New Study Reveals Health Benefits of Coffee

…

According to a new study, taking two to three cups of coffee each day can guard an individual against early mortality and other cardiovascular illnesses.

“The results suggest that mild to moderate intake of ground, instant and decaffeinated coffee should be considered part of a healthy lifestyle,” said Peter Kistler, the author of the study.

Kistler is the director of clinical electrophysiology research at the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute. He is also the chief of electrophysiology at Melbourne’s Alfred Hospital.

They discovered three varieties of coffee, together with numerous other scientists, that greatly reduce the likelihood of several ailments, including coronary heart disease, stroke, and congestive heart failure.

Caffeine-containing ground and instant coffee lower the risk of arrhythmia. However, according to the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, decaffeinated coffee does not reduce the risk of irregular heartbeat in people.

Drinking 3 to 5 cups of black coffee can help with heart disease, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, prostate cancer, type 2 diabetes, and liver disease.

“This manuscript adds to the body of evidence from observational trials associating moderate coffee consumption with cardioprotection, which looks promising,” stated Charlotte Mills, a nutritional sciences lecturer.

However, Mills claims that the researchers’ findings are observational in nature and so cannot rule out causation between the disorders mentioned above and frequent coffee intake.

“Does coffee make you healthy, or do inherently healthier people consume coffee? Randomized controlled trials are needed to prove the relationship between coffee and cardiovascular health,” Mills noted.

Read Also: Resorts, Authorities in Maldives Strengthen Calls to Combat Improper Waste Disposal

Caffeinated ground coffee helps

The study made use of data from the UK Biobank. Over 450,000 persons who were free of arrhythmia and other cardiovascular disorders were surveyed in the research database.

The authors categorized them into four sections: those who preferred caffeinated ground coffee, those who preferred decaffeinated coffee, those who preferred caffeinated instant coffee, and those who did not consume coffee.

The researchers compared the patients’ data over a period of 12 and a half years, considering the data revealing cardiovascular illnesses, arrhythmia, stroke, and mortality. Other considerations were also looked into.

Obesity, high blood pressure, age, diabetes, ethnicity, sex, smoking status, alcohol, and tea use are among them.

When the investigation was done, the researchers observed that all varieties of coffee were slightly associated with lessening illnesses.

Duane Mellow, a nutritionist and lecturer at Aston University Medical School, believes caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee can help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Mellow, on the other hand, believes that other substances in the coffee might induce the results.

“Caffeine is the most well-known constituent in coffee, but the beverage contains more than 100 biologically active components. It is likely that the non-caffeinated compounds were responsible for the positive relationships observed between coffee drinking, cardiovascular disease and survival,” argues Kistler.

Read Also: Angelina Jolie Arrives in Disaster-stricken Pakistan to Help Communities

The study needs more input

While the study offers quality news for coffee lovers, experts are split on the study’s findings.

According to Annette Creedon of the British Nutrition Foundation, the study had a weakness when respondents self-reported their coffee use.

“This study had a median follow-up period of 12.5 years during which many aspects of the participants’ diet and lifestyle may have changed,” she said.

While coffee is marketed as a refreshing beverage, Creedon claims that some people, such as those who have difficulties sleeping and those with uncontrolled diabetes, respond unfavorably to it.

As a result, she feels that people should visit their doctors before making coffee a daily beverage.

“(These negative side effects” can be particularly relevant to individuals who are sensitive to the effects of caffeine. Hence, the findings of this study do not indicate that people should start drinking coffee if they do not already drink it or that they should increase their consumption,” Creedon explained.

Furthermore, how coffee is brewed has a considerable impact on the findings. Mellor adds that consumers should think about how much sugar is in their coffee and the quantity of cream, milk, and other additives.

“A simple cup of coffee, perhaps with a little milk, is very different to a large latte flavored with a syrup and added cream,” added Mellor.

Photo Credit: The Manual

Source: CNN