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July 2012
Could your morning cup of coffee, afternoon tea or diet cola reduce your risk of skin cancer? Data from two large observational studies totaling nearly 113,000 men and women shows that those consuming the most caffeine were significantly less likely to develop basal cell carcinoma. Over more than 20 years of followup, those consuming the equivalent of three or more cups of coffee per month were at 17% lower risk than those drinking less than one cup. Overall, as caffeine intake rose, risk of basal cell carcinoma dropped. Coffee, which accounted for more than three-quarters of the caffeine consumption, was also specifically associated with lower risk. Previous animal studies, scientists noted, have shown that topical application of caffeine induces the normal cell death that helps counter tumors. Observational studies in humans of skin cancer and coffee or tea have been inconsistent, but these have failed to distinguish between regular and decaf beverages. The new study did not find a protective association with other forms of skin cancer. — Cancer Research
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April 2012
Go ahead and satisfy your java jones — coffee won’t hurt your heart or give you cancer, and it might even reduce your risk of diabetes. That’s the takeaway from an analysis of 9 years of data on 42,659 participants in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study. German researchers found no connection between coffee consumption and increased risk of heart disease or cancer. But participants who drank 4 or more cups of coffee daily were 23%-30% less likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those drinking less than a cup per day. Overall, the study documented 1,432 new cases of diabetes. The apparent protective benefit of coffee — which echoes that seen in a 2009 meta-analysis — could be due to the presence of magnesium, antioxidant lignans or chlorogenic acids, scientists speculated. It’s not caffeine, however, as decaf drinkers actually saw an even lower risk of diabetes. The bottom line, as an accompanying editorial put it, is that “current information suggests that coffee is not as bad as we were told.” — American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
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January 2012
Previous studies have shown that drinking coffee may help protect against type-2 diabetes, but exactly how has remained a mystery. Now a new Chinese study reports that compounds in coffee may inhibit the formation of protein compounds that contribute to the death of cells in the pancreas, which produces insulin. Researchers focused on a chlorogenic acid naturally found in coffee, demonstrating in the lab “significant inhibitory effects” on the compounds linked to pancreatic cell death. They also looked at caffeine, and found a “weak inhibitory effect” on the damaging proteins and on the protection of pancreas cells. This is the first time, scientists noted, that caffeine has been shown to have beneficial effects on the pancreas; in type 2 diabetes, the pancreas does not produce adequate insulin or the body doesn’t respond properly to insulin. Researchers speculated that coffee compounds might be considered for future anti-diabetes drug development. — Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
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August 2011
Worried about antibiotic-resistant staph infections (MRSA)? Ease your worries — and, possibly, reduce the odds that your nasal passages are infected — with a nice hot cup of tea or coffee. Researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina report that people who drink tea and/or coffee are less likely to carry MRSA in their noses. They looked at data on 5,555 people from a national health and nutrition survey, of whom 1.4% overall had MRSA in their noses. Drinking either coffee or tea was associated with about a 50% lower likelihood of carrying MRSA, and those who drank both beverages were at 67% lower relative risk. Scientists said that the study couldn’t prove cause and effect, but noted that both beverages have previously been shown to have antimicrobial properties. Drinking iced tea was not linked to lower MRSA risk, possibly because it has lower levels of antimicrobial compounds, or that the compounds reach the nose by inhaling hot vapors. The precise relationship between nasal MRSA and systemic infection is still being studied, the researchers cautioned. — Annals of Family Medicine
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July 2011
A new scientific review has thrown more cold water on the popular notion that you need to drink 8 glasses of water a day. Writing in BMJ, Margaret McCartney, MD, concluded there’s no clear evidence for the health benefits of such levels of hydration. Studies cited by hydration-advocacy groups — funded by the bottled-water industry — are either retrospective studies with methodological limitations, she found, or otherwise of low quality. “There are many organizations with vested interests who would like to tell doctors and patients what to do,” Dr. McCartney wrote. “We should just say no.” The US Institute of Medicine says thirst should be your guide to adequate hydration, adding that water need not be your only source of fluids: Liquids in foods count, as do coffee, tea, milk, soda and juice. — BMJ
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May 2011
Harvard researchers report that men who regularly drink coffee appear to have a lower risk of developing a lethal form of prostate cancer. The study looked at data on 47,911 men in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study who reported their coffee consumption every four years from 1986 to 2008. During the study period, 5,035 cases of prostate cancer were reported, including 642 fatal or metastatic cases. Men who consumed the most coffee (six or more cups daily) had nearly a 20% lower risk of developing any form of prostate cancer. The inverse association with coffee was even stronger for aggressive prostate cancer: Men who drank the most coffee had a 60% lower risk of developing lethal prostate cancer, and even drinking one to three cups of coffee per day was associated with a 30% lower risk. The reductions in risk were seen whether the men drank decaffeinated or regular coffee, so compounds in coffee besides caffeine, such as antioxidants, appear to be responsible. — Journal of the National Cancer Institute
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April 2011
It will soon be harder to ignore the caloric carnage of that fast-food burger, fries and shake you’re ordering. A new FDA proposal, an outgrowth of last year’s health overhaul, will mandate calorie counts on menus at 280,000 establishments nationwide. The rules, which could take effect by 2012, would require menus to list calories for every item at chain restaurants with 20 or more outlets, along with bakeries, grocery stores with prepared foods, convenience stores, coffee chains and even vending machines. Locations where food isn’t the primary business would be exempt, such as movie theaters, bowling alleys and airplanes. Alcohol is also exempt, but not soft drinks. Nutritional data beyond calories, such as sodium and saturated-fat content, would have to be available on request. In releasing the proposed rules, FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg pointed out that Americans now consume about one-third of our total calories from foods prepared outside the home. The National Restaurant Association endorsed the rules, saying they would provide consistency for consumers.
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January 2011
Antioxidants in your diet may help reduce your risk of the most common kind of stroke, according to new Italian research. Among 41,620 study participants, those with diets highest in total antioxidant capacity (a measure of several different antioxidant compounds and their interactions) were 59% less likely to suffer an ischemic stroke over about 8 years. More than half the antioxidants in the diet of the study population came from coffee, wine and fruit. Vitamin C intake was especially associated with lower ischemic-stroke risk, but the link between antioxidants and reduced risk remained even after controlling for vitamin C — ruling out vitamin C as the sole factor in the relationship. Researchers couldn't explain the mechanism for any protective benefit from antioxidants, but suggested it could be related to effects on the vascular system or reductions in blood pressure. Hemorrhagic stroke risk was not lower with greater antioxidant capacity, however, and in fact increased with higher intake of the antioxidant vitamin E. Researchers cautioned that the small number of cases (48, versus 112 ischemic strokes) limited the validity of any conclusions about hemorrhagic stroke. — Journal of Nutrition
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October 2010
That wakeup cup of coffee or soothing afternoon tea may also be protecting your brain against a type of tumor. New European findings back up a recent US study that showed a link between coffee and tea consumption and reduced risk of glioma tumors, which start in the tissue supporting the brain. Data on more than a half-million people in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study show a significant association between consuming more than 100 ml (about a half-cup) daily of coffee and/or tea and lower incidence of glioma. The key to the apparent protective benefit may be caffeine, which experimental studies have shown can slow the invasive growth of such tumors. Researchers did not, however, find a similar association between coffee and tea intake and another type of tumor, meningiomas, which are usually benign but can turn malignant. They commented, "Given that we did not observe an association between coffee and tea consumption and meningioma risk, it is possible that (the effect of caffeine), if causal, is acting late in the process of carcinogenesis by preventing tumor growth." — American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
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September 2010
Moderate coffee drinkers got good news from two new studies of the health effects of that cup o' joe. Greek researchers report that one to two cups of coffee a day may improve the flexibility of the aorta in older adults with high blood pressure. Scientists studied 435 hypertensive subjects, ages 65 and up. Drinking three to five cups daily, however, was not associated with any extra heart-flexibility, leading researchers to speculate that at higher levels, caffeine may overpower the beneficial effects of polyphenol compounds in coffee. In a second study, researchers debunked the commonly held notion that coffee raises the risk of atrial fibrillation (AF), an irregular and often rapid heart rhythm that boosts the danger of clots and strokes. Analyzing data on 33,638 participants in the Women's Health Study over 14 years, scientists found no evidence that higher caffeine consumption was linked to greater risk of AF. In fact, they concluded, "the consumption of small to moderate amounts of caffeine may have a small but significant protective effect on the occurrence of AF." — European Society of Cardiology, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
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March 2010
Coffee drinkers who've been upping their java consumption in light of reports about coffee's various health benefits can rest easy (if all that caffeine lets you rest at all): Coffee drinking isn't associated with a greater risk of heart arrhythmia. In fact, contrary to popular belief, a new study finds that people who drink four or more cups of coffee daily were actually 18% less likely to be admitted to the hospital for a heart-rhythm disturbance than coffee abstainers. Researchers confessed to being surprised by the results, because patients sometimes report forceful heartbeats or palpitations after drinking coffee. If you have trouble tolerating caffeine or coffee, the scientists added, their study shouldn't change the advice to avoid both, nor should you take up the habit in hopes of preventing arrhythmias. But moderate coffee drinkers should take comfort in the results. Sorry, tea lovers, the seven-year study of 130,054 men and women found no similar benefit for tea drinking. — American Heart Association…
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March 2010
In other news from the American Stroke Association conference, coffee drinkers may have yet another reason to perk up: Already associated with a range of health benefits, coffee could also reduce your risk of stroke. UK researchers analyzed data on 9,978 men and 12,254 women participating in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer (EPIC) study. Over about 12 years, 855 strokes were reported. Participants drinking one or more cups of coffee per day — the average among coffee drinkers was 3.1 cups — were 30% less likely to suffer a stroke. Greater coffee consumption wasn't associated with any further risk reduction, however. Among smokers, a daily cup o' joe was associated with a 61% reduced stroke risk. Researchers don't know why coffee might help ward off strokes, though several possible mechanisms were suggested. Since both regular and decaf consumption were linked to reduced stroke risk, any possible mechanism must involve something other than caffeine. — American Stroke Association…
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March 2010
That daily cup of coffee might keep you from nodding off into a nap — and maybe that's a good thing: New research on almost 20,000 Chinese adults age 50 and up suggests that people who regularly take a nap may be at greater risk for diabetes. The researchers are quick to add that their study doesn't necessarily mean napping causes diabetes; it may be, for example, that people with poorer overall health are more prone to sleep during the day. Among participants who reported napping (which is more common in China than in the US) four to six days a week, 15% had diabetes, compared to 12% of seldom or never nappers. When adjusted for other risk factors, regular nappers were 36% more likely than non-nappers to have diabetes. Researchers did speculate that napping might affect the body's natural rhythms and hormone levels, pointing out that waking up actually stresses the body and may impact blood sugar. — Sleep
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February 2010
If you like your coffee with a little milk, Nestle scientists say go ahead: You don't have to worry about missing out on the antioxidants in coffee that are increasingly being linked to possible health benefits. Adding sugar and non-dairy creamer, however, did reduce the levels of coffee antioxidants subsequently measured in the bodies of nine test subjects. The effect of milk and other additives on the body's absorption of antioxidants from coffee and tea has been the subject of several previous but conflicting studies. Trying to settle the debate, scientists tested blood for antioxidants after the subjects drank black instant coffee, instant coffee plus whole milk, and instant coffee plus nondairy creamer and sugar. Adding milk made no difference, but the creamer plus sugar reduced maximum concentrations of the compounds tested as well as the time required to reach that maximum. Before you go crazy on the cafe au lait, though, keep in mind that when you add whole milk to coffee you're also pouring in 9 calories and 0.28 grams of saturated fat per tablespoon. — Journal of Nutrition
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November 2009
That jolt of java might do more than help you wake up in the morning — coffee may also reduce the risk of endometrial cancer. A large new Swedish study reports that women who drink at least two cups of regular coffee daily are less likely to develop the cancer, which affects the cells lining the uterus. Karolinska Institute scientists surveyed 60,634 women in the Swedish Mammography Cohort study about their coffee intake. Over an average of 17 years, 677 of the women developed endometrial cancer. Regular coffee drinkers proved less at risk for the cancer, with each additional cup o' joe associated with a 10% lower relative risk. The coffee connection was especially strong for overweight and obese women — who are at greatest risk for endometrial cancer — with each extra cup linked to 12% lower risk for overweight women and 20% for the obese. Coffee, researchers suggested, may affect blood sugar, fat cells and estrogen — all factors in the cancer. They called for further study including decaf, to separate the possible effects of caffeine and coffee. — International Journal of Cancer
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