The Pros and Cons of Quaffing Coffee
Caffeine has been studied more than almost any other substance regularly used in food, beverages and drugs, yet confusion and misinformation continue to surround this legal, nonprescription but very powerful stimulant.
People like caffeine because, for many of them, it wards off drowsiness, increases alertness and shortens reaction time. It helps millions wake up and feel better in the morning. It helps them stay awake on the road and gives them something nonalcoholic to drink socially. It also heightens the analgesic effect of aspirin and other painkillers, which is why it is added to some pain relievers.
Some studies have found that caffeine improves reading speed, enhances performance on math and verbal tests and produces an increased capacity for sustained intellectual effort in general. The disadvantages of caffeine have long been debated. Does it cause pancreatic cancer, heart disease, breast disease, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol?
Pancreatic cancer and heart disease: The most recent studies have not shown any link between pancreatic cancer or heart disease and the consumption of caffeine. Some researchers still suspect that caffeine intake can lead to hypertension, but there has been no proof.
Fibrocystic breast disease: It was once thought that caffeine causes lumpy, painful breasts; but again, there appears to be no connection. Lumpy breasts are just lumpy breasts.
Osteoporosis: A link was also suspected between coffee and osteoporosis, but at this point most researchers believe that caffeine does not appear to increase the risk, even in heavy coffee drinkers.
Miscarriages and birth defects: Recent studies have not confirmed this connection, except possibly for women who have extremely high caffeine intakes. For that reason, cautious researchers recommend that pregnant women should probably drink no more than a cup or two of coffee per day.
Parkinson’s disease: A recent study concluded that men who drank no coffee at all were two to three times more likely to develop Parkinson’s disease than those who drank one to four cups a day. They were five times more likely to have Parkinson’s than those who drank more than four cups a day. Because this study has not been repeated, it’s impossible to know what would explain this or whether the observation is actually valid.
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Dr. Sheldon Margen is a professor of public health at UC Berkeley; Dale A. Ogar is managing editor of the UC Berkeley Wellness Letter. Send questions to Dale Ogar, School of Public Health, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-7360, or e-mail to daogar@uclink4.berkeley.edu.
