Is coffee good for you?

Question

Over the long haul or generally speaking??

Thanks.

Answer 1

A study published in the March 10th issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association that was conducted in Finland—where coffee consumption is higher than anywhere else in the world—revealed a link between drinking coffee and type 2 diabetes. The researchers conducted surveys of 6,974 men and 7,655 women, and found that diabetes risk among women drinking three to four cups a day decreased by 29 percent, while risk dropped by 79 percent for women who drank 10 or more cups a day. In men, three to four cups decreased risk by 27 percent and 10 cups lowered risk by 55 percent.

Frank Hu, MD, PhD, an associate professor of nutrition and epidemiology at Harvard School of Public Health, coauthored another long-term study published in January that also found that coffee consumption reduced type 2 diabetes risk. Below, Dr. Hu discusses the many possible health benefits associated with drinking coffee.

Does coffee lower risk of diabetes?
Studies have found that long-term higher consumption of regular coffee is associated with decreased risk of type 2 diabetes. There are a couple of reasons why that might be true. One is that coffee is not just caffeine. Coffee has large amounts of other ingredients, for example, antioxidants and minerals like magnesium. And those minerals and antioxidants actually are beneficial for blood sugar metabolism and insulin sensitivity. [In type 2 diabetes, people either don't produce enough insulin to regulate blood sugar or the body's cells ignore the insulin.] So it's possible that it's the other ingredients in coffee rather than caffeine that protect against diabetes.

Another possibility is that in the long term, caffeine may be beneficial for maintenance of body weight because caffeine can actually increase energy expenditure and basal metabolic rates. However, we don't have much data to support this kind of assumption at this point.

How might caffeine affect blood sugar regulation?
This is a very interesting area, but unfortunately we don't have much data on the effects of caffeine on the metabolism of blood sugar and insulin sensitivity. In the past several decades, people have done short-term studies, where they inject caffeine into the bloodstream. Those studies indicate that caffeine can actually increase blood sugar and decrease insulin sensitivity. So that's actually not good for you in terms of diabetes risk.

On the other hand, most people get used to these kinds of effects very quickly, after about four or five days. So people develop tolerance to the effects of caffeine, and at this point we don't know what the long-term effects of caffeine on insulin sensitivity and the blood sugar metabolism are.

Is there anything about coffee drinkers that might also be contributing to a healthier lifestyle?
No, it's the opposite. People who drink a lot of coffee actually have an unhealthy lifestyle compared to non-coffee drinkers. They smoke more, and many of them are heavy smokers. They eat an unhealthy diet. So this suggests that a healthier lifestyle is likely to explain this kind of benefit.

Would putting sugar in your coffee effect blood sugar?
The reality is that the amount of sugar we put into the coffee is very small compared to what we get from other sources. Most of the bakery products have a lot of sugar, and we get a lot of sugar from soft drinks. Soft drinks are probably the most important source of added sugar in our diet.

How much coffee do you have to drink?
There is no cut-off point for the benefit. It seems the benefit increases with the amount of coffee consumed. In our study, three to four cups of coffee is associated with 20 percent lower diabetes risk, and then if you drink five or six cups of coffee, it decreases by 30 to 40 percent. So it looks like the relationship is a dose-response type of relationship.

In the European studies, the amount of coffee is actually much higher compared to the United States. In those studies, people drink seven to eight cups of coffee. So at this point I don't think we have clear evidence in terms of how much coffee you should drink to get the benefit.

What other health benefits are associated with coffee?
The perception has been that heavy coffee consumption is an unhealthy behavior because it has many adverse effects such as increased risk of bladder cancer or heart disease, which are associations that studies have not borne out. Actually, the recent studies suggest that coffee may be more healthful than harmful. Coffee has been associated with decreased risk of gallstone disease and Parkinson's disease. Some studies have also shown that it's associated with decreased risk of suicide and even colon cancer.

So those who enjoy coffee shouldn't worry too much about the downside unless people really have a problem with sleeping, and, of course, children and pregnant women should be more cautious when they drink coffee.

Would you recommend coffee to someone who is not a coffee drinker?
I think it's really a personal choice, and I think for people who drink coffee, there is no reason for them to stop unless it really affects their sleeping. As to whether this can be recommended from a public health perspective, I think it's probably too early to say that.

Do you have research plans for other coffee studies?
We're looking at the effects of coffee among people who already developed diabetes.

Answer 2

There is never a right or wrong conclusion to coffee and tea.

But there is a saying, too much of anything is not good.
To be on the safe side, go for moderation.

Personally, I drink 2 cups of coffee daily - morning and afternoon.

Over the long haul, do not start if u have not done so...
Generally speaking, go moderate...

For balance, u need some tea too... I have a cup in between

Answer 3

It can increase stomach acid, irritate ibs, increase reddening of the face, is bad for people susceptible to osteoarthritis, is bad for any inflammatory disorder.
If you have any risk of heart disease, suffer from constipation, suffer from stress related disorders, or suffer from gout it can make these conditions worse because of the caffeine content.
Caffeine upsets the blood sugar balance and can worsen mood swings. Should be reduced if you have diabetes.
Caffeine keeps you awake which can make some conditions worse if you are unable to sleep restfully.

Answer 4

Ummm..i had this terrible headache once and I ate a painkiller and a cup of black coffee and it was gone minutes later. There was a story about these lady who ate granulated dried coffee just like that as she felt it got rid of her migraine or something. Good news is she's still alive. Bad news is, eww.......

Answer 5

noooooooooooo ... keeps u up and chirpy but very high in caffine and works as a dehydrant not very good for ur insides or skin

Answer 6

I'm not a really coffee lover.

Answer 7

Yes in moderation and No if you are drinking it in excess.

Answer 8

well some people say that its soothing but i say its gross, it has caffeine, it's stains your teeth,gives you bad breath ,and personally i think it tastes nasty overall.but it all up to you and your opinion.

Answer 9

No it rots your teeth and blanks your taste buds.
but i like it.

Answer 10

everything over all bad