3 health reasons to enjoy a coffee

Posted on Sun, 8 Apr 12

Coffee often falls into the category of guilty pleasures because people think that something so hedonistic must also be unhealthy, however emerging evidence has uncovered surprising health benefits.

As well as caffeine the roasted beans of the coffee plant are rich in phytonutrients including magnesium, soluble fiber, lignans and chlorogenic acids that also influence the balance of coffees health effects. Perhaps not surprisingly then people who enjoy this nutrient-rich beverage regularly may also enjoy some health benefits.

1. Reduce risk of diabetes

An analysis of over 500 000 individuals found that coffee (including decaffeinated coffee) reduced risk of developing type-2 diabetes with every additional cup of coffee a day associated with 5% to 10% lower risk after adjustment for potential confounders (1).

2. Prevent dementia

A study of 1409 individuals over a mean period of 21 years discovered that people who drank 3-5 cups of coffee per day in midlife had a 65% reduced risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer's disease (2).

3. Cut cancer risk

In a review of 59 studies consumption of 1 cup of coffee per day reduced risk of cancer by 3% and was associated with a reduced risk of bladder, breast, buccal and pharyngeal, colorectal, endometrial, esophageal, hepatocellular, leukemic, pancreatic, and prostate cancers (3).

...coffee caution? 

A coffee users caveat however is caffeine addiction and withdrawal which can affect some people. Symptoms, which are most often fatigue, headaches and decreased alertness, tend to start the morning after your last coffee, peaking at 20 to 51 hours and lasting 2-9 days (4). You may also want to avoid coffee if you suffer insomnia or anxiety.

But apart from withdrawal coffee does not appear to be associated with any serious illness such as heart disease (5) or liver disease (6).  For most adults up to 3-4 cups of coffee a day is considered safe, and may have some benefits (7).

References:

1. Huxley R, Lee CM, Barzi F, Timmermeister L, Czernichow S, Perkovic V, Grobbee  DE, Batty D, Woodward M. Coffee, decaffeinated coffee, and tea consumption in relation to incident type 2 diabetes mellitus: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Arch Intern Med. 2009 Dec 14;169(22):2053-63.
2. Eskelinen MH, Ngandu T, Tuomilehto J, Soininen H, Kivipelto M. Midlife coffee  and tea drinking and the risk of late-life dementia: a population-based CAIDE study. J Alzheimers Dis. 2009;16(1):85-91.
3. Yu X, Bao Z, Zou J, Dong J. Coffee consumption and risk of cancers: a meta-analysis of cohort studies. BMC Cancer. 2011 Mar 15;11:96.
4. Juliano LM, Griffiths RR. A critical review of caffeine withdrawal: empirical  validation of symptoms and signs, incidence, severity, and associated features. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2004 Oct;176(1):1-29.
5. Floegel A, Pischon T, Bergmann MM, Teucher B, Kaaks R, Boeing H. Coffee consumption and risk of chronic disease in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)-Germany study. Am J Clin Nutr. 2012 Apr;95(4):901-8.
6. Muriel P, Arauz J. Coffee and liver diseases. Fitoterapia. 2010 Jul;81(5):297-305.
7. Higdon JV, Frei B. Coffee and health: a review of recent human research. Crit  Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2006;46(2):101-23