. 2008;138:1096-1100.