According to the American Heart Association, a very large study was conducted on almost 120,000 people in the U.S. who were followed for between 14 and 20 years. The people carefully answered questions about how much coffee they drink and whether or not they have had any symptoms of heart disease.
And the answer was dramatically clear:
People who drank as much as six cups of coffee a day, versus people who drank less than one cup a month, showed no difference in the incidence of heart disease. Coffee lovers can drink up without fear of increasing their risk of heart disease. Note that the above study is based on people drinking drip or paper-filtered coffee, which is basically how American prepare this beverage. Paper filters seem to remove undesirable cholesterol-causing substances found in coffee beans.
We cannot conclude the same for those who are drinking unfiltered or boiled coffee though. Unfiltered coffee is typically prepared using a French-press or is brought to boil and served directly without further filtering through paper. Therefore, there could be significant differences in the chemical composition of unfiltered coffee compared to that of its paper-filtered counterpart.
Meanwhile, other studies have discovered that coffee has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that could reduce the risk of certain cancers, diabetes and heart disease. The drink also has a tendency to speed the passage of waste through the digestive tract, thus possibly reduce the risk of colon cancer as well.
So is coffee good or bad? Well, it depends on the amount consumed, our habits and lifestyle:
- Where possible, choose filtered coffee instead of French-pressed or boiled;
- Request for fresh brew as opposed to instant coffee;
- Drink coffee with your meals, not on an empty stomach. This is healthier for your stomach and would also limit your intake to three cups a day;
- Avoid coffee at least three hours before bed time so you can still get a good night's rest; and
- Watch your body for signs of discomfort. If you experience symptoms of agitation, palpitation, difficulty falling asleep, abdominal pain or irregular bowels, please reduce or stop your caffeine consumption. Caffeine is in coffee, tea, soft drinks, chocolate and some nuts.
It's good to know that something as simple as drinking coffee might help lower our risk of cancer, diabetes and heart disease. However, while freshly-brewed coffee is a concentrated source of antioxidants, it cannot be a substitute for berries, legumes, nuts, and other fruits and vegetables that provide antioxidants along with a wide range of vitamins, protective compounds and dietary fiber. As always, moderate consumption is our safest bet.
