Coffee drinkers have slightly lower death rates

[Praxius]

A new study has found regularly drinking coffee may reduce death from heart disease.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080616/coffee_study_080616/20080616?hub=World

A new study has found regularly drinking coffee does not increase a person's risk of dying sooner, and may actually reduce death from heart disease.

The study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, found that regular coffee drinking (up to 6 cups per day) is not associated with increased death rates in either men or women.

In addition, drinking both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee was associated with a lower rate of death from heart disease.

Study co-author Esther Lopez-Garcia says, "We found the consumption of coffee, even in high amounts ... six cups per day ... was associated with a lower risk of all cause mortality."

Some numbers:

• Women who drank two to three cups of caffeinated coffee per day had a 25 per cent lower risk of death from heart disease
• That same group of women had an 18 per cent lower risk of death caused by something other than cancer or heart disease.
• In men, the same amount of coffee had no impact on risk of death during the follow-up years from 1986 to 2004.

Lopez-Garcia noted that the survey population was a healthy group of people. "We have to be cautious with our interpretation," she said. "We don't know how (coffee) affects other diseases."

Participants filled out questionnaires every two to four years, including questions about coffee drinking, dietary habits, smoking and other health conditions, and death from any cause, from heart disease and from cancer were compared.

Taking into account risk factors like body size, smoking, diet and specific diseases, people who drank more coffee were found to be less likely to die, mainly because of lower risk of heart disease deaths among coffee drinkers.

No association between drinking coffee and cancer death rates was found.

However, researchers say that caffeine doesn't seem to be associated with lower death rates, as people who drank decaffeinated coffee also had lower death rates.

According to Lopez-Garcia, "In coffee there are many other molecules and it may counterbalance the negative effets."

Researchers advise that while coffee may have a beneficial effect on health, people with chronic conditions like heart disease should speak to their doctor.

 

[karrie]

lol... the headline made me laugh, since, no matter what you do, your chances of dying are certain.

if coffee could make me immortal, I`d keep chugging it!

 

[Praxius]

lol... the headline made me laugh, since, no matter what you do, your chances of dying are certain.

if coffee could make me immortal, I`d keep chugging it!

Edited... got confused between this thread and my smoking thread

 

[darkbeaver]

I'v already dusted off the old coffee percolator with the gallon capacity pot. I can't smoke and drink at the same time, the cigs keep going out.

 

[L Gilbert]

Thrilling news. I am going to keep chugging it anyway. lol
In 7 or 8 ears they'll decide that it isn't that good for you. What I do know for certain is that if you drink too much, it lowers your electrolyte level. Bin dair dun dat.
brb Need another coffee.

 

[Praxius]

I always thought coffee increased your blood pressure, so isn't that just about as bad as the heart disease, since it can lead to strokes? (Which is why my dad had to switch to decaf, even though he only had one double-double in the morning..... then again, our family does have a tendancy of being hot heads and stressing out.)

Oh well... if it's not one thing, then it's another.