By Eduardo Gonzales, MD   Is coffee healthful or not? I’ve read many positives about this beverage but also many negatives. What is the real score? —[email protected]   Coffee is the world’s most popular non-alcoholic drink, people everywhere look forward to their morning cup of coffee. The beverage’s popularity stems from its distinctive taste and the stimulating effect of its caffeine content—increased alertness, and improved mental and cognitive performances. Whereas smoking is arguably the worst habit that humans have ever adopted, coffee drinking is proving to be one of the most, if not the most, beneficial. Scientific data increasingly shows that coffee is more than just an upper. THE PLUSSES OF COFFEE

• Coffee drinkers live longer. An observational study presented at the European Cardiac Society Congress 2017 showed that people who consumed at least four cups of coffee daily had a 64 percent lower risk of early death compared to non-coffee drinkers. The reduction in risk was more significant once people reached the age of 45. These findings echo the results of several other earlier observational studies, which found that coffee drinkers appear to live longer, regardless of whether they consume regular or decaf.
• Coffee is a good source of antioxidants. It is in fact the number one source of dietary antioxidants of Americans, and presumably, many Filipinos, too. Antioxidants protect body cells from free radicals, substances that are by-products of the normal metabolic activities of cells, which injure cells, in excess, and contribute to the development of many chronic and degenerative diseases. Antioxidants are generally regarded as preventive of cancer, heart disease, and other conditions associated with aging.
• Coffee protects against diabetes type 2. Several studies suggest that coffee intake substantially lowers the risk for the disease—the more coffee one drinks, the better. Seven or more cups of coffee a day reduces one’s risk of diabetes by 50 percent while drinking one cup a day reduces one’s risk by only 11 percent.
• Coffee may prevent at least two forms of cancer, prostate, and liver. In 2011, researchers from Harvard University found out that men who drank six or more cups of coffee a day had a 60 percent lower risk of developing the advanced form of prostate cancer than non-coffee drinkers. Even men who drank only one to three cups a day had a lower risk, about 20 percent, of developing the disease. Meanwhile, an unpublished long-term prospective study that was presented at an American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) annual meeting, suggested that coffee may reduce a person’s risk of developing liver cancer—and the higher the coffee intake, the lower the risk. Drinking one to three cups of coffee per day results in a 29 percent drop in liver cancer risk; four or more cups results in 42 percent drop.
• Coffee protects against booze. A study published in Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics says that adding two cups of coffee to the daily diet of regular alcohol drinkers lowers their chances of developing cirrhosis of the liver by a whopping 43 to 44 percent.
• Coffee may be protective against Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. Studies show that coffee drinkers—compared to non-drinkers—have up to a 65 percent lower risk for Alzheimer’s disease and 32 to 60 percent lower risk for Parkinson’s disease.

THE MINUSES OF COFFEE The evidence attesting to the possible health benefit of coffee is definitely mounting. Before you start drinking coffee by the gallons, however, keep in mind that none of these studies is a “cause and effect” one and none is conclusive. Also, remember that caffeine has proven unwelcome effects, too. Habitual excessive coffee intake could create a host of health issues, including increased stress levels, heartburn, hyperacidity, insomnia, increased blood cholesterol levels, and increased risk for osteoporosis. Another growing concern is acrylamide, a cancer-causing substance that is generated when coffee beans are roasted, although no one is sure yet whether the amount of acrylamide in coffee is high enough to be of health concern. All told, coffee should be taken in moderation. One to four cups a day is okay, but more than that may no longer be.   Email inquiries on health matters to: [email protected]