coffee (below six cups) is (not) evil?
Saw a couple of good articles - atleast good enough to worth blogging about - on this recently.
Coffee - 1 (NYT, April 2004):
How, you might wonder, could such a ubiquitous substance be toxic? With an average of one to three cups of coffee a day, most people get 100 to 300 milligrams of caffeine. With chronic exposure, though, people become accustomed to the stimulant effects of caffeine. In contrast, a sudden increase in caffeine consumption can easily produce caffeine intoxication.
In general, more than 1.5 grams of caffeine a day can cause the typical symptoms of caffeinism: anxiety, insomnia, irritability and palpitations.
Caffeine is far and away the most widely used stimulant in the world. It is actually a member of a class of compounds called xanthines that includes theobromine, which is abundant in chocolate and theophylline, the major xanthine in tea.
Caffeine works by blocking the calming and analgesic effects of the neurotransmitter adenosine in the brain. In moderate doses, caffeine enhances arousal and performance. At higher doses, caffeine blocks a majority of adenosine receptors and can produce anxiety and hypersensitivity to pain.
Judging from the sheer number of consumer products spiked with caffeine, one would think we were a nation of narcoleptics, desperately trying to stay awake. From ''enhanced'' water to sports drinks to dietary supplements, caffeine is a common additive. And as the food and supplement industries search for new stimulants following the recent ban on ephedra, it would hardly be surprising to find caffeine use on the rise.
Coffee - 2 (NYT, Aug 2006):
Coffee is not usually thought of as health food, but a number of recent studies suggest that it can be a highly beneficial drink. Researchers have found strong evidence that coffee reduces the risk of several serious ailments, including diabetes, heart disease and cirrhosis of the liver.
Coffee contains antioxidants that help control the cell damage that can contribute to the development of the disease. It is also a source of chlorogenic acid, which has been shown in animal experiments to reduce glucose concentrations.
Caffeine, perhaps coffee’s most famous component, seems to have little to do with it; studies that looked at decaffeinated coffee alone found the same degree of risk reduction.
Larger quantities of coffee seem to be especially helpful in diabetes prevention. In a report that combined statistical data from many studies, researchers found that people who drank four to six cups of coffee a day had a 28 percent reduced risk compared with people who drank two or fewer. Those who drank more than six had a 35 percent risk reduction.
... researchers found that women who drank one to three cups a day reduced their risk of cardiovascular disease by 24 percent compared with those drinking no coffee at all.
But as the quantity increased, the benefit decreased. At more than six cups a day, the risk was not significantly reduced. Still, after controlling for age, smoking and alcohol consumption, women who drank one to five cups a day — caffeinated or decaffeinated — reduced their risk of death from all causes during the study by 15 to 19 percent compared with those who drank none.
Several compounds in coffee may contribute to its antioxidant capacity, including phenols, volatile aroma compounds and oxazoles that are efficiently absorbed.
“I wouldn’t advise people to increase their consumption of coffee in order to lower their risk of disease,” Dr. van Dam said, “but the evidence is that for most people without specific conditions, coffee is not detrimental to health. If people enjoy drinking it, it’s comforting to know that they don’t have to be afraid of negative health effects.”
Do you think van Dam is an Economist?
Coffee - 1 (NYT, April 2004):
How, you might wonder, could such a ubiquitous substance be toxic? With an average of one to three cups of coffee a day, most people get 100 to 300 milligrams of caffeine. With chronic exposure, though, people become accustomed to the stimulant effects of caffeine. In contrast, a sudden increase in caffeine consumption can easily produce caffeine intoxication.
In general, more than 1.5 grams of caffeine a day can cause the typical symptoms of caffeinism: anxiety, insomnia, irritability and palpitations.
Caffeine is far and away the most widely used stimulant in the world. It is actually a member of a class of compounds called xanthines that includes theobromine, which is abundant in chocolate and theophylline, the major xanthine in tea.
Caffeine works by blocking the calming and analgesic effects of the neurotransmitter adenosine in the brain. In moderate doses, caffeine enhances arousal and performance. At higher doses, caffeine blocks a majority of adenosine receptors and can produce anxiety and hypersensitivity to pain.
Judging from the sheer number of consumer products spiked with caffeine, one would think we were a nation of narcoleptics, desperately trying to stay awake. From ''enhanced'' water to sports drinks to dietary supplements, caffeine is a common additive. And as the food and supplement industries search for new stimulants following the recent ban on ephedra, it would hardly be surprising to find caffeine use on the rise.
Coffee - 2 (NYT, Aug 2006):
Coffee is not usually thought of as health food, but a number of recent studies suggest that it can be a highly beneficial drink. Researchers have found strong evidence that coffee reduces the risk of several serious ailments, including diabetes, heart disease and cirrhosis of the liver.
Coffee contains antioxidants that help control the cell damage that can contribute to the development of the disease. It is also a source of chlorogenic acid, which has been shown in animal experiments to reduce glucose concentrations.
Caffeine, perhaps coffee’s most famous component, seems to have little to do with it; studies that looked at decaffeinated coffee alone found the same degree of risk reduction.
Larger quantities of coffee seem to be especially helpful in diabetes prevention. In a report that combined statistical data from many studies, researchers found that people who drank four to six cups of coffee a day had a 28 percent reduced risk compared with people who drank two or fewer. Those who drank more than six had a 35 percent risk reduction.
... researchers found that women who drank one to three cups a day reduced their risk of cardiovascular disease by 24 percent compared with those drinking no coffee at all.
But as the quantity increased, the benefit decreased. At more than six cups a day, the risk was not significantly reduced. Still, after controlling for age, smoking and alcohol consumption, women who drank one to five cups a day — caffeinated or decaffeinated — reduced their risk of death from all causes during the study by 15 to 19 percent compared with those who drank none.
Several compounds in coffee may contribute to its antioxidant capacity, including phenols, volatile aroma compounds and oxazoles that are efficiently absorbed.
“I wouldn’t advise people to increase their consumption of coffee in order to lower their risk of disease,” Dr. van Dam said, “but the evidence is that for most people without specific conditions, coffee is not detrimental to health. If people enjoy drinking it, it’s comforting to know that they don’t have to be afraid of negative health effects.”
Do you think van Dam is an Economist?
posted by g.e. at 6:12 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home