GENERAL
How do we know that coffee is ‘safe’?
Coffee can be part of a healthy balanced diet. There is no conclusive evidence to suggest that a moderate amount of coffee is bad for you. Coffee is one of the most heavily researched commodities in the world today. The overall conclusion is that coffee drinking is perfectly safe.
I have read that some scientific papers suggest that coffee increases the risk for some diseases. Does this mean that coffee is a health risk?
No, research shows that coffee drinking is perfectly safe. It is inevitable, given the number of studies conducted on coffee and health, that from time to time they may suggest a link between coffee and certain conditions, however, it is important to look at the overall picture which supports that coffee drinking is no risk to the consumer.
What are ‘confounding factors’?
Researchers may say that their results have been affected by “confounding factors”. There are many aspects of lifestyle and diet (such as smoking, diet, age, sex, sedentary lifestyle as examples), which can affect your health. These results should be taken into account when looking at the potential effects of coffee on health, and are known as “confounding factors”. It can be very difficult to control for these when analysing the results of epidemiological research, and they can potentially cause false-positive results for coffee. Most researchers stress that their results on coffee may be affected by not having controlled for these factors.
What do researchers mean when they say that coffee is a “marker” for an unhealthy lifestyle or dietary habit?
This means that coffee may be associated with other lifestyle or dietary habits. For example, people who smoke tend to drink more coffee. Put simply this means that coffee itself is not actually a risk, it is simply associated with the real risk factor.
COFFEE AND ANTIOXIDANTS
What are oxidants?
Oxidants are active oxygen components that are necessary for normal functioning of the body (oxygen itself) and are part of the body’s own defence system against damaging micro-organisms. They may however cause oxidative damage to biological molecules and have been suggested to contribute to various diseases such as cancers or cardiovascular problems.
What are the sources of oxidants?
Cigarette smoke, air pollutants, radiation and tissue inflammation are all possible sources of oxidants.
What are antioxidants?
Antioxidants act as a defence against oxidative damage.
What do antioxidants do?
The role of an antioxidant is to help reduce oxidation reactions and thus reduce damage to body tissues.
What are antioxidant defences?
Many things, such as vitamin E, vitamin C, Beta-Carotene, other carotenoids, Selenium, Uric acid, and other naturally occurring proteins found in the body.
Are there antioxidants in food?
Yes, many items which make up our daily diet include antioxidant vitamins, for example, oranges, blackcurrants, fruit juices and potatoes and Brussels sprouts are excellent sources of vitamin C. Vegetable oils, cereals, nuts and seeds and eggs are good sources of vitamin E. Fish oils, liver, dairy produce and carrots are prime sources of vitamin A.
Do those foods that contain antioxidants have the same levels?
No, antioxidant levels vary from one food to another and are also dependent on how the food has been processed, stored and cooked.
Does coffee contain antioxidants?
Yes, coffee is one of a number of drinks that contain antioxidants as in tea, cocoa and red wine. Coffee has actually been shown to contain four times as many antioxidants as tea. Chlorogenic acid (the most prominent) caffeic acid, N-methylpyridinium and melanoidins are all antioxidants found in coffee.