Coffee is probably the most
frequently ingested beverage worldwide. The Scandinavians (Norwegians, Swedish
and the Danes) have a high prevalence of coffee-drinkers, and they
traditionally make their coffee by boiling ground coffee beans and water.
Because of its consumption in most countries in the world, it is interesting,
from both a public and a scientific perspective, to discuss its potential
benefits or adverse aspects.
Consumed for its refreshing and stimulating effect, it belongs to the tribe coffea of the sub-family Cinchonoidea of Rubiaceae family. Coffee is a complex chemical mixture composed of several chemicals. It is responsible for a number of bioactivities and a number of compounds account for these effects. Some of the significant bioactivities documented are antioxidant activity, anticarcticinogenic activity, antimutagenic activity etc. Various compounds responsible for the chemo-protective effect of coffee are mainly polyphenols including chlorogenic acids and their degradation products. Others include caffeine, kahweol, cafestol, and other phenolics.
Coffee also shows protective or
adverse effects on various systems like the skeletal (bone) system, the
reproductive system, the homocysteine levels, the cholesterol levels etc.
Harmful effects of coffee are associated with people who are sensitive to stimulants.
George SE et al of the
central food Technological Research Institute, Mysore, India while working on
health benefits of coffee concluded that the moderate consumption of coffee,
corresponding to three to four cups/ day with average strength is safer to
human health.
More so, Ranneim and Halvorsen, of the Department of Medical Genetics,
Rikshopitalet University Hospital, Oslo, Norway, while working on the
beneficial or detrimental effects of coffee consumption in relation to two main
health problems, namely cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus
concluded that based on the literature reviewed, it is apparent that moderate
daily filtered, coffee intake is not associated with any adverse effects on
cardiovascular outcome. On the contrary, the data shows that coffee has a
signification antioxidant activity, and may have an inverse association with
the risk of type two diabetes mellitus.
Studies examining the
association between coffee consumption and coronary heart disease have been
inconclusive. Coffee is a complex mixture of compound and as every other
consumed product may have either beneficial or harmful effects on the cardiovascular
system. A recent study
examining the relationship between coffee and risk of myocardial infarction
incorporate a genetic polymorphism associated with a slower rate of caffeine
also affects risk of coronary heart disease, but by far, more other studies have
reported a protective effect of moderate coffee consumption, which suggests
that coffee contains other compounds that may be beneficial.
Cornelis and El-sohemy of the department of Nutritional Sciences, University of
Toronto Ontario, Canada, however emphasized that Diterpenes present in
unfiltered coffee and caffeine each appear to increase risk of coronary heart
disease and a lower risk of coronary heart disease among moderate coffee
drinkers might be due to antioxidants found in coffee.
Grobbe and others of the Department of Epidemiology, Harvard school of public
Health, Boston, concluded from their work that findings do not support the
hypothesis that coffee or caffeine consumption increases the risk of coronary
heart disease or stroke.
While Klag and others in a Johns Hopkins precursors study on whether the
increase in blood pressure with coffee drinking seen in clinical trials
persists over time and translates into an increased incidence of hypertension
concluded that over many years of follow-up, coffee drinking is associated with
small increases in blood pressure, but appears to play a small role in the
development of hypertension.
Geleijnse of the Wageningen University, Netherlands, found out that most
evidence suggests that regular intake of caffeinated coffee does not increase
the risk of hypertension when they did an epidemiological survey on habitual
coffee consumption and blood pressure.
More
advances in science point towards the fact that coffee is more beneficial to
the body than being harmful. A better percentage however advocates moderation
in usage, the conclusion the health practitioners will give on the consumption
of almost all foods, meat, fish or drinks except water and fruits. Therefore I
would not advise you against it but will say, take without fear, as lack of
fear is the greatest killer of all ailments.
Culled from Daily
Independent.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Peter Esegbue-Peters
I didn't know of this but try and do an update on this finding since it was published in 2010. hope am correct
ReplyDelete