Drinking a cup of coffee a day could hold the secret to long life, claim researchers.
A unique investigation into what helps people live to be 100 shows even those with high blood pressure are healthier after a daily cup of coffee.
New findings from a study released today found coffee helps improve the elasticity of the arteries, keeping them younger, which can ward off heart disease.
The people involved were all aged between 65 and 100, inhabitants of the 99-square-mile Greek island of Ikaria in the eastern Aegean sea. Dubbed the ‘land of longevity’, one-third of residents reach the age of 90.
The population suffers 20 per cent less cancer and half the rate of heart disease of other western countries, and there is virtually no dementia.
There are 10 per cent more 90-year-old brothers and sisters living there than the European average.
The island has been a destination for health tourists since the 6th century BC, when ancient Greeks and Romans made the pilgrimage to hot springs fabled for their beneficial effect on joint and skin ailments.
Modern-day experts claim the heart-protective Mediterranean diet, supplemented with locally produced honey and herbal teas, also play a part.
Coffee
Coffee is a brewed drink prepared from roasted seeds, commonly called coffee beans, of the coffee plant. They are seeds of coffee cherries that grow on trees in over 70 countries. Green unroasted coffee is one of the most traded agricultural commodities in the world. Due to its caffeine content, coffee can have a stimulating effect in humans. Today, coffee is one of the most popular beverages worldwide.
The energizing effect of the coffee bean plant is thought to have been discovered in the northeast region of Ethiopia, and the cultivation of coffee first expanded in the Arab world. The earliest credible evidence of coffee drinking appears in the middle of the fifteenth century, in the Sufi monasteries of Yemen in southern Arabia.From the Muslim world, coffee spread to Italy, then to the rest of Europe, to Indonesia, and to the Americas. Coffee has played a crucial role in many societies throughout history. In Africa and Yemen, it was used in religious ceremonies. As a result, the Ethiopian Church banned its secular consumption, a ban in effect until the reign of Emperor Menelik II of Ethiopia. It was banned in Ottoman Turkey during the 17th century for political reasons, and was associated with rebellious political activities in Europe.
Coffee berries, which contain the coffee seed, or “bean”, are produced by several species of small evergreen bush of the genus Coffea. The two most commonly grown are the highly regarded Coffea arabica, and the ‘robusta’ form of the hardier Coffea canephora. The latter is resistant to the devastating coffee leaf rust (Hemileia vastatrix). Both are cultivated primarily in Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Africa. Once ripe, coffee berries are picked, processed, and dried. The seeds are then roasted to varying degrees, depending on the desired flavor. They are then ground and brewed to create coffee. Coffee can be prepared and presented in a variety of ways
An important export commodity, coffee was the top agricultural export for twelve countries in 2004, and it was the world’s seventh-largest legal agricultural export by value in 2005. Some controversy is associated with coffee cultivation and its impact on the environment. Many studies have examined the relationship between coffee consumption and certain medical conditions; whether the overall effects of coffee are ultimately positive or negative has been widely disputed. The method of brewing coffee has been found to be important to its health effects.
There is growing evidence that a diet high in polyphenols, which include naturally-occurring chemicals such as tannins, lignins and flavonoids, can help to increase an individual’s chance of reaching their genetically-determined lifespan.
A recent study carried out by scientists in the US, UK and Australia concluded that polyphenols could help protect against heart disease.
Although they might not be essential for growth and development or the maintenance of major body functions, there is increasing knowledge concerning their potential for health maintenance or disease risk reduction throughout adulthood and during ageing.”
The 20 foods are:
• apples
• blackberries
• black tea
• blueberries
• broccoli
• cereal bran
• cherries
• cherry tomatoes
• coffee
• cranberries
• dark chocolate
• green tea
• oranges
• peaches
• plums
• raspberries
• red grapes
• red onions
• spinach
• strawberries
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September 16th, 2010 at 6:46 pm
Coffee is a brewed drink prepared from roasted seeds, commonly called coffee beans, of the coffee plant. They are seeds of coffee cherries that grow on trees in over 70 countries. Green unroasted coffee is one of the most traded agricultural commodities in the world.
Due to its caffeine content, coffee often has a stimulating effect on humans. Today, coffee is one of the most popular beverages worldwide.
The energizing effect of the coffee bean plant is thought to have been discovered in the northeast region of Ethiopia, and the cultivation of coffee first expanded in the Arab world.
The earliest credible evidence of coffee drinking appears in the middle of the fifteenth century, in the Sufi monasteries of Yemen in southern Arabia. From the Muslim world, coffee spread to Italy, then to the rest of Europe, to Indonesia, and to the Americas.
Coffee has played a crucial role in many societies throughout history. In Africa and Yemen, it was used in religious ceremonies. As a result, the Ethiopian Church banned its secular consumption, a ban in effect until the reign of Emperor Menelik II of Ethiopia.It was banned in Ottoman Turkey during the 17th century for political reasons,and was associated with rebellious political activities in Europe.
Coffee berries, which contain the coffee seed, or “bean”, are produced by several species of small evergreen bush of the genus Coffea. The two most commonly grown are the highly regarded Coffea arabica, and the ‘robusta’ form of the hardier Coffea canephora. The latter is resistant to the devastating coffee leaf rust (Hemileia vastatrix). Both are cultivated primarily in Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Africa. Once ripe, coffee berries are picked, processed, and dried. The seeds are then roasted to varying degrees, depending on the desired flavor. They are then ground and brewed to create coffee. Coffee can be prepared and presented in a variety of ways.
An important export commodity, coffee was the top agricultural export for twelve countries in 2004, and it was the world’s seventh-largest legal agricultural export by value in 2005. Some controversy is associated with coffee cultivation and its impact on the environment. Many studies have examined the relationship between coffee consumption and certain medical conditions; whether the overall effects of coffee are ultimately positive or negative has been widely disputed. The method of brewing coffee has been found to be important to its health effects.
September 17th, 2010 at 2:57 pm
Drinking coffee may protect against mouth and throat cancers, research suggests.
Four or more cups of coffee a day can reduce the combined risk of both diseases by 39 per cent, it is claimed. Scientists pooled information from nine studies of head and neck cancers comparing regular coffee drinkers and those who avoided coffee.
They found a strong association between frequent coffee drinking and lower rates of oral cavity and pharynx (mouth and throat) cancers. Tea consumption had no effect on head and neck cancer risk, and data on decaffeinated coffee was too sparse to be of use.
Dr Mia Hashibe, the lead researcher, from the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, said: “Since coffee is so widely used and there is a relatively high incidence and low survival rate of these forms of cancers, our results have important public health implications that need to be further addressed.
September 29th, 2010 at 4:50 pm
People who drink a cup of tea or coffee daily can can slash the risk of a deadly brain cancer, called glioma, by a third, a major study found.
Researchers studied 500,000 men and women over eight years.
As part of the study, volunteers were asked questions about what food and drink they had and also their lifestyle.
The team compared cancer rates among frequent coffee and tea drinkers to volunteers who consumed little or no caffeinated hot drinks.
A daily cup of either drink reduced the risk by an average of 34 per cent.
But there were greater benefits for men than women – of 41 per cent compared to 26 per cent. And benefits could be seen after drinking just 100 millilitres – equivalent to two-thirds of a cup.
“We found an inverse association between total tea and coffee consumption and the risk of glioma,” the Daily Express quoted the team as saying.
“These findings, if further replicated in other studies, may provide new avenues of research on gliomas,” the team added.
Scientists believe caffeine may restrict blood flow to the brain and stop tumours growing.
Or it is thought antioxidants in tea and coffee may protect the brain against cancer cells. Antioxidants are chemicals that fight disease.
The report is published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
October 1st, 2010 at 5:49 am
Researchers suggested a life-threatening complication of fertility treatment could be prevented by a cup of coffee, after a study identified a possible cause.
In vitro fertilisation has resulted in the birth of many babies since the first “test tube” baby in 1978.
But around 5% to 10% of women undergoing IVF experience a condition known as ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS).
Although the majority of cases are mild, with symptoms including abdominal bloating, nausea and weight gain, in its most serious form it can cause blood clotting disorders, kidney damage and chest pain.
Scientists from Middlesex University and Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry who analysed fluid around the human egg reported finding surprisingly high levels of the chemical adenosine. They believe OHSS is caused when IVF drug stimulation creates high levels of adenosine, causing the blood vessels to dilate and blood fluid to leak into tissue.
The authors of the study, published in Metabolism Journal, wrote: “Although adenosine has been detected in follicular fluid before, we were surprised at the extremely high levels detected in this study.”
They described the chemical as a “significant contender as the molecular cause of OHSS”.
To detect adenosine in blood samples, the scientists used a technique called metabolomics, which involves the study of chemical evidence of cellular processes. The researchers said a solution could lie in caffeine, which acts as a block to adenosine.
Ray Iles, professor of biomedical science at Middlesex University, said: “It may be that a cup of strong coffee with every IVF cycle could reduce the chances of OHSS. Caffeine competes with adenosine for the same receptors, effectively blocking adenosine’s action, and it could therefore potentially treat the cause of this condition.”
Further research is under way at Barts and The London Centre for Reproductive Medicine with IVF patients who have suffered OHSS to find out if caffeine could help avoid the complication.
October 4th, 2010 at 12:17 am
New research has shown that the “morning coffee fix” does nothing to make drinkers more alert or awake.
Scientists from the Department of Experimental Psychology at the University of Bristol found that there was no advantage to be had from drinking coffee or other caffeinated drinks when it came to overall alertness. Moreover, regular coffee drinkers were dependent on a caffeine hit simply to bring them up to the same level of alertness as non-coffee drinkers.
A group of 379 test subjects went without any caffeine stimulant for 16 hours before being given either a caffeine pill or a placebo. Subjects in the study were then asked to perform a number of simple tests in order to gauge their memory, vigilance and attentiveness.
The results showed that there was little difference in performance between those who had been given caffeine and those who had taken the placebo. On the other hand, regular coffee drinkers who took the placebo fared showed greater signs of anxiety and complained of headaches without their caffeine fix.
Rather than waking people up, the study suggests that coffee only acts to counteract the withdrawal symptoms of taking caffeine from the previous day. “Someone who consumes caffeine regularly when they’re at work but not at weekends runs the risk of feeling a bit rubbish by Sunday,” commented Professor Peter Rogers, who led the research.
Professor Rogers told The Daily Telegraph: “Although we feel alerted by it, this is caffeine just bringing us back to normal. It’s better to stick with it or keep off it altogether.”
The study was published in the Neuropyschopharmacology journal on 2 June 2010.
November 21st, 2010 at 4:36 pm
A “single espresso a day ‘can damage the heart,’” The Daily Telegraph reported. It said a study has found that one cup is enough to reduce blood flow to the heart by 22% within an hour of being drunk.
Though this research found that a group of volunteers had raised blood pressure and slightly constricted arteries an hour after drinking caffeinated coffee, the actual effect was modest and unlikely to have any adverse health effects. It is normal for arteries to dilate and constrict throughout the day, for example, with exercise.
The researchers did not assess whether these changes persisted beyond an hour or how long it took for blood flow to return to its starting point. In addition, the study was in only 20 people, and with such a small number of participants, there is an increased likelihood that the results are due to chance alone.
Like many things, coffee should be drunk in moderation. Consuming high amounts of caffeine every day is likely to have some effect on wellbeing, regardless of whether this includes an effect on the heart and blood vessels.
Where did the story come from?
This research was carried out by Dr S Buscemi and colleagues from the University of Palermo, Italy. The study was funded by The Italian Ministry of Education and the Associazione Onlus Nutrizione e salute, Italy. The paper was published in the peer-reviewed medical journal The European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
The newspaper headlines tended to overemphasise the health consequences of coffee consumption based on the small changes in blood pressure and arterial dilation observed in this study. However, the Daily Mail did emphasis that this was a small study.
This study does not provide any evidence for the long-term effects of coffee on health. The press also tended to refer to other studies that have reported health benefits of coffee for diabetes, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. The stories that have tended to hit the headlines on the effect of coffee on health have typically been relatively small and difficult to interpret. Much of this prior research has been covered by Behind the Headlines.
What kind of research was this?
This was a non-randomised, crossover double-blind study look- ing at the effect of coffee on artery function in healthy individuals. The rate of blood flow is determined by dilation of the arteries, which are controlled by the cells (endothelial cells) that line the artery walls. The researchers wanted to assess whether caffeine would have an effect on these cells and affect artery function.
This was a very small study. It is not possible to say the differences the researchers observed were not down to chance.
What did the research involve?
The study recruited 10 male and 10 female hospital employees between the ages of 25 and 50, who all drank less than two cups of coffee per day. The participants were healthy, non-obese, non-smokers, who did not have heart disease or diabetes. To avoid the possibility that women’s menstrual cycle may affect their blood flow measurements, they were tested between the 7th and 21st day of their cycle.
The participants were asked to abstain from chocolate in the time leading up to the study and to have fasted overnight. Testing took place the following morning. The participants were randomised to receiving either a cup of caffeinated or decaffeinated Italian espresso coffee.
Using ultrasound, a blinded researcher measured their blood flow in the brachial artery (a major blood vessel of the upper arm) before they drank the coffee, then 30 and 60 minutes afterwards. A blood sample was also taken before the coffee was drunk, and an hour later. Blood pressure and heart activity were monitored throughout the test.
Five to seven days later the experiment was repeated, with each participant receiving the opposite drink to the one they had drunk on the previous test.
What were the basic results?
After drinking caffeinated coffee, the participants’ systolic and diastolic blood pressure increased. At both 30 and 60 minutes, systolic blood pressure had increased from 113 to 116 (2.7% increase) and diastolic blood pressure increased from 68 to 72 (5.9% increase) (p<0.05).
Arterial flow decreased after drinking caffeinated coffee, to an average maximum of 22.1% at 60 minutes (p<0.05).
How did the researchers interpret the results?
The researchers conclude that: “caffeinated coffee induces significant endothelial dysfunction”. They suggest that coffee may have unfavourable acute cardiovascular and metabolic effects on endothelial function.
Conclusion
This study looked at how drinking a cup of caffeinated espresso affected arterial blood pressure and blood flow up to an hour afterwards. Although caffeinated espresso did appear to alter measurements of these compared to decaffeinated espresso, the researchers did not assess whether these changes persisted beyond an hour or how long it would take for blood pressure and blood flow to return to normal. The changes seen in systolic and diastolic blood pressure were only minimal, and it is unlikely that these small changes alone would have any health effects.
In addition, the study was in only 20 people. With such a small number of participants, there is an increased likelihood that the results are due to chance alone. Also, the participants were not randomly recruited, but were hospital employees. As such, it is possible that this small sample of people may not reflect the general population.
Taken together, these limitations make up a strong argument against the Telegraph’s headline that a “Single espresso a day ‘can damage heart’”. Larger studies and further research is needed to assess the effect of coffee on circulation, and the long-term effects of coffee consumption on health.