Coffee: A "Miracle" Drink with Numerous Health Benefits, Experts Say

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Consider coffee a mini-Mediterranean diet, experts told UPI. The health benefits of the beverage that millions of people drink to start their day far outweigh the potential risks, much like the popular diet that limits red meat and fat intake, the experts say. "The Mediterranean diet is primarily a plant-based diet, and coffee is a plant-based drink," said Stephen Safe, a researcher with expertise in cancer prevention, in a phone interview. "If you compare the benefits of coffee to those of the Mediterranean diet, you could hardly tell the difference between them," said Safe, a distinguished professor of biochemistry and biophysics at Texas A&M University in College Station.

 

In a review of peer-reviewed studies of the beverage, Safe and his colleagues found that coffee consumption can help reduce a person's risk for certain types of cancers, as well as Type 2 diabetes, Parkinson's disease, and dementia. "Drinking coffee has also been shown to help people live longer," Safe said. "I'm a big proponent, and I drink a lot of it," he added, noting that he consumes "five or six double espressos" every day.

Safe describes coffee as a "miracle" drink, much like "aspirin is a miracle drug." Here's why. "Contrary to popular opinion," Safe said, the overwhelming majority of research suggests that coffee consumption is linked with a number of key health benefits.

 

For example, a 2019 study found that coffee consumption lowered the risk for Type 2 diabetes by 22%. Additionally, people who consumed more than 60 cups of coffee per month—or more than two a day—were found to have a nearly 70% lower risk of liver cancer, a nearly 50% lower risk for colon and breast cancers, and a nearly 30% lower risk for thyroid cancer, according to a 2021 study.

 

Although more research is needed to identify why this is the case, coffee contains many of the same chemical ingredients found in elements of the Mediterranean diet, which also has been found to reduce cancer risk, Safe said. On top of the potential cancer benefits, compared with non-drinkers, coffee drinkers have up to a 30% lower risk of developing Parkinson's disease, according to a study published in 2002. A diet that included coffee was found to reduce the risk for certain neurological diseases, including dementia, according to a study published by long-time coffee researcher Marilyn Cornelis and her colleagues last year.

 

Although the reasons for this are unclear, research suggests that the caffeine in coffee has a neuroprotective effect and helps the brain produce dopaminergic neurons, or brain cells involved in movement and other functions, said Cornelis, an associate professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Many current treatments for Parkinson's disease, for example, are designed to boost the production of these neurons, she said.

 

"For many years, coffee has been seen as an unhealthy drink, but over time, the research really supports more benefits than adverse effects," Cornelis, who has been researching the health effects of coffee and caffeine for more than 20 years, said in a phone interview. "Given other options in terms of beverages, coffee is probably one of the better ones," she said. She agreed with Safe that more research is needed to understand why coffee is so beneficial, but suggested that the polyphenols found naturally in coffee, like other plant-based products, most likely have antioxidant effects that can help reduce inflammation, a common cause of disease. Caffeine also increases the metabolism of fats in the body, which may add to the drink's health benefits, she added.

 

In addition, "coffee can also lead to improved mood and a reduced risk for depression," Dr. Donald D. Hensrud, a specialist in general medicine and an associate professor of preventive medicine and nutrition at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, said in a phone interview. Caffeine doesn't necessarily lead to worsening anxiety or increase a person's risk for heart disease, including irregular heartbeat and high blood pressure, contrary to the image of the "person who is stressed out and drinking a lot of coffee," Cornelis said. An analysis of data from 32 studies published in 2023 found "no significant association" between coffee consumption and heart disease.

 

That said, drinking too much coffee can lead to heart palpitations and insomnia, or trouble sleeping, Hensrud said. Coffee can also worsen symptoms such as excessive urination, particularly in older men with enlarged prostate glands, according to Hensrud. Some coffee drinkers may experience acid reflux, or heartburn, and the beverage also may lower the body's ability to absorb key minerals like calcium and iron, which are important for bone health, he said. Coffee also has been linked with difficulty becoming pregnant and an increased risk of miscarriage among women who drink more than two cups per day, Hensrud said.

 

"I divide coffee into health effects and side effects, and the health effects are really significant, while the side effects are relatively minor except for pregnant women," he said. Indeed, the oft-heard limit of two cups per day only applies to women who are pregnant or trying to become pregnant. Otherwise, there's no hard and fast rule for how much coffee to drink to maximize these health benefits, Hensrud said. However, how a person takes it matters, he said. In other words, the less milk, cream, sugar, and other add-ons, the better.

 

For this reason, many of the coffee drinks sold at chain retailers don't convey the same health benefits as simple, black coffee, he said. In addition, boiled but not filtered coffee can increase LDL, or "bad," cholesterol in the bloodstream, Hensrud said. Since 2015, black coffee has been included in the Department of Health and Human Services' dietary guidelines, which suggest that up to five cups of coffee per day is safe. However, this is "not a recommendation," Cornelis said. "This just means that if you're already consuming that amount, and you're healthy, there's no need to cut back," she said.

 

Research suggests that some people may be "genetically predisposed to being able to metabolize caffeine more quickly," according to Cornelis. This means they are less likely to experience side effects like difficulty sleeping and can consume more, she added. Hensrud said he typically tells his patients that, as long as they're not experiencing the common "side effects" of coffee consumption—particularly heart palpitations and difficulty sleeping—there's no need for them to stop drinking it.

 

Still, "if they're consuming six or more cups per day, I may tell them to think about cutting back, just because they may start experiencing problems like reflux," he said. The good news, according to Cornelis, is that most people "are sensitive to the effects of caffeine" and know when they have had too much, based on what their bodies are telling them. And, while cutting back on caffeinated coffee when experiencing side effects can cause withdrawal symptoms, such as headaches, the chemical is not considered addictive, she said.

 

"I tell people to go by side effects when they're deciding how much coffee to drink," Hensrud said. "If you're not having side effects, there's no reason to consume less," he said.

 

Credit: UPI 2024-07-10

 

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[Tug]

I certainly enjoy my morning cup strong and black I even grind my own beans and use the pour over technique.I only drink 1 large cup in a 24 hour period unless on a road trip !

[SAFETY FIRST]

The Barista doesn't look too excited. 

She could do with a couple of shots. 

 

[Chomper Higgot]

I start the day with a two shot Americano and have a second around mid day, though on cycle training days I’ll often have an espresso at the halfway stop. So not normally more than three coffees per day.

Amongst the pleasures of coffee here in Thailand are the many independent coffee shops, the best of which are world class.

 

The coffee produced in Thailand is improving too thanks to the efforts of many independent growers and roasters.

 

 

 

 

 

[Dcheech]

Trapped in a Bangkok ASQ Hotel, Coffee was my only hope.

 

[impulse]

I enjoy a good cup of Joe.  But sometimes it's just a CDS.  Caffeine Delivery System. 

 

Years ago, I started keeping caffeine tablets around (generic No-Doz) for those days when a cup of coffee was just too inconvenient.  That's gotten less frequent now that there's a coffee shop every 50 meters.

 

Which is why I suspect the OP is an infomercial.  I still remember when a pack of Lucky Strikes was held out as a quick pick me up.

 

[Purdey]

Tea is a plant based drink but isn't mentioned. I wonder why they differ?

[placeholder]

 

I suspect the explanation for the reason some religions disapprove of or even ban its use can be found in H.L. Mencken's comment: 

“Puritanism: The haunting fear that someone, somewhere, may be happy.”

https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/34745-puritanism-the-haunting-fear-that-someone-somewhere-may-be-happy

[mfd101]

During my working life I used to have 5 or 6 espresso double shots a day. Now in old age I have 3.

 

It's great to know how wonderful it is for my health.

[placeholder]

10 minutes ago, mfd101 said:

During my working life I used to have 5 or 6 espresso double shots a day. Now in old age I have 3.

 

It's great to know how wonderful it is for my health.

Too much of a good thing might not be so good. Vitamin A is essential to good health. But in large doses it's poisonous. Just in case you are ever tempted to ask for a second helping of polar bear liver, you might want to consider this:

 :Liver is high in vitamin A.The liver of certain animals, including the polar bear, bearded seal, fish and walrus, are particularly toxic (see Liver (food) § Poisoning). It has been estimated that consumption of 500 grams (18 oz) of polar bear liver would result in a toxic dose for a human."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypervitaminosis_A#:~:text=Diet – Liver is high in,toxic dose for a human.

[Rimmer]

An emoji only post has been removed as this is a discussion forum.

[Skeptic7]

Until the next contrary report coming soon. 🙄

That said...I enjoy a good cup of quality, freshly brewed, steaming hot, black java with nothing added nearly every morning. Sometimes two ☕ 

[PETERTHEEATER]

Is POTUS getting enough?

[stoner]

Never had a single cup of coffee. ever. 

[transam]

9 minutes ago, stoner said:

Never had a single cup of coffee. ever. 

Oh, that's a shame, you have missed out then........

[soalbundy]

5 hours ago, Purdey said:

Tea is a plant based drink but isn't mentioned. I wonder why they differ?

because Starbucks doesn't sell tea.

[Purdey]

On 7/10/2024 at 7:01 PM, soalbundy said:

because Starbucks doesn't sell tea.

It does. I only take English breakfast tea there.

[soalbundy]

Just now, Purdey said:

It does. I only take English breakfast tea there.

One can see that the world is heading for disaster when McDonalds sells salads and Starbucks sells tea, are there no anchors we can hold onto? the floodgates are open to woke and healthy.....it will end in tears and the gnashing of gums.