Scientists have suspected for years that coffee may offer
some cancer protection. Now German researchers claim to have
identified a specific, highly active anticancer compound in
coffee called methylpyridinium. In animal studies this potent
antioxidant appears to boost the activity phase II enzymes,
believed to protect against colon cancer.
"Until human studies are done, no one knows exactly
how much coffee is neede to have a protective effect against
colon cancer," said study co-leader Thomas Hofman, professor
and head of the Institute of Food Chemistry at the University
of Munster. "However, our studies suggest that drinking
coffee may offer some protection, especially if it's strong."
Methylpyridinium is formed during the roasting process and
not found in green beans. Hofman notes that espresso-type
coffee contains about two to three times more of the anticancer
compound than a medium roast coffee. The compound is present
in both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee.
A study published in the American Gastroenterological Association
(AGA) journal Gastroenterology has found that people at high
risk for liver injury may be able to reduce the risk of developing
chronic liver disease significantly by drinking more than
two cups of coffee or tea daily. This preventative effect
was only seen in people at higher risk for liver disease due
to heavy alcohol intake, being overweight or having diabetes
or iron overload. This is the first study to take a prospective
look at the relationship between coffee and tea consumption
and chronic liver disease in the general US population.
"While it is too soon to encourage patients to increase
their coffee and tea intake, the findings of our study potentially
offer people at high-risk for developing chronic liver disease
a practical way to decrease that risk,' said Constance E Ruhl,
MD, PhD, who conducted the study with colleague, James E Everhart,
MD, MPH. "In addition, we hope the findings will offer
guidance to researchers who are studying liver disease progression."
NEW YORK, June 8 (Reuters Health) -- Whether they choose
espresso, latte, brewed or instant, men who drink four or
more cups of coffee each day have a 45% lower risk of developing
gallstones, according to a report in the June 9th issue of
The Journal of the American Medical Association.
In the study of 46,008 men aged 40 to 75 with no history of
gallstone disease, men who regularly consumed coffee had a
reduced risk of gallstone disease during 10 years of follow-up
compared with men who did not drink coffee on a regular basis.
Men who drank two to three cups of regular coffee per day
had a 40% reduced risk of developing gallstone disease than
non-Java drinkers, and those who drank four or more cups per
day had a 45% lower risk. No such effect was observed with
consumption of tea, decaffeinated coffee, or low-calorie caffeinated
soft drinks, the investigators report.
Moderate consumption of caffeinated or decaffeinated coffee
may lower the risk of type 2 diabetes in middle-aged and younger
women, according to a new report.
Dr Rob M van Dam from the Harvard School of Public Health,
Boston, and colleagues evaluated the consumption of different
types of coffee in relation to the development of type 2 diabetes
in more than 88,000 US women followed in the Nurses Health
Study II.
In general, higher coffee consumption, both caffeinated and
decaffeinated, was associated with a lower risk of type 2
diabetes, the team reports in the medical journal Diabetes
Care. The reduction in risk was 13 per cent with one cup of
coffee per day, and as much as 47 per cent with four or more
cups.
The reduced risk of type 2 diabetes was limited to filtered
coffee and instant coffee, the report indicates, whereas consumption
of espresso or percolator coffee did not significantly reduce
the risk.
Praise for Coffee
"Overall, the research shows that coffee is far more healthful
than it is harmful," says Tomas DePaulis, PhD, research scientist
at Vanderbilt University's Institute for Coffee Studies. "For
most people, very little bad comes from drinking it, but a lot of
good."
Drinking coffee in moderation (a few cups a day) is not only completely
safe, it may even be healthy, according to Harvard's Women's Health
Watch. Regular coffee drinkers, says the report, appear to gain
the following advantages over non-coffee drinkers:
" A lower risk of type 2 diabetes
" A reduced risk of gallstones
" A lower risk of colon cancer
" Improved cognitive function
" A reduced risk of liver damage in people at high risk of
liver disease
" A reduced risk of Parkinson's disease
" Improved endurance performance in long-duration physical
activities
The improvements coffee drinkers seemingly receive are quite significant.
For instance, when the Harvard researchers analyzed data from 126,000
people for a span of 18 years, drinking one to three cups of (caffeinated)
coffee daily reduced diabetes risk in the single digits. Drinking
six cups or more each day, however, reduced men's risk by 54 percent
and women's by 30 percent.
Further, other studies have found that people who drink coffee regularly
(as compared to those who do not):
" Have an 80 percent lower risk of Parkinson's disease
" A 25 percent reduced risk of colon cancer
" An 80 percent lower risk of liver cirrhosis
" A 50 percent lower risk of gallstones
" A lower risk of alcohol-induced pancreatitis
And that's not all. "People who smoke and are heavy drinkers
have less heart disease and liver damage when they regularly consume
large amounts of coffee compared to those who don't," says
DePaulis.
Finally, coffee has also been found to benefit asthma, headaches
and mood and prevent cavities.
