Coffee may have health benefits and may not pose health risks for many people

[Guest guest]

Washington Post

By Carolyn

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Of all the relationships in my life, by far the most on-again, off-again has

been with coffee: From that initial, tentative dalliance in college to a

serious commitment during my first real reporting job to breaking up

altogether when I got pregnant, only to fail miserably at quitting my daily

latte the second time I was expecting. More recently the relationship has

turned into full-blown obsession and, ironically, I often fall asleep at

night dreaming of the delicious, satisfying cup of joe that awaits, come

morning.

While I love the mere ritual of drinking coffee, I have definitely come to

rely on the caffeine to make me feel more alert, energetic and often just

plain better, every single day. And yet because I don't like feeling

dependent on anything, I occasionally wonder whether I should give it up for

good, especially when I have a particularly jittery afternoon. Can something

that tastes and feels this good not be bad for you?

Rest assured: Not only has current research shown that moderate coffee

consumption isn't likely to hurt you, it may actually have significant

health benefits. " Coffee is generally associated with a less

health-conscious lifestyle -- people who don't sleep much, drink coffee,

smoke, drink alcohol, " explains Rob van Dam, an assistant professor in the

departments of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public

Health. He points out that early studies failed to account for such issues

and thus found a link between drinking coffee and such conditions as heart

disease and cancer, a link that has contributed to java's lingering bad rep.

" But as more studies have been conducted -- larger and better studies that

controlled for healthy lifestyle issues -- the totality of efforts suggests

that coffee is a good beverage choice. "

Van Dam's research, for example, found no evidence that coffee consumption

had any effect on mortality from any cause, including cardiovascular disease

or cancer, even for people who drink up to six cups a day. He and his

colleagues have also found that drinking coffee is associated with a reduced

risk of liver disease and Type 2 diabetes. The latter is backed up by a

study published this month in the Archives of Internal Medicine; it

suggested that three to four cups of joe a day might reduce chances of

developing Type 2 diabetes by roughly 25 percent.

And that's not all. Also this month, Harvard researchers unveiled new data

suggesting that drinking coffee might lower men's chances of developing

aggressive prostate cancer by up to 60 percent, with the highest benefits

for those who down the most java.

Other studies have shown that coffee consumption reduces the risk of a

laundry list of ailments: stroke, Alzheimer's, dementia, Parkinson's,

endometrial cancer, colon cancer and gallstones, for starters.

" The evidence is pretty clear, " says Burnett, a preventive medicine

and family physician in Bethesda, who notes that coffee intake can also

improve mental performance and mood, decrease depressive symptoms and

increase endurance and aerobic performance.

While caffeine is the star ingredient for sleep-deprived students, parents

and worker bees, the fact is that in many of these studies, including the

research on diabetes and prostate cancer, positive effects are similar for

those who drink decaf as well.

" Most of the benefits associated with coffee are not attributed to

caffeine, " says van Dam, who explains that the beverage also contains

antioxidants and quite a few vitamins and minerals. " We tend to focus on

coffee as just a vehicle for caffeine, . . . but now we look in more detail,

without bias, and see it also has hundreds of compounds that might have

beneficial effects, similar to things we see in some vegetables, which makes

all the [study results] seem more plausible. "

Which is not to say the bean has no downside. Doctors cite risks such as

miscarriage, fertility problems, anxiety and sleep issues, and warn that

pregnant women and those with blood pressure problems, especially, should

cut back or avoid it.

Others are more concerned about the potential for addiction. " My personal

opinion on caffeine is that it's the most widely used psychoactive drug in

world, " says Evatt, a research fellow in the department of psychiatry

at the s Hopkins University School of Medicine. He notes that many

people become tolerant to immediate perks such as alertness and increased

energy, and then go through withdrawal, with headaches, low energy and other

symptoms, when they try to quit.

In addition, Evatt suggests that some longtime coffee drinkers may actually

be immune to benefits and not know it: The tiredness they feel in the

morning is really withdrawal-related, he says, and that single or double

shot just helps them get back to normal functioning, without providing a

real boost. " All these things tell us that this is a substance that people

can become dependent on, in the way they become dependent on other drugs. "

In particular, researchers worry about children and teenagers who gulp down

coffee and such high-calorie cousins as frappuccinos, soda and especially

the new wave of energy drinks. " They already have enough ups and downs with

emotions as it is; when you add caffeine into the mix, it's a problem --

their bodies aren't as equipped to handle it, " says Evatt, who expresses

concern that energy drinks are regulated as supplements instead of soft

drinks. As a result, there is no limit on how much caffeine they can

contain, nor are they required to list stimulant content on their labels,

even though it can be 300 milligrams or more in an eight-ounce can, compared

with 80 to 100 mg or so in a cup of brewed coffee.

Given some of the downsides of caffeine, even coffee enthusiasts in the

research field suggest that people monitor their consumption and recognize

how they react to the stimulant, looking for troublesome signs including

jitteriness, tremors and difficulty sleeping. (This is particularly

important because studies have shown that different people metabolize

caffeine in vastly different ways; that's why a Coke or cappuccino can leave

one person bouncing off the walls while another can nap straight away.)

But those of us who tolerate our daily brew well can continue to happily

caffeinate, within reason. " In terms of health risks, up to around six cups

a day or so seems to be fine, " says van Dam, noting that " cup " generally

means eight to 10 ounces of black coffee -- not a venti mochaccino or the

like, with added caffeine, sugar and calories. " I think coffee is on par

with tea and water, and can be a healthy choice for most people. "