\n QUESTION: I gave up coffee years ago because it made me too
\n jittery, but my husband still drinks coffee -- sometimes four
\n or more cups -- every day. I've always been under the
\n impression that too much caffeine is bad for your health. Is
\n there harm in drinking so much coffee? Are there any health
\n benefits from drinking it?\n <\/p>\n
\n ANSWER: In excess, coffee, and more particularly,
\n caffeine, can cause problems for some people: Nervousness,
\n rapid heart action, heartburn and excessive urination head the
\n list. But study results keep coming that suggest coffee does
\n have some health benefits.\n <\/p>\n
\n Recently, researchers reported that coffee drinking is
\n associated with lower risks of depression, lethal prostate
\n cancer and stroke. There are also reports of possible
\n protective effects against illnesses ranging from Parkinson's
\n disease to diabetes to some types of cancer.\n <\/p>\n
\n Caffeine has been studied more than any other ingredient in
\n coffee. But coffee contains literally a thousand different
\n substances. And some of these lesser-known substances may be
\n responsible for healthful effects in various parts of the body.\n <\/p>\n
\n In fact, some studies show that caffeinated and decaffeinated
\n coffee have similar effects, which suggests that something
\n besides caffeine is involved.\n <\/p>\n
\n It gets complicated, though. Caffeine and some of the other
\n substances in coffee seem to have their good and bad sides.
\n Coffee's overall effect may depend on how much the positive and
\n negative effects balance out.\n <\/p>\n
\n Here's a rundown of how coffee is thought to affect various
\n medical conditions:\n <\/p>\n
\n \u2022 Alzheimer's disease: Some evidence suggests protection
\n against beta-amyloid plaque that may have a role in causing
\n Alzheimer's.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u2022 Cancer: Studies suggest a lower risk for some tumors
\n (endometrial, aggressive prostate and estrogen-negative breast
\n cancers). Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory substances could be
\n responsible.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u2022 Diabetes: Regular caffeine use is associated with lower risk,
\n and high intake (three to six cups a day) seems to have a
\n greater effect. Protection may come from factors that affect
\n insulin and blood sugar levels.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u2022 Heart attack: Coffee drinking increases some factors
\n (homocysteine) associated with higher risk. But one to three
\n cups a day has been linked to a small decrease in risk.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u2022 Liver disease: Coffee drinking is associated with lower
\n levels of enzymes that indicate liver damage and inflammation.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u2022 Parkinson's disease: Studies show a 25% decrease in risk for
\n coffee drinkers. The effect is smaller in women.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u2022 Stroke: Three to four cups a day is associated with lower
\n risk. But chance of a stroke may increase immediately after
\n intake, particularly among infrequent drinkers.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u2022 Migraine headache: The caffeine in coffee helps ease migraine
\n headache in some people by narrowing the expanded blood vessels
\n in the brain that cause migraine pain.\n <\/p>\n
\n Caffeine can also be a performance enhancer, strengthening
\n muscle contraction and offsetting effects of physical exertion.
\n But, especially in the short term, it also has negative
\n effects, which include raising blood pressure and increasing
\n levels of homocysteine, insulin and possibly cholesterol.\n <\/p>\n
\n Coffee drinkers concerned about cholesterol weren't happy about
\n some early study results showing that coffee seemed to increase
\n cholesterol levels. But the bad news turns out to be not so
\n bad, because the cholesterol-raising effect seems to be limited
\n to unfiltered coffee.\n <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Follow this link: QUESTION: I gave up coffee years ago because it made me too jittery, but my husband still drinks coffee -- sometimes four or more cups -- every day. Continue reading
\nHarvard Medical School Adviser: If you enjoy coffee, go ahead and drink it<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"