What Are The Coffee Health Advantages For Asthma?

The National Center for Biotechnology Information study reported in Chest magazine, 1990 May 97,By Pagano R, Negri E, Decarli A, La Vecchia C, reported that coffee drinking negated the prevalence of bronchial asthma. The researchers found that persons drinking three or more cups of coffee per day not only reduced asthma symptoms but also prevented bronchial asthma. The researchers indicated that caffeine intake has a bronchodilator effect in asthma dilating blood vessels in the lungs.

Effects

The Cochrane Collaboration published the article, Caffeine for asthma in the Cochrane Reviews by Welsh EJ, Bara A, Barley E, and Cates CJ. Found that small amounts of caffeine can improve lung function testing. The authors indicated that caffeine is a drug similar to theophylline a bronchodilator taken to open airways in the lungs. The Cochrane Reviews article noted that coffee relieves symptoms such as wheezing, coughing, and breathlessness functioning in the same way as theophylline. Welsh et. al. study found that even small amounts of caffeine had this vasodilating effect for up to four hours

Considerations

The Coffee Science Information Centre authors, Schwartz, J. and Weiss, S.T. reported in Annals of Epidemiology, 1992, that the benefits of caffeine on asthma have been prevalent in society for 100 years. The website noted that in Scotland, coffee has been an effective treatment tool for asthma symptoms since 1859. The authors, Schwartz, et al, indicated that modern research confirms the effects of caffeine beverages in the management of asthma symptoms. In addition, The Second National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey studied 20,322 Americans, reporting that the risk of asthma symptoms fell by 29 percent. The survey also noted that the risk of wheezing also fell by 13 percent when comparing coffee drinkers with non-coffee drinkers.

Types

Coffee varies milligrams of caffeine, amount of coffee per serving in addition to a variety of coffee flavored beverages. Each country serves coffee with a variety of ingredients that may reduce or increase the overall level of caffeine in specific beverages. Consumer usage of high-energy drinks with products such as guarana mimic the effects of caffeine in the bloodstream. In addition, coffee beverages laden with dairy products will minimize the levels of caffeine in specific beverages. However, all articles indicate that even in small amounts caffeine is an effect bronchodilator.

Expert Insight

The National Center For Biotechnology Information, National Institute of Health performed six trials separate trials with 55 participants in each trial. The blind study compared coffee consumption with a placebo or non-caffeinated beverage. The government study on the effects of coffee consumption on asthma symptoms found that caffeine improved lung function in all coffee drinkers for approximately two hours after consumption.

Additional Information

The National Center for Biotechnology Information study in Chest magazine, 1990 May 97,By Pagano R, Negri E, Decarli A, La Vecchia C, note in their research that continued study of the effects of caffeine on asthma are necessary. Additional research is needed to determine any adverse effects from significantly higher levels of caffeine and its affect on blood pressure. Caffeine as a bronchodilator stretches blood vessels to widen them in preparation for airway dilation, the long-term effects of this stretching has not been sufficiently documented notes Pagano R, et al.