Thread: Dying for a coffee.

Article, minus the paywall

Cookies must be enabled. | The Australian

It makes sense in terms of correlation, whether or not there's a causative link would have to be established. The fact is that a lot of people rely on caffeine to counter the effects of lack of sleep or exercise and poor diets. I'd call that substance abuse, by definition, but then abuse is a subjective term.

Caffeine is, functionally, pretty similar to amphetamines or methylphenidate. If someone was buying ritalin under the table and taking it every day to "kick-start" their mind most people would be happy calling them junkies (because, screw rationality).

Back to the article, "Researchers determine that people who drink lots of coffee die younger but stop short of saying the coffee done did it or whether coffee is good/bad for you". ~yawn~ (Directed at the article, not you Yelta)

Eh, same can likely be said of excessive consumption of Energy Drinks...

Here's a link to an article about the study that you don't have to pay to read the article at: More than 4 cups of coffee a day linked to higher mortality rate, particularly in under-55s: study - NY Daily News

A quote from one of the authors:

"We're not saying that coffee is the cause of death; we just noticed coffee is associated with increased risk of death," Lavie told the Daily News.

Java "Sipping away" phile

Ha! So much for doing 5 things at once!


Java "Slow on the button" phile

Originally Posted by jbrewster

Eh, same can likely be said of excessive consumption of Energy Drinks...

As well as water.

Originally Posted by Dragunov21

Article, minus the paywall

Cookies must be enabled. | The Australian

It makes sense in terms of correlation, whether or not there's a causative link would have to be established. The fact is that a lot of people rely on caffeine to counter the effects of lack of sleep or exercise and poor diets. I'd call that substance abuse, by definition, but then abuse is a subjective term.

Caffeine is, functionally, pretty similar to amphetamines or methylphenidate. If someone was buying ritalin under the table and taking it every day to "kick-start" their mind most people would be happy calling them junkies (because, screw rationality).

Back to the article, "Researchers determine that people who drink lots of coffee die younger but stop short of saying the coffee done did it or whether coffee is good/bad for you". ~yawn~ (Directed at the article, not you Yelta)

a more recent atrticle in 2012 published data collected between 1995 and 2008 : 'However, coffee drinkers were also more likely to smoke, and, after adjustment for tobacco-smoking status and other potential confounders, there was a significant inverse association between coffee consumption and mortality'.

title: Association of Coffee Drinking with Total and Cause-Specific Mortality. (Neal D Fredman et al.)
journal: new England journal of medicine

(If you'd like a PDF of some of these studies PM me and i'll send it over)

Hm...

1. Lowers risk for skin and breast cancer.
2. Lowers risk of depression.
3. Reduces diabetes by 50%.
4. Reduces inflammation.
5. Increased fiber intake.
6. Lowers risk of Alzheimer’s.
7. Human hair growth.
8. Acne prevention and skin health.
9. Lowers risk of Parkinson’s.
10. Protection against cirrhosis of the liver.

For more info check out CoffeeTalk | Top 10 Reasons - they provide the research details for each of the points

Both links at top of thread want me to pay to read the 'news' - the Australian gave me a fakebook login but then took me to a pay-per-view recruitment site. I wonder why they think making people pay will somehow allow them to compete with online free sources?

Originally Posted by Journeyman

Hm...


For more info check out CoffeeTalk | Top 10 Reasons - they provide the research details for each of the points

Both links at top of thread want me to pay to read the 'news' - the Australian gave me a fakebook login but then took me to a pay-per-view recruitment site. I wonder why they think making people pay will somehow allow them to compete with online free sources?

i can already hear my supervisor asking 'where are the references to the studies??'

seriously though, they sound very promising but most of the claims sound like they're derived from relatively small studies, secondary objectives of studies or are simply hypotheses yet to be clinically validated.

Since I can't like a post twice;

Dragunov21 likes this

Seems to me they stand up well compared to a study referenced that we can't see without paying. And while some might be unknown, others are well-respected institutions. I don't want to post it all here as that is plagiarism but I think maybe a visit to the site might change derogative opinions.

Here's a quick reference for those of us who would like verification we are not simply addicts craving a fix but can actually justify our (moderate) consumption of our vice.

Robert J. Davis, PhD, author of Coffee is Good for You,
American Association for Cancer Research
Health Watch
Alberto Ascherio, MD, DrPH and team at the Harvard School of Public Health
Researchers at UCLA
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
The Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
The Mayo Clinic
The European Journal of Neurology.
The Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease
The International Journal of Dermatology
Clinical research in Berlin
Barista Bath and Body
University of Miami Cosmetic Medicine and Research Institute
PloS Genetics
Journal of the American Medical Association

There are other names there as well more specific information, all of which can be Googled to check validity, so those who might think this is fringe science can satisfy themselves that there is more than "relatively small studies, secondary objectives of studies or are simply hypotheses yet to be clinically validated" going on here.

Barista Bath and Body may seem a strange inclusion but they are doing research, even if it is to-purpose. From their site...

the science
barista bath and body – b3 – products are formulated with organic coffee, coffee extract, essential oils and herbal extracts to maximize the therapeutic benefits of coffee. In recent years, coffee has re-emerged as a natural restorative exhibiting numerous advantageous properties. Published studies have documented the benefits of topical application of coffee and its major constituent, caffeine.
To understand why b3 chose coffee as the key ingredient in our formulations, it is important to understand how pH levels affect your body, the complex structure of the hair and the skin’s natural defense system.
pH balance
pH (potential of Hydrogen) measures the acidity or alkalinity of a solution. A balanced pH is critical to maintaining healthy hair and skin. Hair and skin is slightly acidic in nature, with a pH of 4.5 to 5. Coffee also has a pH of 4.5 to 5. A high pH causes hair cuticle cells to swell and become rough and contributes to residue retention. Soap and water (pH of 12) strips away the body's natural defense system.

If they were the sole arbiter of the benefits of coffee, I would be inclined to agree with the 'lite on science' view, but there are far stronger people backing them up.