Health effects

Because coffee is consumed by so many people and contains many complex chemicals, some of which are produced during the roasting process, studies on how it effects humans have been numerous and wide ranging. Sleep, fertility, aging, weight, illnesses such as cancer, bone loss, even levels of happiness have been examined to determine the negative and positive impact of coffee.

As a Stimulant

Coffee contains the stimulant caffeine. Because of this, coffee is often consumed at times when it’s important to be awake and alert, such as when studying for important examinations, or in the morning before heading to school or work.

Additional stimulating effects of coffee may have no connection to its caffeine content. Research has recently shown that coffee contains a chemical agent that spurs the production of cortisone and adrenaline, both stimulating hormones, in humans. Humans can develop caffeine dependency and withdrawal symptoms; because of this, several processes to remove most of the caffeine in coffee have been developed. The Swiss Water Process involves soaking raw coffee beans to remove caffeine. Use of chemical solvents such as trichloroethylene, supercritical carbon dioxide, or methylene chloride are also used to remove caffeine. So-called “natural decaf” is achieved by using ethyl acetate, which is naturally present in fruit. Coffee that has been decaffeinated generally loses flavor compared to regular coffee.

Benefits

Alzheimer’s Disease

According to some studies, drinkers of 3 to 5 cups of coffee per day, described as moderate drinkers, were found to be significantly less likely to develop Alzheimer’s Disease later in life than light (0 to 2 cups per day) coffee drinkers. A 2009 study also showed that moderate drinkers have less risk of developing dementia along with Alzheimer’s Disease.

Gallstone Disease

Harvard’s School of Public Health has linked the drinking of caffeinated coffee to a lower incidence of gallstones and gallbladder disease in men and women. That lower incidence was not present in those who drank decaffeinated coffee. Another study showed that roast coffee protected primary neuronal cells against hydrogen peroxide-induced cell death.

Parkinson’s Disease

Another study has found that those who drank heavy amounts of coffee, defined as at least 3.5 cups a day, were found to be significantly less likely to contract Parkinson’s Disease later in life. Similarly, another study found an inverse relationship between the amount of coffee regularly consumed and the likelihood of developing Parkinson’s.

Cognitive Performance

In tests to determine short term recall, simple reaction time, choice reaction time, incidental verbal memory, and visuospatial reasoning, regular coffee drinkers were found to perform better. The largest effect connected to regular coffee drinking was found among elderly participants. Women older than 80 were also found to perform significantly better on cognitive tests if they had regularly drunk cover over their lifetimes.

Analgesic Enhancement

Caffeine increases the effectiveness of painkillers, especially migraine and headache medications. Many over-the-counter headache medications contain caffeine for this reason.

Antidiabetic

Coffee consumption may reduce the risk of contracting diabetes mellitus type 2 by up to half.

Liver Protection

Coffee can lower the incidence of cirrhosis of the liver and has been linked to a lowered risk of hepatocellular carcinoma, a liver cancer that usually arises in patients with preexisting cirrhosis. It remains unclear what the mechanism is and the amount of coffee needed to achieve beneficial effects.

Cancer

Reduced risk of oral, esophageal and pharyngeal cancer has been linked to coffee consumption, although no benefit was found related to ovarian cancer. A Nurses’ Health Study showed a modest reduction in breast cancer in postmenopausal women only. This was not confirmed in decaffeinated coffee. One study has shown that coffee protects the liver from cancer, while a preliminary study indicates a connection between coffee consumption and a reduced risk of aggressive prostate cancer.

Cardioprotective

A study done by Esther Lopez Garcia of the Universidad Autonoma de Madrid has shown that coffee use reduces the incidence of dying from heart disease.

Laxative/Diuretic

Although coffee is considered to prevent constipation, it may also cause excessively loose bowel movements. Both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee is found to stimulate the colon.

Coffee enemas have been advocated by some practitioners of alternative medicine to cleanse the colon because of its stimulus of peristalsis, but conventional medicine has not proved there are benefits to the practice. Caffeine also does not act as a diuretic, or lead to dehydration or to a water-electrolyte imbalance, as popularly believed. Evidence indicates caffeinated beverages are no different than pure water in contributing to the body’s daily fluid requirements.

Antioxidant

The anticancer compound methylpyridinium is present in coffee and is not found in significant amounts in other foods. Raw coffee beans do not contain methylpyridinium, but it is formed during the roasting process from trigonelline, which is common in raw coffee beans. Caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee, along with instant coffee, contain the compound. Roast coffee, according to a recent study, contains more lipophilic antioxidants and chlorogenic acid lactones and is more protective against hydrogen peroxide-induced cell death in primary neuronal cells than green coffee.

Dental Caries

The tannins in coffee may reduce the potential of foods to create dental caries, or cavities. In vitro experiments have shown that the tannins may interfere with glucosyltransferase activity of mutans streptococci, which may reduce the formation of plaque, a chief cause of cavities.

Gout

Drinking coffee decreased the risk of gout in men over age 40. In a study of more than 45,000 men that covered a 12-year period, the risk for developing gout in men older than 40 was inversely proportional with the amount of coffee consumed.

Risks

Cancer

Roasted coffee contains more than 1,000 chemicals; 19 are known to produce cancer in rodents. Most substances cited to be rodent carcinogens occur naturally and should not be considered dangerous to humans if consumed in typical daily amounts.

Gastrointestinal Problems

Coffee has been known to cause gastritis and ulcers by damaging the lining of the gastrointestinal organs. People who suffer from colitis, gastritis, and ulcers should not drink coffee.

Anxiety and Sleep Changes

The nervous condition many know as “the jitters” is well known. It happens after too much caffeine has been consumed. It can also cause anxiety and irritability in cases of drinking too much coffee, or trying to withdraw from drinking coffee. Coffee may also cause insomnia in some drinkers.

Cosmetic

Coffee has been known to cause stains on the teeth, much like tea or certain soft drinks.

Cholesterol

A Baylor College of Medicine study released in 2007 showed that cafestol and kahweol, which are diterpene molecules found only in coffee beans, raise levels of low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, in humans. The Baylor study serves to link cafestol and kahweol with higher levels of cholesterol in the body.

Paper coffee filters have been found to have a property that binds to lipid-like compounds, removing most of the cafestol and kahweol found in coffee. Methods of brewing that do not use a paper filter, such as use of a press pot, do not remove cafestol and kahweol from the final brewed product.

Blood Pressure

Caffeine has previously been suspected of increasing the risk of high blood pressure. However, recent studies have not confirmed this. In a 12-year study of 155,000 female nurses, large amounts of coffee did not induce an increase in blood pressure. Previous studies had already shown statistically insignificant associations between coffee drinking and clinical hypertension. The effects of coffee on morbidity and mortality due to its effect on blood pressure is considered slight and has not been studied..

Effects on Pregnancy

A 2003 Danish study of 18,478 women found that heavy coffee consumption during pregnancy led to significantly increased risk of stillbirths, although the risk of infant death in the first year was not significantly affected. The study reported a threshold affect of four to seven cups per day. Those who drank eight or more cups a day were at a 220 percent greater risk when compared with nondrinkers. This study has caused some doctors to caution against excessive coffee consumption during pregnancy.

Chemical solvents in decaffeinated coffee are also considered a potential health risk to pregnant women. Because the solvents in question evaporate at 175 to 190 degrees Fahrenheit, and coffee beans are decaffeinated before roasting at about 400 degrees Fahrenheit, the impact of these chemicals is unclear. The chemicals, specifically trichloroethane and methylene chloride, are present in trace amounts and may significantly threaten embryos and fetuses.

Iron Deficiency Anemia

Drinking coffee can lead to iron deficiency anemia in mothers and infants. Coffee may also interfere with the body’s ability to absorb iron supplements.

Coronary Artery Disease

A 2004 study that examined why beneficial and detrimental effects of coffee conflict concluded that significant elevations in biochemical markers of inflammation are connected to drinking coffee. This harms the cardiovascular system, which may explain why coffee has so far only been shown to help the heart at levels of four cups or less a day.

The effects of decaffeinated coffee on health have been studied with varying results. Different decaffeination processes can alter the results of studies.

Another study has shown that cafestol, a substance which is present in boiled coffee drinks, dramatically increases cholesterol levels, especially in women. However, only trace amounts of cafestol are found in filtered coffee.

Caffeine may be more slowly metabolized by polymorphisms in the CYP1A2 gene. In patients with a slow version of the enzyme the risk for myocardial infarction, or a heart attack, is increased by a third (2-3 cups) to two thirds (4 cups). The risk was more obvious in people younger than 59.

A 2006 Harvard study done over the course of 20 years and involving 128,000 people concluded that there was no evidence that drinking coffee increased the risk of coronary heart disease. However, the study showed a link between heavy consumption of coffee and higher exposure to other coronary heart disease risk factors such as smoking, greater alcohol consumption, and lack of physical exercise. The study results applied to only coffee filtered through paper filters and excluded boiled coffee and espresso, for example. The lead researcher on this study acknowledged that genetic differences in metabolizing coffee may put subsets of the larger group at risk for heart attack when drinking multiple cups of coffee a day.

Source: www.CoffeeFashion.com