Facts About Coffee and Health


For centuries coffee and tea have been extraordinarily popular beverages throughout the world. It is said that the stimulant effects of coffee were first noted by goat herders in eastern Africa who observed that the goats which nibbled the berries of coffee plants were friskier than the others. Many people have expressed opinions about the effects of coffee on health. Here are some general health facts:
  • Caffeine, the chemical substance that causes the stimulant effect of coffee, peaks in the blood 15 - 45 minutes after drinking a cup.
  • The effects of the caffeine may persist for hours. The clearance of caffeine from the body is slowed by pregnancy, medications such as cimetidine (Tagamet), birth control pills, and is sped up by smoking.
  • Individuals who drink coffee regularly may have less response to the effects of caffeine than those who seldom drink coffee.
  • There is no evidence that coffee is associated with myocardial infarctions (heart attacks) or cancer.
    • article 1

Effects of coffee on energy metabolism

  • The effects of coffee on fat and carbohydrate metabolism were studied in 10 lean and 10 obese individuals. Both groups showed an increased expenditure of energy (calories burned) after drinking coffee. The coffee-induced stimulation of energy expenditure involved both fat and carbohydrate oxidation (conversion of weight to energy). The obese individuals had less effect (10%) than the lean group (29%).
    • article 2

Surprising health-related coffee news

  • Consumption of increasing amounts of coffee or caffeine from other sources is associated with a significantly lower incidence of Parkinson disease, a condition which affects a region of the brain causing a tremor of the hands, an abnormal gait, rigidity of the legs and arms, and often altered mental function.
    • article 3

Coffee, cystic breast disease, and breast cancer

  • While there is some controversy regarding the relationship between cystic breast disease and coffee, most studies have failed to show a statistically significant relationship between cystic disease and coffee consumption article 4 and article 5.

  • There is even less scientific evidence to suggest that coffee (or the chief active ingredient of coffee, methylxanthine) increases the likelihood of breast cancer. article 6 On the other hand, if cystic breast disease is present presumably from another cause, coffee may increase the tenderness associated with the condition.article 7