Scientists at Imperial College London have found that people who
drink coffee may live longer than non-coffee drinkers, and three cups of coffee
a day may reduce the risk of death from all disease. But researchers said that
due to the limitations of observational research, they are not at the stage of
recommending that people drink more or less coffee.
The findings come from the largest study of its kind, in which
scientists analysed data from more than half a million people across 10
European countries to explore the effect of coffee consumption on the risk of
mortality.
Researchers from the International Agency for Research on Cancer
(IARC) and Imperial College London found that higher levels of coffee
consumption were associated with a reduced risk of death, particularly from
circulatory diseases and diseases related to the digestive tract.
Coffee is one of the world's most commonly consumed beverages,
with an estimated 2.25 billion cups drank around the world each day. It
contains compounds, such as caffeine, diterpenes and antioxidants, and the
ratios of these compounds can be affected by the variety of methods used to
prepare coffee.
Previous studies looking for a link between coffee consumption
and health outcomes have revealed conflicting results, however, large studies
in both America and Japan have since revealed the potential beneficial effect
of drinking coffee.
In the latest study, published in the journal Annals of Internal
Medicine, researchers carried out the largest analysis of the effects of coffee-drinking
in a European population - where coffee consumption and preparation methods
vary, from an espresso in Italy, to a cappuccino in the United Kingdom.
Using data from the European Prospective Investigation into
Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study, the researchers analysed data from 521,330
people over the age of 35 from 10 EU countries.
People's diets were assessed using questionnaires and
interviews, with the highest level of coffee consumption (by volume) reported
in Denmark (900 mL per day) and lowest in Italy (approximately 92 mL per day).
Those who drank more coffee were also more likely to be younger,
to be smokers, drinkers, eat more meat and less fruit and vegetables. After 16
years of follow up, almost 42,000 people in the study had died from a range of
conditions including cancer, circulatory diseases, heart failure and stroke.
Following statistical adjustments for lifestyle factors such as
diet and smoking, the researchers found that the group with the highest
consumption of coffee had a lower risk for all-causes of death, compared to
those who did not drink coffee.
In a subset of 14,000 people, they also analysed metabolic
biomarkers, and found that coffee drinkers may have healthier livers overall
and better glucose control than non-coffee drinkers.
Dr Marc Gunter, of the IARC, said: "We found that drinking
more coffee was associated with a more favourable liver function profile and
immune response. This, along with the consistency of the results with other
studies in the US and Japan gives us greater confidence that coffee may have beneficial
health effects."
However, more research is needed to find out which of the
compounds in coffee may be giving a protective effect or potentially benefiting
health. Professor Elio Riboli, head of the School of Public Health at the Imperial
College, who established the EPIC study, said: "While further research is
needed, we can be confident that the results from a large European study
confirm previous findings seen around the world."
Dr Gunter added: "Due to the limitations of observational
research, we are not at the stage of recommending people to drink more or less
coffee. That said, our results suggest that moderate coffee drinking - up to
around three cups per day - is not detrimental to your health, and that
incorporating coffee into your diet could have health benefits."
Even decaffeinated coffee had a similar effect, though there is
a hint of caution as researchers could not exclude that decaffeinated coffee
drinkers may have been consuming caffeinated coffee as well in different
periods of their life.
MARTINA NICOLLS is an international
aid and development consultant, and the author of:- Similar But Different
in the Animal Kingdom (2017), The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament
(2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a
Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan Curse (2009).
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