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Drinking Coffee Reduces Your Risk
Yet another study has come out that supports drinking regular coffee. In the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2006;83(5):1039-46), Dr. Lene Frost Andersen and colleagues studied the relationship between coffee drinking and diseases like cardiovascular disease, cancer (other than skin cancer), Parkinson's disease, gallstones, cirrhosis of the liver, and diabetes.

Coffee Reduces Inflammation Markers

Coffee good for the elderly, too
A lot of the elderly patients in my practice have a problem that's common in the elderly: their blood pressure drops just after a meal. In some cases, this can cause them to actually pass out for a moment. In the past, this condition has been linked to higher risk of coronary events such as heart attack. Caffeinated beverage intake, on the other hand, has been linked in some studies to a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease.


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Caffeinated Coffee Linked to Reduced Risk of Colon Cancer

a cup of black coffee on a saucer with a spoon next to the cup




A team at the National Institute of Health sought to identify some of coffee's metabolites, and along the way investigate what, if any links they might find between those metabolites and colon cancer (Am J Clin Nutr 2015;101:1000-11). Previous research into a possible link between coffee intake and colon cancer were inconclusive, but coffee is prepared in so many different ways that it is difficult to standardize intake: how do you compare drip coffee with espresso or eating chocolate-covered coffee beans with lattes? Identifying coffee's metabolites would help later research with that problem.


The researchers were able to identify coffee metabolites by using mass spectrometry and gas chromatography: to put it very simply, they found 29 metabolites, including 7 they had never seen before, that appeared in larger numbers in those who reported higher coffee intake, leading the team to conclude that those metabolites were indeed coffee metabolites.


Three of the four metabolites linked to a lower risk of colorectal cancer appear in both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee; obviously caffeine only appears in caffeinated coffee.

What this means for you

There's no magic bullet in preventing cancer or other conditions, so we can't say "drink only caffeinated coffee and you'll avoid colon cancer." What you should take home here is that drinking coffee, caffeinated or otherwise, is one small thing you can do - one of many small things, including eating more fiber and avoiding processed meats, to name just two - as part of an overall healthy diet that will help you avoid cancers as well as heart disease, diabetes, and more.

First posted: June 10, 2015