Coffee and health

COMPOUNDS IN COFFEE THAT CAN AFFECT HEALTH

COFFEE

Caffeine occurs naturally in coffee beans. Some physiological effects associated with caffeine administration include stimulation of the central nervous system, acute increase in blood pressure, increased metabolic rate and diuresis. Caffeine is rapidly and almost completely absorbed in the stomach and small intestine and distributed to all tissues, including the brain.

CAFESTOL AND KAHWEOL

Coffee consumption has been associated with higher cholesterol concentrations in some observational studies. Clearly, filter coffee, which contains the least cafestol and thus has the least effect on cholesterol, is the best of all coffee preparation methods.

On the other hand, coffee brewed in a pot was the worst. Thesecond worst preparation is the classic Czech turk. The long steeping process eliminates substances that have no place in coffee, one of which is cafestol. If you still love turk, we recommend the French press.

The cholesterol-raising factors that were first isolated in coffee oil were later identified as diterpenes, cafestol and kahweol. These diterpenes are extracted from ground coffee during brewing, but are usually removed from the coffee by paper filters.

MICROCROTE

A number ofmicronutrientsare found in coffee, including magnesium, potassium, niacin and vitamin E, among others. According to the USDA Nutrient Database, 240 ml of brewed coffee contains 7 mg of magnesium and 30 ml of espresso contains 24 mg of magnesium. Thus, one cup of coffee could contribute 1-5% of an adult male's recommended daily intake of magnesium (420 mg/d).

POSSIBLE HEALTH BENEFITS

PREVENTION OF DIABETES MELLITUS 2. TYPE

Epidemiological studies have found a significant association between the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and coffee intake. This study found that the risk of developing type 2 DM was 50% lower in those who consumed at least 7 cups of coffee daily compared to those who drank 2 or fewer cups of coffee.

The two largest prospective studies have examined the relationship between coffee consumption and type 2 DM. Men who drank at least 6 cups of coffee per day had a 54% lower risk of developing type 2 DM than men who did not drink coffee. Women who drank at least 6 cups of coffee a day had a 29% lower risk than women who did not drink coffee at all.

PREVENTION OF PARKINSON'S DISEASE

Overall, the results of the case studies suggest that coffee and caffeine intake are inversely associated with a lower risk of Parkinson's disease. A study of more than 8,000 men found that those who did not drink coffee were 3 to 5 times more likely to develop Parkinson's disease in the next 24 to 30 years.

SUICIDE RISK

Two prospective studies in the US found significant associations between coffee consumption and suicide risk. A study of more than 128,000 men and women found that the relative risk of suicide decreased by 13% for each cup of coffee consumed per day. Similarly, a study of more than 86,000 women found that those who drank at least 2 cups of coffee per day had a 50% lower risk of suicide than those who did not drink coffee.

PREVENTING COLORECTAL CANCER

In general, coffee consumption is inversely associated with colon cancer risk in case-control studies . The two largest prospective cohort studies that have examined the relationship between coffee and colorectal cancer found that men and women who regularly consumed 2 or more cups of decaffeinated coffee daily had a 48% lowerrisk of rectal cancer than those who never consumed coffee.

LIVER INJURY, CIRRHOSIS AND HEPATOCELLULAR CARCINOMA

Liver injury due to chronic inflammation can lead to cirrhosis. In cirrhosis, fibrotic scar formation leads to progressive deterioration of liver function and other complications, including hepatocellular carcinoma. Themost common causes of cirrhosis in developed countries are excessive alcohol consumption and viral hepatitis B and C.

A study of more than 51,000 men and women found that those who consumed at least 2 cups of coffee daily had a 40% lower risk of death from cirrhosis than those who never consumed coffee. A prospective cohort study that followed more than 90,000 men and women for 10 years found that the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma decreased as coffee consumption increased. Those who consumed at least 5 cups a day had a 76% lower risk of hepatocellular carcinoma than those who never drank coffee.

POSSIBLE HEALTH RISKS

CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE

RISK OF HEART DISEASE

Several epidemiological studies have examined the relationship between coffee consumption and the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). Case-control studies have found that high coffee intake is associated with anincreased risk of myocardial infarction (MI). Two separate meta-analyses that combined the results of eight case-control studies found that the risk of CHD was 40-60% higher in those who consumed 5 or more cups of coffee per day compared with those who did not drink coffee.

CORONARY HEART DISEASE

The effect of coffee or caffeine consumption on people with established CHD has not yet been studied. One case-control study found that high coffee consumption, defined as more than 10 cups per day, was associated with a significant increase in the risk of sudden cardiac arrest in patients with documented coronary artery disease.

CARDIAC ARRHYTHMIAS

Clinical studies have not found coffee or caffeine intake to increase the frequency or severity of cardiac arrhythmias in healthy people, patients with CHD, or people with pre-existing ventricular ectopy. A large prospective US study that followed more than 128,000 health plan members for 7 years found no association between coffee consumption and sudden cardiac death. More recently, two prospective studies in Scandinavia found no association between coffee consumption and the risk of developing atrial fibrillation, a common supraventricular arrhythmia.

RISK OF STROKE

Few prospective cohort studies have reported associations between coffee consumption and stroke. In general, these studies have not observed significant associations between coffee consumption and stroke risk. The only exception was a study of 499 nonsmoking hypertensive men enrolled in the Honolulu Heart Study. In this high-risk population, the risk of stroke in men who consumed at least 700 ml of coffee daily was twice that of men who did not drink coffee.

HYPERTENSION

Hypertension is a recognized risk factor for CHD and stroke. Acute dietary caffeine consumption has been shown to increase blood pressure in normal and hypertensive individuals. A dose of 200 - 250 mg of caffeine has been found to be equivalent to the amount in 2 - 3 cups of coffee. increase systolic blood pressure by 3 - 14 mm Hg and increase diastolic blood pressure by 4 - 13 mg Hg.

CANCER

Numerous epidemiological studies have examined the relationship between coffee and caffeine consumption and cancer risk. In general, there is little evidence that coffee consumption increases cancer risk. Although early case studies tended to show positive associations between caffeine intake and pancreatic, bladder, and ovarian cancers, more recent and better-designed studies do not support the hypothesis that coffee consumption contributes significantly to the risk of these cancers. Recent prospective cohort studies have not observed significant associations between caffeine or coffee intake and risk of pancreatic, bladder, ovarian, breast, stomach and prostate cancer.

OSTEOPOROSIS AND HIP FRACTURE

Results of studies with controlled calcium balance in humans show that caffeine consumption leads to a small negative calcium balancein individuals with inadequate calcium intake. The negative shift in calcium balance is estimated to be about 4 to 6 mg of calcium per cup of coffee and is due to a slight reduction in calcium absorption efficiency. Most cross-sectional studies have found no association between caffeine consumption and bone mineral density (BMD).

Five studies examined the relationships between coffee and caffeine consumption and hip fracture risk. None of them found that coffee or caffeine consumption was associated with an increased risk of hip fractures. Six prospective cohort studies examined the association between caffeine consumption and hip fracture risk in women. Two studies found no association. Another study found that women who consumed at least 9 cups of coffee per day had an increased risk of hip fractures. Three prospective cohort studies found that coffee or caffeine consumption was positively associated with hip fracture risk in women.

MINERAL DEFICIENCIES

IMPAIRED IRON ABSORPTION

Polyphenols in coffee can bind non-heme iron and inhibit its intestinal absorption. Drinking 150-250 ml of coffee in a test meal was found to inhibit ironabsorption by 24-73%. To maximize iron absorption from food or iron supplements, simultaneous coffee intake should be avoided.

IMPAIRED ZINC ABSORPTION

Dietary zinc absorption inhibitors increase the risk of zinc deficiency. Zinc chelating compounds have been identified in coffee and coffee has been found to inhibit zinc bioavailability by 21-32%.