If you grew up believing that coffee was an indulgence that stunts your growth, you may be surprised to know that drinking coffee could actually reduce your risk of conditions such as cancer, diabetes, gallstones and Parkinson's disease, according to Harvard Health Publications. One recent study even shows compelling evidence that drinking coffee reduces a woman's risk of having a stroke.
The Study
A study published in the March 2011 issue of "Stroke" followed 34,670 Swedish women ages 49 to 83 for an average of more than 10 years. In 1997, when the women answered surveys about their coffee drinking habits, none had cancer or cardiovascular disease. Over the years of the study, researchers examined the Swedish Hospital Discharge Registry to find reports of strokes and brain hemorrhages in the same women.
Outcomes
Researchers in the "Stroke" study found that women who reported drinking more than one cup of coffee every day were 22 to 25 percent less likely to have strokes or brain hemorrhages when compared to women who reported drinking less than one daily cup. Researchers also found that drinking little or no coffee actually slightly increased a woman's stroke risk. However, women who drank more than one cup of coffee a day had the same reduced risk of brain hemorrhages and strokes whether they drank two, three, four or five cups of coffee. Additionally, the women's reduced risk of strokes and hemorrhages wasn't influenced by other cardiovascular risk factors such as smoking, drinking, history of diabetes, high blood pressure or high body mass index.
Potential Causes
The exact reason why drinking coffee may lower stroke risk wasn't clear to researchers. However, researcher Dr. Susanna Larson suggested that coffee may help reduce stroke risk by reducing inflammation in the body and improving the body's sensitivity to insulin, according to a TIME Healthland article by Meredith Melnick. Still, Dr. Larsson acknowledged that the study was limited because participants reported their coffee consumption rather than receiving measured doses. More research on the subject would be needed to draw stronger conclusions.
Recommendations
If you're a healthy adult, you should be able to safely drink about two to four daily cups of brewed coffee, or about 200 to 300 mg of caffeine, according to MayoClinic.com. Heavy coffee drinking -- more than about 500 to 600 mg of caffeine per day -- could cause unwanted side effects such as irritability, insomnia, upset stomach and muscle tremors. However, you may be sensitive to caffeine and need to further limit your intake to one cup or less each day. Your doctor may also recommend that you avoid coffee or cut back on it if you're pregnant or if you take a medication that could negatively interact with caffeine.
References
- TIME Healthland; Study: Drinking Coffee May Lower Women's Risk of Stroke; Meredith Melnick; March 2011
- "Stroke"; Coffee Consumption and Risk of Stroke in Women; Susanna C. Larsson, Ph.D., et al.; March 2011
- American Heart Association; Coffee Drinking Linked to Reduced Stroke Risk in Women; March 2011
- MayoClinic.com; Caffeine: How Much is Too Much?; March 2011
- Harvard Health Publications: Coffee's Health Benefits
