Does drinking coffee help to keep healthy?

Some people like hot coffee, some people like iced coffee, and others don't like coffee at all. Until recently, it was said that if you want to stay healthy, you'd better quit coffee.

Don't think about quitting coffee anymore. Because a systematic summary of the findings-the most powerful way to measure scientific evidence-suggests that most of the evidence currently supports coffee consumption. The rate of premature death, the incidence of Ⅱ diabetes and the decrease in the incidence of some cancers are all associated with coffee drinking.

However, some people need to pay attention to their coffee intake. Heavy coffee intake is associated with an increased incidence of stomach cancer and aggravates heart disease.

A systematic summary of the relevant research results shows that at present, most people support drinking coffee.

Coffee and longevity

People who drink coffee live longer. After summarizing 20 studies involving 970000 subjects, people who drank coffee regularly had a 14% lower risk of dying prematurely (for any reason) than those who drank little coffee. Even drinking 1-2 cups of coffee a day can reduce the risk by 8%. People who drank two to four cups of decaffeinated coffee a day also had a 14% lower relative risk of premature death than those who did not drink coffee.

Coffee and liver cancer

Coffee drinkers, especially men, have a lower risk of liver cancer. This is important because liver cancer is one of the six most common cancers in the world and has a high incidence in men. The results of six studies showed that, based on the number of cups of coffee consumed per day, each extra cup of coffee reduced the relative risk of liver cancer by 14%.

Studies have shown that the natural ingredients in coffee, including caffeinol and caffeinol, have anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory effects. Coffee can up-regulate the anti-toxic biochemical process in the liver and protect the body from toxic substances such as aflatoxins and other carcinogens.

Ⅱ diabetes mellitus

Coffee drinkers had a lower prevalence of Ⅱ diabetes. According to 28 studies involving a total of more than 1 million adults, people who drank three or more cups of coffee a day had a 21% lower relative risk of developing Ⅱ diabetes than those who drank little or no coffee. For those who drank six or more cups a day, the risk was reduced by 33%.

Interestingly, whether drinking regular coffee or decaffeinated coffee, the risk was reduced. Drinking one cup of regular coffee a day reduced the relative risk of diabetes by 9% and decaffeinated coffee by 6%.

Many organizations have a soft spot for decaffeinated coffee.

The active ingredients in coffee can help alleviate oxidative stress, that is, the imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants. Coffee contains chlorogenic acid, which has been shown to promote glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity, as well as caffeic acid, which increases muscle's use of blood sugar, in addition to promoting the immune system and anti-inflammatory ingredients.

Coffee and Prostate Cancer

Coffee drinkers have a lower risk of prostate cancer. Thirteen studies of more than 530000 men showed that men who drank the most coffee had a 10 per cent lower relative risk of prostate cancer than those who drank the least. Men who drank an extra 2 cups of coffee a day reduced their risk by an extra 2.5%.

However, after taking different grades of prostate cancer into account, it was found that coffee had no protective effect on high-grade or advanced prostate cancer.

Next, explain why you need to pay attention to your coffee intake.

Coffee and lung cancer

You need to pay attention to your total coffee intake to reduce your risk of lung cancer. Multiple studies of more than 10,000 adults have found that those with the highest coffee intake have a 27% higher relative risk of lung cancer. Every two extra cups of coffee a day increases the risk of lung cancer by 11%. There are only two studies on decaffeinated coffee, but the findings are the opposite: the risk of eating large amounts of decaffeinated coffee is 34% lower.

Coffee-related research comes from population-based observation research projects that focus on finding connections rather than finding out why.

Coffee and Maternity

If you drink one or two cups of coffee a day during pregnancy, the risk may not be as high as previously thought, but it is also worth noting.

Previous studies have shown a link between coffee and miscarriage and other adverse pregnancy consequences, most likely because those studies were not well designed, especially in cases such as low birth weight and congenital malformations. Some of the risks of miscarriage may be associated with severe morning sickness in women. Morning sickness itself is a sign of successful embryo implantation, but pregnant women may eat less coffee because of nausea.

In previous studies, smoking was often associated with coffee intake, but this adjustment was not certain, so some of the risks may be caused by smoking. The American Academy of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists recommends that pregnant women consume less than 200 milligrams of coffee a day. This is equivalent to 1-2 cups of coffee a day. (a cup of instant coffee contains 50-100 mg of caffeine; freshly brewed coffee contains 100-150 mg of caffeine per cup)

Coffee and blood pressure

The last thing to note has to do with your heart. Consuming large amounts of caffeine increases blood pressure and plasma homocysteine levels in a short period of time, which is another risk factor for heart disease. But coffee has nothing to do with the long-term risk of heart disease.

People with high blood pressure or heart disease, the elderly, teenagers, children and those who do not drink coffee regularly are more sensitive to caffeine in "energy" drinks, colas and coffee. Choosing decaffeinated coffee can help these people.

It is important to note that most studies on coffee come from population-based observation studies aimed at finding connections, not causes. Part of the reason is that it is very difficult to do a randomized trial of drinking more coffee and continuously measure the health consequences over several years. But it might be a good idea-does anyone want to volunteer for this kind of research?