The media gets it right: The health effects of coffee

Here at EBL, we love it when a major media outlet takes a fair and balanced look at the evidence.  As we’ve written about before, mainstream publications don’t always present all of the evidence.  But this week, the New York Times published an excellent update on the health effects of coffee.

Health writer Jane Brody first wrote up a thorough review of the health effects of coffee in 2008.

Among the findings she reported:

  • Drinks with fewer than 550 milligrams of caffeine, which includes a Grande brew from Starbucks, are equally as hydrating as drinking pure water. (Many previous reports have touted coffee’s diuretic effects.)
  • There is very little evidence that coffee increases your risk of heart attack or abnormal heart rhythms.
  • Coffee causes a small, temporary rise in blood pressure, but there’s no evidence that it leads to chronic hypertension.
  • And on a positive note, coffee is found to increase alertness, happiness and endurance in aerobic activities. It also helps blunt the feeling of pain. (No wonder so many Americans love it so!)

Brody’s update, published this week, was based on a study published in May in the New England Journal of Medicine. Here’s how she summed it up:

“When smoking and many other factors known to influence health and longevity were taken into account, coffee drinkers in the study were found to be living somewhat longer than abstainers. Further, the more coffee consumed each day — up to a point, at least — the greater the benefit to longevity.”

That’s good news on two fronts: Coffee drinkers the world over can enjoy brews without worry, and the New York Times gets accolades for balanced, comprehensive reporting.

Comments

  1. Great article Sheri thanks for sharing. I always had a little worry in the back of my mind about coffee. I wondered how something natural could be bad for you. Nice to know… as long as we live a healthy life, coffee won’t hurt us.

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