Brewing issues about coffee

That was the question on my mind when as a fresh graduate who never drank coffee I found myself right in the middle of a coffee-drinking and cigar-smoking work environment (the faculty of a business school). Coffee became my companion as I burned the midnight oil for rush projects. Needless to say, I should confess I easily developed a craving and maybe even a dependence on the brew.

But I try to keep my consumption to not more than two cups a day. However, since I never order "small," I do exceed that self-imposed limit. So, as a coffee junkie (just like most of you), I want to take a look at latest research about whether coffee is good or bad for us.

Stimulating Effects

The coffee craze that woke up the world spurred many researchers from universities and medical associations to determine whether it is good or bad. The question is how much can one take without damaging one’s health. There are a few pleasant surprises though as some researchers even attribute health benefits to a cup or two.

A researcher from the University of California, San Francisco, concludes that a morning cup of coffee has its benefits. Coffee could lower the risk of gallstones and Parkinson’s disease, said Dr. Neal Benowitz, an internist and researcher at UCSF. A second or even third cup is OK, he said. But coffee’s stimulating effects don’t pack the same jolt after that and could build tolerance for caffeine that can lead to other problems. "The effect of each dose is less and less," Benowitz said. "You’re better not to drink it regularly, and then have a big cup, and it’ll pep you right up."

He cautioned that coffee drinking is not for everyone. Pregnant women and those with migraines, heartburn, high blood pressure or anxiety should steer clear of the buzz that comes from coffee. And those already taking caffeine in supplements or other beverages (such as energy drinks) should leave coffee alone in the pot.

Deidre Larkin, a lecturer in food and science nutrition at California State University, on the other hand, won’t recommend coffee at all. "I chose not to use anything that might have any control over me, and caffeine is physiologically addicting," she said, pointing out that colas, some over-the-counter medicines and other products routinely contain doses of caffeine. "It’s a stimulant. There may be some benefits, but for me, the day-to-day disadvantages outweigh the benefits," she said.

It is the dependence on caffeine that most are trying to avoid because some exhibit withdrawal symptoms. You can feel flu-like symptoms. You feel really lethargic in the morning and only a cup can keep you going.

So if you wish to lessen your dependence on coffee (whether it is good or bad for you), you might want to consider the following tips:

• Experts say certain types of beans and methods of brewing can cut the caffeine milligrams per serving. Dark-roasted beans might contain more caffeine than light-roasted ones; Robusta beans generally have more caffeine than Arabica.

• Instant coffee contains about 60 to 85 milligrams per cup, while a single shot of espresso weighs in at 30 to 50 milligrams. For those who love the brew but have to take it easy because of cholesterol or hypertension issues, take note: Passing boiled coffee through a paper filter removes terpenes – chemical particles that raise cholesterol.

A study in the early Eighties linked coffee drinking to pancreatic cancer but follow-up studies were not conclusive. Now, after more than 19,000 dietary caffeine studies, many experts agree that moderate daily caffeine intake – 300 to 400 milligrams, about three to four cups of coffee – is not harmful.

Coffee And Cancer

The Iowa Women’s Health Study investigated caffeine intake and postmenopausal breast cancer incidence among 34,388 Iowa women aged 55 to 69. No association was found between coffee and breast cancer. A Harvard study of almost 122,000 nurses found that those who drank coffee had lower rates of breast cancer than those who drank no coffee.

A recent study of 61,000 Swedish women over nine years concluded that coffee does not cause colorectal cancer. Several studies have found that coffee drinkers may even have a lower risk of colorectal cancer, but results have not been consistent.

Caffeine may protect against Parkinson’s disease: Parkinson’s disease is a progressive nervous disease that destroys dopamine-producing brain cells. The resulting symptoms are tremor, a slowing of movement, weakness and facial paralysis. Researchers believe that caffeine’s helpful effect may be that it reduces the amount of dopamine depleted from the brain.

A Harvard School of Public Health study published last May reported that men who drank four to five cups a day of caffeinated coffee cut the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease nearly in half compared to men who consumed little or no caffeine daily. Women who consumed between one and three cups a day also cut their risk of developing Parkinson’s disease nearly when compared to women who drank less than a cup a day. But this apparent benefit was lost at higher levels of intake.

Osteoporosis

Although caffeine causes more calcium to be excreted in the urine, the Osteoporosis Society of Canada says that two or three cups of coffee are not harmful if you get enough calcium in your daily diet. Dietitians recommend drinking a glass of milk for every mug of coffee, or having a café au lait (preferably with skim milk to keep the fat content down).

Athletic Performance

Researchers have found that caffeine enhances physical endurance. However, it does not appear to improve short-term high-intensity activities like sprinting. Since it can raise an athlete’s metabolic level, international sports organizations limit the amount that can be found in urine.

Headaches

Caffeine increases the power of ASA and other pain relievers, and is often combined with them to treat headaches.

Cirrhosis

A study at the Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program in Northern California that looked at seven years of data found that coffee drinking might be protective against alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver. Studies in Italy and Japan have likewise indicated that coffee may prevent cirrhosis of the liver, a disease causing damage and scarring of the liver tissue, and progressive decreasing of liver function.

Heart Disease

European studies have shown that coffee consumption may increase serum cholesterol levels. However, that is due not to the caffeine but to substances called cafestol and kahweol found in the coffee’s oils. When drinking boiled, unfiltered coffee, as more Europeans do, these substances remain. So long as you drink filtered drip coffee or instant coffee, which Canadians typically tend to do, odds are you’re not increasing your serum cholesterol levels. That’s because filters remove most of these substances, as does the process that goes into making instant coffee. Likewise, a Harvard study of 45,589 men, published in 1990, found no link between excessive coffee drinking and heart disease.

Pregnancy

In 1980, pregnant women were first warned to avoid caffeine due to concerns that it could result in low birth weight and miscarriages – caffeine easily crosses the placenta, and fetuses and newborns don’t have enough of the enzymes needed to metabolize it.

But the low-birth-weight theory has been difficult to prove since maternal smoking, a known cause of low birth weight, can confuse the results of studies. The association between caffeine and miscarriages continues to be researched, however. Studies have found that while caffeine intake before and during pregnancy appears to be associated with increased miscarriages, several factors could cause a false association, including effects of morning sickness or nausea, the number of cigarettes smoked and amount of alcohol consumed.

Caution: It May Be Boiling Hot

If all the research findings above are correct, then we coffee drinkers can rejoice. It seems now that the only thing we have to watch out for is having our tongues burnt when our coffee is piping hot.

No matter what, I still believe the best advice is to keep even good things in moderation. Particularly if the "good" thing is addicting.

Somebody teased me before that the problem with the health industry is that anything can be positioned as good or bad, backed by some research. Problem is some research results may be skewed depending on who is paying the bill.

So, it may not be a bad idea to go slow on coffee (or at least consciously regulate your intake). For what we know today (or what we are led to believe), may not hold true tomorrow.

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E-mail mylene@goldsgymmanila.com for questions and comments.