Women drink coffee to prevent stroke

Overseas food situation

Spanish researchers have found that drinking coffee regularly can reduce the risk of stroke in women. A study published in the American Heart Association Circulation Journal found that women who drank more than four cups of coffee a day reduced their risk of stroke by 20 percent compared with women who drank less than one cup a day. Drinking two to three cups a day reduced the risk of stroke by 19 percent; drinking five to seven cups a week reduced the risk by 12 percent.

Spanish researchers analyzed the data of 83076 women who took part in the nurses' health study. The participants did not suffer from stroke, heart disease, diabetes or cancer when they started the study in 1980. The women filled out questionnaires about the frequency of food they ate twice every two to four years, and 2280 people had strokes during the 24-year study.

The results show that for women who do not smoke, the benefits of coffee are more obvious. Women who have never smoked or have given up smoking can reduce the risk of stroke by 43% by drinking more than four cups of coffee a day, while for women who smoke, if you drink more than four cups of coffee a day, the risk of stroke is reduced by only 3%.

The researchers say the potential benefits of coffee cannot replace the adverse health effects of smoking. In addition to smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol also neutralize the effects of coffee. The researchers point out that coffee is only good for healthy people, while people with any health problems (such as insomnia, anxiety, high blood pressure or heart problems) can worsen their condition because of coffee, so whether these people drink coffee should be discussed with their doctor.

Translated by ■ / Cao Shufen