Coffee drinking; good or bad? which type?

Coffee drinking can be healthy, but choose the right types.

Coffee is probably one of the most consumed drinks on this planet. Coffee beans grow mostly around the equator; They need lots of moist and warm temperatures. The original coffee beans come from Ethiopia. Today, many different types are grown al over the planet, as long as the countries are warm.

There can be goods and bads about drinking coffee. With exception of the organic types, coffee is sprayed intensively. To avoid pesticides/herbicides, it is very smart to pick an organice resource. There are two major types of coffee; Robusta and Arabica. The last one grows more in the mountains, at higher altitudes. There are less insects living at this altitude, therefor less insecticides are used. Arabica's have a better flavour, and about 1/3 the amount of caffeine. For a powerful "boost" people like the Robusta. But for enjoying the best quality, best tast and least "risk factors" the Arabica are by far the better choise. Read some of the studies, below. It can have benefits for many health risks. However, to much can raise the blood pressure. Drinking to much of the non-organic types may also cause a disturbance in hormonal levels due to the high amounts of pesticideds.

ecm, espresso, healthy coffeeCoffee preparation

Never use boiling water; it will release unwanted substances bad for health. Also avoid the aluminium "Moka-pots" since aluminium is bad tor the brain. Don't add to much sugar, or preferably, no sugars or artificial sweeteners at all. The best way to prepare the coffee is simple; use a real espresso machine. The coffee will be ready within 25 seconds, to short to release the unwanted substances from the coffee bean. And to make the best ever; buy green coffee beans and roast your own for maximum freshness at a very affordable price. Coffee drinking will never be the same again, with maximum health benefits and no side effects!

Coffee consumption and risk of total and cardiovascular mortality among patients with type 2 diabetes.

Diabetologia. 2006 Nov;49(11):2618-26. Epub 2006 Sep 21. Bidel S, Hu G, Qiao Q, Jousilahti P, Antikainen R, Tuomilehto J.
Diabetes and Genetic Epidemiology Unit, Department of Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention, National Public Health Institute, Mannerheimintie 166, FIN-00300 Helsinki, Finland. siamak.bidel@ktl.fi

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Higher habitual coffee drinking has been associated with a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The relation between coffee consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) has been examined in many studies, but the issue remains controversial. This study was designed to assess the association between coffee consumption and CVD mortality among patients with type 2 diabetes.

METHODS: We prospectively followed 3,837 randomly ascertained Finnish patients with type 2 diabetes aged 25 to 74 years. Coffee consumption and other study parameters were determined at baseline. The International Classification of Diseases was used to identify CHD, CVD and stroke cases using computerised record linkage to the national Death Registry. The associations between coffee consumption at baseline and risk of total, CVD, CHD, and stroke mortality were analysed by using Cox proportional hazards models.

RESULTS: During the average follow-up of 20.8 years, 1,471 deaths were recorded, of which 909 were coded as CVD, 598 as CHD and 210 as stroke. The respective multivariate-adjusted hazard ratios in participants who drank 0-2, 3-4, 5-6, and > or =7 cups of coffee daily were 1.00, 0.77, 0.68 and 0.70 for total mortality (P<0.001 for trend), 1.00, 0.79, 0.70 and 0.71 for CVD mortality (P=0.006 for trend), 1.00, 0.78, 0.70 and 0.63 for CHD mortality (p=0.01 for trend), and 1.00, 0.77, 0.64 and 0.90 for stroke mortality (p=0.12 for trend).

CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: In this large prospective study we found that in type 2 diabetic patients coffee drinking is associated with reduced total, CVD and CHD mortality.

Coffee consumption and the risk of coronary heart disease and death.

Kleemola P, Jousilahti P, Pietinen P, Vartiainen E, Tuomilehto J.
Division of Nutrition, University of Helsinki, PO Box 27, Latokartanonkaari 9, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland. Arch Intern Med. 2000 Dec 11-25;160(22):3393-400.

OBJECTIVES: To study prospectively the relation of coffee drinking with fatal and nonfatal coronary heart disease (CHD) and all-cause mortality and to perform a cross-sectional analysis at baseline on the association between coffee drinking and CHD risk factors, diagnosed diseases, self-reported symptoms, and use of medicines.

METHODS: The study cohort consisted of 20 179 randomly selected eastern Finnish men and women aged 30 to 59 years who participated in a cross-sectional risk factor survey in 1972, 1977, or 1982. Habitual coffee drinking, health behavior, major known CHD risk factors, and medical history were assessed at the baseline examination. Each subject was followed up for 10 years after the survey using the national hospital discharge and death registers. Multivariate analyses were performed by using the Cox proportional hazards model.

RESULTS: In men, the risk of nonfatal myocardial infarction was not associated with coffee drinking. The age-adjusted association of coffee drinking was J shaped with CHD mortality and U shaped with all-cause mortality. The highest CHD mortality was found among those who did not drink coffee at all (multivariate adjusted). Also, in women, all-cause mortality decreased by increasing coffee drinking. The prevalence of smoking and the mean level of serum cholesterol increased with increasing coffee drinking. Non-coffee drinkers more often reported a history of various diseases and symptoms, and they also more frequently used several drugs compared with coffee drinkers.

CONCLUSIONS: Coffee drinking does not increase the risk of CHD or death. In men, slightly increased mortality from CHD and all causes in heavy coffee drinkers is largely explained by the effects of smoking and a high serum cholesterol level. Arch Intern Med. 2000;160:3393-3400.

Determination of acrylamide during roasting of coffee.

Bagdonaite K, Derler K, Murkovic M. J Agric Food Chem. 2008 Aug 13;56(15):6081-6. Epub 2008 Jul 15. Institute for Food Chemistry and Technology, Graz University of Technology, Petersgasse 12/2, A-8010 Graz, Austria. kristina.bagdonaite@tugraz.at

In this study different Arabica and Robusta coffee beans from different regions of the world were analyzed for acrylamide after roasting in a laboratory roaster. Due to the complex matrix and the comparably low selectivity of the LC-MS at m/ z 72, acrylamide was analyzed after derivatization with 2-mercaptobenzoic acid at m/ z 226. Additionally, the potential precursors of acrylamide (3-aminopropionamide, carbohydrates, and amino acids) were studied. The highest amounts of acrylamide formed in coffee were found during the first minutes of the roasting process [3800 ng/g in Robusta ( Coffea canephora robusta) and 500 ng/g in Arabica ( Coffea arabica)]. When the roasting time was increased, the concentration of acrylamide decreased. It was shown that especially the roasting time and temperature, species of coffee, and amount of precursors in raw material had an influence on acrylamide formation. Robusta coffee contained significantly larger amounts of acrylamide (mean = 708 ng/g) than Arabica coffee (mean = 374 ng/g). Asparagine is the limiting factor for acrylamide formation in coffee. 3-Aminopropionamide formation was observed in a dry model system with mixtures of asparagine with sugars (sucrose, glucose). Thermal decarboxylation and elimination of the alpha-amino group of asparagine at high temperatures (>220 degrees C) led to a measurable but low formation of acrylamide.

Effect of roasting conditions on the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon content in ground Arabica coffee and coffee brew.

Houessou JK, Maloug S, Leveque AS, Delteil C, Heyd B, Camel V.
AgroParisTech, UMR AgroParisTech/INRA 214 IAQA, 16 Rue Claude Bernard, 75231 Paris cedex 05, France. J Agric Food Chem. 2007 Nov 14;55(23):9719-26. Epub 2007 Oct 18.

Roasting is a critical process in coffee production as it enables the development of flavor and aroma. At the same time, roasting may lead to the formation of nondesirable compounds, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). In this study, Arabica green coffee beans from Cuba were roasted under controlled conditions to monitor PAH formation during the roasting process. Roasting was performed in a pilot spouted bed roaster, with the inlet air temperature varying from 180 to 260 degrees C, using both dark (20 min) and light (5 min) roasting conditions.

Several PAHs were determined in both roasted coffee samples and green coffee samples. Also, coffee brews, obtained using an electric coffee maker, were analyzed for final estimation of PAH transfer coefficients to the infusion. Formation of phenanthrene, anthracene, and benzo[a]anthracene in coffee beans was observed at temperatures above 220 degrees C, whereas formation of pyrene and chrysene required 260 degrees C. Low levels of benzo[g,h,i]perylene were also noted for dark roasting under 260 degrees C, with simultaneous partial degradation of three-cycle PAHs, suggesting that transformation of low molecular PAHs to high molecular PAHs occurs as the roasting degree is increased. The PAH transfer to the infusion was quite moderate (<35%), with a slightly lower extractability for dark-roasted coffee as compared to light-roasted coffee.

Protective effects of kahweol and cafestol against hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative stress and DNA damage.

Toxicol Lett. 2007 Sep 10;173(2):80-7. Epub 2007 Jun 20. Lee KJ, Jeong HG. BK21 Project Team, Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Research Center for Proteineous Materials, Chosun University, 375 Seosuk-dong, Kwangju 501-759, South Korea.

There is an increasing evidence that oxidative stress is implicated in the processes of inflammation and carcinogenesis. It has been shown that kahweol and cafestol, coffee-specific diterpenes, exhibit chemoprotective effects.

This study investigated the effects of kahweol and cafestol, coffee-specific diterpenes, on the hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)-induced oxidative stress and DNA damage in NIH3T3 cells. When the cells were treated with kahweol or cafestol, cytotoxicity, lipid peroxidation, and reactive oxygen species production induced by H(2)O(2) were markedly reduced in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, kahweol and cafestol were shown to be highly protected against H(2)O(2)-induced oxidative DNA damage as determined by the Comet (single cell gel electrophoresis) assay and the measurement of 8-oxoguanine content in NIH3T3 cells.

Kahweol and cafestol also protected hydroxyl radical-induced 2-deoxy-d-ribose degradation by ferric ion-nitrilotriacetic acid and H(2)O(2). In addition, kahweol and cafestol efficiently removed the superoxide anion generated from the xanthine/xanthine oxidase system. These results suggest that kahweol and cafestol are effective in protecting against H(2)O(2)-induced oxidative stress and DNA damage, probably via scavenging free oxygen radicals, and that kahweol and cafestol act as antioxidants.

Coffee consumption and bladder cancer in nonsmokers: a pooled analysis of case-control studies in European countries.

Sala M, Cordier S, Chang-Claude J, Donato F, Escolar-Pujolar A, Fernandez F, González CA, Greiser E, Jöckel KH, Lynge E, Mannetje A, Pohlabeln H, Porru S, Serra C, Tzonou A, Vineis P, Wahrendorf J, Boffetta P, Kogevina M.
Respiratory and Environmental Health Research Unit, Institut Municipal d'Investigació Mèdica, Barcelona, Spain.

BACKGROUND: Coffee consumption has been associated with an excess bladder cancer risk, but results from epidemiological studies are inconsistent. This association has been long debated, in part due to the potential confounding by smoking. We examined the risk associated with coffee consumption in nonsmokers in a pooled analysis of ten European bladder cancer case-control studies.

METHODS: The pooled data set comprises 564 cases and 2929 hospital or population controls who had never smoked. They were enrolled in ten studies conducted in Denmark, Germany, Greece, France, Italy and Spain. Information on coffee consumption and occupation was re-coded following standard criteria. Unconditional logistic regression was applied adjusting for age, study center, occupation and gender.

RESULTS: Seventy-nine percent of the study population reported having drunk coffee, and 2.4% were heavy drinkers, reporting having drunk on average ten or more cups per day. There was no excess risk in ever coffee drinkers (OR = 1.0, 95% CI 0.8-1.3) compared to never drinkers. The risk did not increase monotonically with dose but a statistically significant excess risk was seen for subjects having drunk ten or more cups per day (OR = 1.8, 95% CI 1.0-3.3). This excess was seen in both men and women. There was no evidence of an association of the risk with duration or type of coffee consumption. The pooled results were not dependent on the findings of any specific study, but they depended on the type of controls with an overall excess risk observed only for studies using hospital controls.

CONCLUSION: Nonsmokers who are heavy coffee drinkers may have a small excess risk of bladder cancer. Although these results cannot be attributed to confounding by smoking, the possibility of bias in control selection cannot be discarded. On the basis of these results, only a very small proportion of cancers of the bladder among nonsmokers could be attributed to coffee drinking.

Coffee and health: a review of recent human research.

Higdon JV, Frei B. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2006;46(2):101-23.
Linus Pauling Institute, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA. jane.higdon@oregonstate.edu

Coffee is a complex mixture of chemicals that provides significant amounts of chlorogenic acid and caffeine. Unfiltered coffee is a significant source of cafestol and kahweol, which are diterpenes that have been implicated in the cholesterol-raising effects of coffee. The results of epidemiological research suggest that coffee consumption may help prevent several chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes mellitus, Parkinson's disease and liver disease (cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma).

Most prospective cohort studies have not found coffee consumption to be associated with significantly increased cardiovascular disease risk. However, coffee consumption is associated with increases in several cardiovascular disease risk factors, including blood pressure and plasma homocysteine. At present, there is little evidence that coffee consumption increases the risk of cancer. For adults consuming moderate amounts of coffee (3-4 cups/d providing 300-400 mg/d of caffeine), there is little evidence of health risks and some evidence of health benefits. However, some groups, including people with hypertension, children, adolescents, and the elderly, may be more vulnerable to the adverse effects of caffeine. In addition, currently available evidence suggests that it may be prudent for pregnant women to limit coffee consumption to 3 cups/d providing no more than 300 mg/d of caffeine to exclude any increased probability of spontaneous abortion or impaired fetal growth.

See also results for coffee and; Arthritis, Osteoporoses, Diabetes type 2, Alzheimer, Parkinson, Breast Cancer, Testosterone, Cholesterols.