Having Your Coffee and Enjoying It Too

Just In- June 26th-
Coffee May Reduce the Risk of Heart Failure
The scientists analyzed five prospective studies, which included more than 140,000 men and women, that related to coffee consumption and heart risk. Four of the studies were based in Sweden, and one was conducted in Finland. They found that those who drank a moderate amount of coffee daily, defined as the equivalent of two 8-ounce American cups per day, may experience protective benefits against heart failure by as much as 11 percent...

Having Your Coffee and Enjoying It Too

By JANE E. BRODY

Excerpt;

I last wrote about America’s most popular beverage four years ago, and the latest and largest study to date supports that earlier assessment of coffee’s health effects. 

The findings were widely reported, but here’s the bottom line............. 

Effects on Health 

Even though coffee can cause a temporary rise in blood pressure, the new study, like those before it, found the risk of heart disease to be lower among otherwise healthy coffee drinkers. Other benefits suggested by recent studies include a reduced risk of Type 2 diabetes, "Link takes you to this blog- article link not valid- liver disease" and Parkinson’s disease. Some research has found a reduced risk of depression, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease among coffee drinkers....................... 

Keep in mind, too, that caffeine is a drug. Some medications, including Tagamet, Diflucan, Luvox, Mexitil, estrogens and antibiotics like Cipro and Levaquin, interfere with the metabolism of caffeine and can increase its effects..........

In other cases, caffeine can enhance the effect of drugs like aspirin and acetaminophen (a benefit for pain relief). Caffeine can be toxic if used with prescribed doses of the antipsychotic medication clozapine..................

Continue Reading...........

Coffee Consumption and Liver function
From Coffee and Health

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Summary

Epidemiological evidence suggests that moderate coffee consumption may help to reduce the risk of liver cancer, and the risk falls as coffee consumption rises.

Epidemiological studies in patients with various liver diseases have all found a positive effect of moderate coffee drinking on limiting disease progression.

Patients with alcoholic liver disease who have a higher coffee consumption have a slower rate of fibrosis* than those who drink less coffee.

Caffeine consumption is related to less severe fibrosis in patients scheduled for liver biopsy.

Coffee consumption is related to slower development of cirrhosis in patients with chronic liver disease.

Patients with Hepatitis C-related liver disease, who have a higher consumption of coffee, have a lower rate of disease progression than those drinking less coffee.

However, patient studies should be interpreted with caution as there are many confounders which can bias results, e.g. small subject numbers and patients changing their habits or diet as a result of their disease.

Several mechanisms underlying the association between moderate coffee consumption and reduced risk of liver cancer and disease progression are under investigation.

One of the breakdown products of caffeine, paraxanthine, has been shown to slow down the growth of the type of tissue seen in liver fibrosis, alcoholic cirrhosis and liver cancer.

Other alternative mechanisms are related to the anti-carcinogenic effects of cafestol and kahweol, and possible anti-viral effects of chlorogenic acids and caffeic acid.

*Many liver diseases cause scar tissue, known as fibrosis, to develop. In the early stages of fibrosis, the liver functions relatively well and few people experience symptoms. But as the inflammation and liver injury continue, scar tissue builds up. This can eventually disrupt the metabolic functions of the liver and lead to cirrhosis in which the liver is severely scarred, its blood flow restricted and its ability to function severely impaired.
Source - Coffee and Health