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The Coffee Connection: Good or Bad?

Are you an incoherent zombie in the morning, desperately hovering over the coffeemaker and pleading "hurry" as it brews the miraculous essence that will transform you into a "normal person?" Do you find yourself rushing in late to work, rather than forgo your morning pit stop at Starbucks@? If you need a caffeine fvc to face the day, you're not alone. Mccording to Dr. Christiana, coffee addiction has reached epidemic proportions within the global community. Is our collective dependency on java setting us up for disease? "Maybe," say scientists. Ongoing research has identified several disadvantages of coffee consumption, but has also uncovered some benefits. Pro: Cuts Parkinson's Disease Risk A small, but swiftly mounting, body of research reveals that people who curl up with a daily 'cuppa Joe' are significantly less likely to develop Parkinson's disease (PD), compared with their peers who avoid coffee. Compiled data on 8,004 Japanese-American men, between the ages of 45 and 68, was published in a recent Journal of the American Medical Association article. Coffee drinkers enjoyed a three- to six-fold reduced risk of the disease, compared with non-coffee drinkers. Caffeine intake from non-coffee sources was also associated with a reduced risk (JAMA 2000; 283:2674-9). Pro: May Lower Kidney Disease and Gout Risk Preliminary research indicates that moderate coffee consumption may ward off gout and kidney disorders by reducing a coffee drinker's blood concentrations of uric acid, a chemical associated with these conditions. One study compared serum uric acid concentrations in 2,240 Japanese men who drank either coffee or green tea. Findings showed that coffee drinkers had 7 percent less serum uric acid, compared with those who consumed green tea. Researchers say the diuretic properties of caffeine which keep coffee drinkers dashing off to the' bathroom - may account for this finding (Br J Nutr 1999; 82: 125-30). Pro: Possible Antidepressant Does the image of relaxing and curling up with a good cup of coffee put a smile on your face? New evidence shows that the connection many consumers feel between coffee and well-being isn't solely due to aggressive marketing campaigns by the coffee industry. Ongoing research suggests that a daily dose of coffee may fend off the blues, especially in people recovering from alcohol or drug addiction. It seems that the caffeine in coffee - as well as other chemicals called chlorogenic acids - have antidepressant properties. According to Dr. Peter R. Martin of the Vanderbilt University Medical Center's Institute for Coffee Studies, "Work in the mid-1980s suggested that chlorogenic acids might have an effect on the opiate system in the brain. They may have antidepressant effects, which would make some sense because we know that drinking coffee gives people a sense of wellbeing." Pro: Promotes Weight-Loss The caffeine in coffee is a stimulant drug, which appears to assist some individuals in losing weight. According to scientists, caffeine promotes weight loss by increasing activity and lowering appetite (Am J Clin Nutr 1998; 68:42-51). For this reason, caffeine is often a main ingredient in weight-loss medications. However, researchers also warn that stimulant drugs, like caffeine, are not an effective tool for long-term weight management. Con: Headache Trigger Dr. Christiana often helps patients overcome head pain. The first step for these individuals is to uncover the underlying causes of their headaches. In many cases, headaches are associated with areas of the cervical spine (neck) where movement is restricted or bones are out of alignment. These dysfunctional regions are called vertebral subluxations. Dr. Christiana corrects vertebral subluxations, and the headaches associated with them, with gentle maneuvers called chiropractic adjustments. The result is restoration of optimal movement and posture to the spine. What causes vertebral subluxations? Several postural, nutritional = and lifestyle factors are linked to an increased risk of this condition, including a stressful schedule and high caffeine intake - the hallmarks of a coffee addict. In addition to upping -the risk of vertebral subluxations, coffee promotes changes in blood flow associated with several types of headache such as migraines and tension headaches. According to scientific studies, coffee boosts blood flow by dilating the arteries that supply the brain. These arteries become accustomed to caffeineinduced fluctuations and adjust for them - in advance - by contracting and restricting blood flow. When a regular coffee drinker skips his or her daily caffeine fix, the arteries continue to adjust for the expected caffeine rush, restrict blood flow and trigger a headache. This phenomenon is known asa "drugrebound headache" (the drug is caffeine). Drug-rebound headaches are one of several factors that make coffee so addictive - and make kicking a coffee habit so nerve wracking. Con: Burn Hazard When a jury awarded Stella Libeck $3 million for spilling a steaming cup of McDonald's@ coffee in her lap, people throughout the world expressed serious doubts in the legitimacy of the United State's court system. However, the 1994 trial, which included testimony from more than 700 people similarly burned by coffee, established coffeerelated bums as a significant health hazard. Fortunately, this hazard is 100 percent preventable by keeping coffee in a spill-proof container, while in a moving vehicle, and allowing it to cool for at least 10 minutes before sipping. Con: Increases Miscarriage Risk Moms-to-be who drink five or more cups of coffee a day double their risk of miscarriage, researchers report. According to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers reviewed data on 591 women who had miscarriages and 2,558 women who had live births (N Engl J Med 1999; 341:1639-44). Although drinking one to two cups of coffee a day does not appear to affect a pregnant woman's risk of miscarriage, most experts advise expectant moms to play it safe by avoiding caffeine altogether. Con: Heart Disease Advancer Cutting-edge research indicates that high blood concentrations of the chemical homocysteine are a more accurate indicator of stroke and heart disease risk than are cholesterol levels. Coffee - especially the gourmet unfiltered variety increases blood levels of this chemical. In one experiment, 64 volunteers with normal homocysteine levels drank six cups of unfiltered coffee or a "control" beverage for two weeks. Coffee upped the subjects' choles,!erol levels and homocysteine concentrations levels by 10 percent each. This boost in homocysteine equates to a 10 percent elevated risk of heart attack or stroke, according to the study's authors (Am J Clin Nutr 2000; 71 :480-4). In another analysis, researchers tracked 26 volunteers who consumed either 1 liter of paper-filtered coffee each day or no coffee. In total, 24 of the subjects averaged a 20 percent increase in the level of bloodstream homocysteine - compared with levels when they were not drinking coffee (Am J Clin Nutr 2000; 72:1107-10). Con: Ups Arthritis Odds According to a recent report, coffee addicts are at an elevated risk of developing rhemhatoid arthritis. The study tracked 25,790 people. The more coffee a subject drank the more likely he or she was to have high blood levels of "rheumatoid factor," a marker of rheumatoid arthritis. Specifically, subjects who drank at least 4 cups of coffee a day for 15 years had 2.2 times the risk of the disease - and those who drank more than 11 cups of coffee a day had 15 times the risk, compared with their peers who did not drillk coffee (Ann Rheum Dis 2000; 59:631-5). So, Is Coffee Good or Bad? Depending on a patient's individual health concerns, moderate coffee consumption may have either positive or negative health effects. One thing's for sure, however, excessive coffee intake and addictive coffee drinkingincreases the risk of dIsease. As with most things, when it comes to coffee, moderation is key. Meeting a friend for an occasional cup of coffee may not impair your health - in contrast, it may promote it. On the other hand, guzzling several mugs a day of high-octane gourmet blends, dripping with cream and sugary syrups, will certainly do more harm than good.

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