A new study revealed that drinking four to five cups of coffee daily may reduce the risk of early death. The study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology said this applies even to those who drink decaf. Although the latest study could not tie coffee drinking and death from cancer, it does suggest that regular consumption of coffee may lower the risk of death by warding off diseases like heart disease and diabetes. The study is the latest in a series of coffee-related studies conducted by Dr. Erikka Loftfield, of the Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics at the National Cancer Institute. She told Reuters Health: “Coffee contains numerous biologically active compounds, including phenolic acids, potassium and caffeine.” Researchers looked at data from a previous study on 90,317 adults without cancer or a history of cardiovascular disease. The participants joined the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial between 1998-2001. The participants were followed for 10 years during which time their coffee intake and other dietary and health information were recorded. After 10 year follow-up, 8,718 of the participants died. Those who drank four to five cups of coffee daily had the lowest risk of death from various causes such as, diabetes, heart disease, respiratory diseases, influenza and suicide compared to who did not drink coffee at all. [Read more Regular coffee drinking may cut your liver cancer risk by half] A similar association was also seen in drinkers of decaffeinated coffee. Dr. Loftfield explained: “Although coffee drinking has also been inversely associated with incidence of certain cancers, like liver, in epidemiological studies, we did not observe an association between cancer and overall mortality. “This may be because coffee reduces mortality risk for some cancers but not others.” People who drink 2 to 3 cups of coffee each day were found to have an 18% lower risk of early death compared to those who do not drink coffee. Additionally, drinking up to five cups a day – the equivalent to 400 mg of caffeine – was not found to be associated with any long-term health risks. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, consuming moderate amounts of caffeine – up to 200 milligrams per day – is safe for pregnant women Researchers are not sure exactly sure how coffee consumption lowers risk of death, but they hypothesized that it may be because coffee favorably affects inflammation, lung function, insulin sensitivity and depression. Dr Marc Gunter of Imperial College London, who was not part of the study, had a different theory. He said, “Coffee drinking is correlated with other health behaviors. “Those who drink it regularly may also have other healthy habits – such as exercising and eating healthy.” Dr. Gunter said that while coffee can aid to a healthy lifestyle, doctors cannot yet recommend non coffee drinkers to adopt the habit for health reasons. “It doesn’t seem to do you any harm, if you like coffee then carry on,” he concluded. Some interesting facts about coffee
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AuthorSalahuddin Ahmed Azad is a freelance medical writer and blogger, who's been writing about health and medicine for more than a decade. A former New York transplant, he now lives in his native Dhaka. Salahuddin finished his SSC from St. Gregory's High School and HSC from Notre Dame College in Dhaka. Then he went to the United States and received a Bachelor's degree from the University of Louisiana. He received a diploma on eTechnology from NIIT, Dhaka. Azad bleeds coffee - a disorder he got from living in America for twenty years. ArchivesCategories |