Tag: coffee

Categories : Cardiovascular DiseaseTags :

Coffee Extends Life as Well as Consciousness

On By ModernMedia
Coffee cup and beans
Photo by Mike Kenneally on Unsplash

Coffee lovers have another thing to rejoice about: drinking two to three cups of coffee a day is linked with a longer lifespan and lower risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) compared with avoiding coffee, according to a study in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology. The association was strongest with drinking ground coffee, though instant and decaffeinated preparations also showed this benefit.

“In this large, observational study, ground, instant and decaffeinated coffee were associated with equivalent reductions in the incidence of cardiovascular disease and death from cardiovascular disease or any cause,” said study author Professor Peter Kistler of the Baker Heart and Diabetes Research Institute, Melbourne. “The results suggest that mild to moderate intake of ground, instant and decaffeinated coffee should be considered part of a healthy lifestyle.”

There is little information on the impact of different coffee preparations on heart health and survival. This study examined the associations between types of coffee and incident arrhythmias, CVD and death using data from the UK Biobank, with participants aged 40–69. CVD was comprised of coronary heart disease, congestive heart failure and ischaemic stroke.

The study included 449 563 participants free of arrhythmias or other CVD at baseline. The median age was 58 years and 55.3% were women. Participants completed a questionnaire asking how many cups of coffee they drank each day and whether they usually drank instant, ground (such as cappuccino or filtered coffee), or decaffeinated coffee. They were then grouped into six daily intake categories, consisting of none, less than one, one, two to three, four to five, and more than five cups per day. The usual coffee type was instant in 198 062 (44.1%) participants, ground in 82 575 (18.4%), and decaffeinated in 68 416 (15.2%). A comparator group of 100 510 (22.4%) non-coffee drinkers was included.

Coffee drinkers were compared to non-drinkers for the incidence of arrhythmias, cardiovascular disease and death, after adjusting for age, sex, ethnicity, obesity, hypertension, diabetes, obstructive sleep apnoea, smoking status, and tea and alcohol consumption. Outcome information was obtained from medical records and death records. The median follow up was 12.5 years.

A total of 27 809 (6.2%) participants died during follow up. All types of coffee were linked with a reduction in death from any cause. The greatest risk reduction seen with two to three cups per day, which compared to no coffee drinking was associated with a 14%, 27% and 11% lower likelihood of death for decaffeinated, ground, and instant preparations, respectively.

CVD was diagnosed in 43 173 (9.6%) participants during follow up. All coffee subtypes were associated with a reduction in incident cardiovascular disease. Again, the lowest risk was observed with two to three cups a day, which compared to abstinence from coffee was associated with a 6%, 20%, and 9% reduced likelihood of cardiovascular disease for decaffeinated, ground, instant coffee, respectively.

During follow up, an arrhythmia was diagnosed in 30 100 (6.7%) participants. Ground and instant coffee, but not decaffeinated, was associated with a reduction in arrhythmias including atrial fibrillation. Compared with non-drinkers, the lowest risks were observed with four to five cups a day for ground coffee and two to three cups a day for instant coffee, with 17% and 12% reduced risks, respectively.

Professor Kistler said: “Caffeine is the most well-known constituent in coffee, but the beverage contains more than 100 biologically active components. It is likely that the non-caffeinated compounds were responsible for the positive relationships observed between coffee drinking, cardiovascular disease and survival. Our findings indicate that drinking modest amounts of coffee of all types should not be discouraged but can be enjoyed as a heart healthy behaviour.”

Source: European Society of Cardiology

Categories : Substance UseTags :

The Chemistry of Morning Coffee and Cigarettes

On By ModernMedia
Coffee cup and beans
Photo by Mike Kenneally on Unsplash

For many smokers, a coffee is needed to make that first cigarette of the day satisfying. A new study suggests that a chemical compound – not caffeine – may help blunt morning nicotine cravings.

Researchers in the study identified two compounds in coffee that directly affect certain high-sensitivity nicotine receptors in the brain. In smokers, these brain receptors can be hypersensitive after a night without nicotine.

Published in the journal Neuropharmacology, the findings have yet to be tested in humans but are an important step toward better understanding how coffee and cigarettes affect nicotine receptors in the brain, explained Roger L. Papke, PhD, a pharmacology professor in the University of Florida College of Medicine. The caffeine in coffee gives a wellness boost to its drinkers, but smokers may get something more.

“Many people like caffeine in the morning but there are other molecules in coffee that may explain why cigarette smokers want their coffee,” Prof Papke said.

The researchers applied a dark-roasted coffee solution to cells that express a particular human nicotine receptor. An organic chemical compound in coffee may help restore the nicotine receptor dysfunction that leads to nicotine cravings in smokers, the researchers concluded.

Prof Papke hypothesises that one of the compounds in brewed coffee, known as n-MP, may help to quell morning nicotine cravings.

Prof Papke said he was intrigued by the idea that nicotine-dependent smokers associate tobacco use with coffee in the morning and alcohol in the evening. While alcohol’s effect on nicotine receptors in the brain has been well researched, the receptors’ interaction with coffee is less studied.

“Many people look for coffee in the morning because of the caffeine. But was the coffee doing anything else to smokers? We wanted to know if there were other things in coffee that were affecting the brain’s nicotine receptors,” Prof Papke said.

The findings, he said, provide a good foundation for behavioural scientists who could further study nicotine withdrawal in animal models.

Source: University of Florida

Categories : CancerTags :

Coffee Consumption Lowers Endometrial Cancer Risk

On By ModernMedia
Photo by Mike Kenneally on Unsplash

Higher coffee consumption is linked with a lower risk of endometrial cancer, according to a new analysis which appears in the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Research. In addition, there was evidence that caffeinated coffee may provide better protection than decaffeinated coffee.

Risk factors for endometrial cancer include long-term exposure to excess oestrogen, obesity, nulliparity, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension, whereas protective factors include physical activity, aspirin intake, and certain dietary habits.

The analysis, which included 24 studies on coffee intake (12 case–control and 12 cohort studies), had 9833 new cases of endometrial cancer occurring in 699 234 individuals.

People in the highest category of coffee intake had a 29% lower relative risk of developing endometrial cancer than those in the lowest category. Additionally, women with a higher BMI or who smoked saw a greater benefit in risk reduction, though they still had a higher risk overall.

The authors of the analysis highlight several mechanisms that have been associated with the potential anti-cancer effects of coffee:

“Coffee contains many bioactive components, such as phenolic compounds. These polyphenols can increase the homocysteine concentrations in the plasma and inhibit DNA methylation in a dose-dependent manner, which prevents the downregulation of tumour suppressor proteins and DNA repair enzymes involved in carcinogenesis.”

They conclude that more studies with larger sample sizes are needed to better understand the effects of subgroups such as smoking status, as well as the benefits of coffee consumption in relation to endometrial cancer.

Source: Wiley