The wonder drugs aspirin, statins, and erectile dysfunction pills now share the spotlight with coffee. Yes, the beverages that has gotten an undeserved bum rap for decades, the morning-waker-upper many of us enjoy, is now considered a wonder drug.
Unlike soft drinks (“liquid candy”) and energy drinks, which are both dangerous to health, especially for children, as shown by several scientific studies, coffee has several good effects on the body.
Coffee is known to increase short term memory and concentration. It helps in treating headaches and appears to help in lessening depression. Some of the bad effects include possible increased risk for glaucoma, teeth stain, caffeine-induced anxiety in some people, and constipation.
In more than 15 reported researches involving more than 193,000 people, drinking coffee (caffeinated or decaf) was found to reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. This particular finding appears to be firm and most convincing. Other probable benefits coffee-drinkers get include a lowered likelihood of getting certain cancers, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, heart rhythm problems and stroke, although these have to be further confirmed. So far, the clinical indications are very positive.
A scientific review says, “those who said they drank more than six or seven cups daily were 35 percent less likely to have type 2 diabetes than people who drank fewer than two cups daily….There was a smaller perk — a 28 percent lower risk — for people who drank 4-6 cups a day…The findings held regardless of sex, weight, or geographic location (U.S. or Europe).”
In a Australian review of more than 18 studies on 458,000 individuals, there was a “17 percent drop in the odds of having type 2 diabetes for every additional cup of coffee drunk daily,” with similar risk reductions among decaf coffee drinkers and tea drinkers.
Are there other studies confirming these?
While those studies are quite impressive, the 2008 research on 83,700 nurses in the long-term Nurses’ Health Study revealed a twenty percent reduced rate of stroke among those who drank 2 or more cups of coffee a day, compared to those who did not drink or had less, all other factors considered. The Kaiser Permanente study of 130,000 KP health plan members showed that those “who reported drinking 1-3 cups of coffee per day were twenty percent less likely to be hospitalized for abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias) than nondrinkers, regardless of other risk factors.
Does coffee affect longevity?
A study released by researchers at the US National Cancer Institute (part of National Institutes of Health) and American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) says “older adults who drank coffee, caffeinated or decaffeinated, had a lower risk of death overall than others who did not drink coffee.” This encouraging recent report published in the May 17, 2012 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine went on to say “coffee drinkers were less likely to die from heart disease, respiratory disease, stroke, injuries and accidents, diabetes, and infections, although the association was not seen for cancer.” To minimize errors in the interpretation, this large study adjusted for the effects of others risk factors on mortality, such as smoking and alcohol intake. There is, however, still no evidence that coffee drinking affects longevity, one way or the other.
What in coffee might provide these benefits?
The exact mechanism is not clear. It could be due to the very potent anti-oxidants in coffee that “prevent tissue damage caused by oxygen-free radicals.” In another research (the Nurses Health Study), it shows that the 2000 women coffee drinkers in its survey had significantly lower (13 to 14 percent) levels of C-peptide hormone, a component of insulin in our body, compared to non-coffee drinkers. Higher level of C-peptide, which indicates the body is unable to use insulin (called insulin resistance) are linked to the increased risk of developing adult-onset diabetes. The good effect was more apparent among obese and overweight women, 22 percent and 18 percent, respectively. So, if coffee reduces C-peptide, then the risk is reduced. The magnesium and chromium in coffee aids the body in utilizing insulin, which normally regulates blood sugar. Among those with type 2 diabetes, the body is unable to use insulin effectively to control blood sugar. Since the findings were also observed among those drinking decaffeinated coffee, it seems evident that the benefits are most likely not from the caffeine in itself.
Is this hormone working alone?
This is still not fully understood, either. Both regular and decaffeinated coffees have a lot of antioxidants in them, like chlorogenic acid (the ingredient that gives the “addicting” coffee flavor), phyto-estrogens, and magnesium. These chemicals improve sensitivity to insulin and may play a vital role in lowering adult onset diabetes. Caffeine itself is also known to affect insulin secretion. There are more than 800 aromatic compounds in coffee.
How about Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s?
The data for Parkinson’s Disease “have been always been very consistent: higher consumption of coffee is associated with decreased risk” of this neurological disease, according to Dr. Hu. The same good benefit was found between coffee and dementia and Alzheimer’s in a 2009 clinical study in Sweden and Finland among 1,400 persons, who consumed 3 to 5 cups of coffee daily and had 65 percent reduced risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia., compared no non-drinkers and those who drank less. The findings were similar for stroke, prostatic cancer and hepatic cancer. Coffee has been found to be good for dry-eyes syndrome and also beneficial for those with cirrhosis of the liver, gout, depression, and for reducing the risk for MRSA (Methicillin-Resistant Staphyloccocus Aureus) infection.
How many cups of coffee are safe?
Since the long term effects of coffee (especially caffeinated) on diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and other illnesses are not totally clear, the so called “safe level” is an individual issue, It is best for anyone contemplating to start on a coffee regimen (for pleasure or for health) to check with a physician.
In the meantime, coffee appears to be a healthy drink. On the other hand, soft drinks and energy drinks are dangerous to our well being and longevity.
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Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus in Northwest Indiana and chairman of cardiac surgery from 1997 to 2010 at Cebu Doctors University Hospital, where he holds the title of Physician Emeritus in Surgery, is based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, the Philippine College of Surgeons, and the Denton A. Cooley Cardiovascular Surgical Society. He is the chairman of the Filipino United Network – USA, a 501(c)(3) humanitarian foundation in the United States. Email: [email protected]
