Drinking 4-5 Cups of Coffee Daily May Increase Lifespan

A new study just published in the Annals of Internal Medicine suggests that those people who regularly indulge in their favorite coffee beverage may live longer than those who don’t.

The authors of this study reviewed data from two large ongoing studies that have followed health professionals over more than 20 years, including their dietary habits — the Nurses’ Health Study, and, the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study. What they found was that people who drank at least five to seven cups of coffee per week had a significantly lower overall risk of dying from any cause compared to those who did not drink coffee; people who drank 4-5 cups per day or more seemed to have the strongest protection.

The effect was usually stronger in women than in men, and most of the reduction in death was due to a reduction in cardiovascular disease. Women who consumed coffee in this study also had a small reduction in the risk of diabetes as well as chronic liver disease, including cirrhosis of the liver.

In this study, people who drank decaf coffee benefited as much as those who drank the regular coffee with caffeine, suggesting that there is something else in coffee besides the caffeine that is beneficial to our health. We do know that coffee is high in polyphenols — plant chemicals that are known to reduce inflammation. Polyphenols also have other positive effects on the heart, blood vessels, and blood sugar:

• They help to relax blood vessels, which can also lower blood pressure.
• They act as anti-oxidants and may help to reduce blockages in the arteries.
• They seem to improve glucose tolerance and utilization, thus reducing the risk of diabetes.

In addition to the polyphenols in coffee, the caffeine itself also seems to have benefits, including:

• Reducing the risk of diabetes.
• Thinning the blood by reducing platelet stickiness.
• Relaxing the airways in people with asthma which can improve asthma symptoms.
• Reducing the risk of gallstones and gout.
• Reducing the risk of Parkinson’s disease (greatest benefit seen with 1-3 cups of coffee per day).
• Possibly reducing the risk of some cancers, including cancers of the liver, colon, and esophagus.

Caffeinated beverages do offer some risks: 

• More than 200 mg of caffeine per day can increase the risk of miscarriage.
• Excessive caffeine may increase blood pressure, anxiety, and insomnia.
• Unfiltered coffee can increase your blood cholesterol levels, so use a filter when you brew.
• Caffeine increases the loss of calcium in the urine; if you have osteoporosis, it’s probably best to keep your caffeine intake under 300 mg/day, or take an extra calcium tablet for each cup of coffee you drink.

Annals of Internal Medicine, June 2008
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DID YOU KNOW:
New Tool For Enhancing Medication Adherence in Diabetes: Poor drug adherence in patients with diabetes continues to plague clinicians, but new tools have been created to solve this problem by improving decision making.Physicians must change the nature of their conversations to ensure that the medication choices are consistent with the evidence as well as the values and preferences of patients.  See This Weeks’ Item #4

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