The Potential Health Benefits of Moderate Coffee Drinking

Mortality is slightly decreased for those coffee drinkers who drink between one to four cups of coffee a day; mortality increases slightly for abstainers and for those who drink five cups of coffee a day, or more. The reason for this increase in longevity is related to coffee's ability to decrease blood pressure and/or triglyceride cholesterol. This improves overall health. As well, drinking five cups of coffee or more is positively correlated with an increase in nicotine intake, which has known health detriments. Moderate coffee drinkers also continue to ingest alcohol, which has some cardiovascular health benefits, while heavy drinkers of coffee consume considerably less alcohol. Finally, there are some positive effects in relation to joint pain and headaches when coffee is drank at a moderate level with pain reducing in both instances. From the research, moderation is the key when drinking coffee or caffeinated products, with 400mg the limit for daily intake of caffeine.

Moderate coffee drinking is associated with an improvement of overall cardiovascular health, lower cholesterol levels and decreased blood pressure (Kleemola et al., 2000), while heavy caffeine intake is associated with a slightly higher risk of cardiovascular disease (4 cups or more). A similar result was found for zero coffee drinking. Moderate coffee drinking is defined as one to four cups of coffee a day based on 1.1 dl per cup (1/10 of a liter) with 100mg of caffeine per cup the accepted norm in the scientific community (Kleemola et al., 2000). Cardiovascular health is defined as no myocardial infarctions or heart attacks within a year, average, or mean cholesterol levels, and average, or mean blood pressure levels. Based on current studies the intake of four or more 100mg coffees a day was shown to increase the incidence of myocardial infarctions slightly, with coronary heart disease, or the increase of plaque in arteries increasing as well. Those who abstained showed higher rates of myocardial infarctions and heart disease than those who drank more than four cups of coffee a day. Mortality was U shaped with abstainers and heavy drinkers experiencing more coronary heart disease than moderate coffee drinkers (Kleemola et al., 2000). As well, there is a positive correlation between coffee intake with smoking, which relates to secondary health problems like emphysema and chronic bronchitis (Gyntelberg et al., 1995). Thus, health behaviour changes could include a moderate amount of coffee drinking, between one to four cups of coffee, for those without previous health problems to reduce the risk of heart disease and heart attack.

A fifteen year study of Danish men began in 1971 with 2975 male subjects to measure the health benefits of coffee drinking and the results showed a decrease in cholesterol for moderate to heavy drinkers (Gyntelberg et al.1995). A similar study was conducted on Finnish men beginning in 1972 with a follow-up ten years later which showed a decrease in mortality for those who drank moderately, while those who abstained and those who drank heavily (4 cups+) showing more health complications (Kleemola et al., 2000). Heavy coffee intake was not directly associated with heart disease or ischemic incidents, but with secondary risk factors like increased nicotine usage and a decrease in alcohol usage. Moderate drinkers showed a daily intake of 5.7 grams of nicotine, while those who drank nine cups of coffee or more showed a nicotine usage of 14.9 grams of nicotine in the Danish study (Gyntelberg et al, 1995). Also, the protective properties of alcohol for heart attack were reduced in heavy drinkers, who chose coffee over alcohol consumption. Secondary health effects like joint pain, exhaustion, and headache were also shown to be lowest in moderate coffee drinkers. Finally, both studies displayed a lowering of blood pressure with coffee consumption, which was associated with the diuretic effect of drinking coffee (Gyntelberg et al., 1995). The Kleemola et. al. study sums up both the Danish and Finnish coffee and heart studies succinctly by stating "the lowest mortality in men was in those who drank a moderate amount of coffee" (2000).

Method

The goal for my health behaviour change was to reduce my coffee and caffeine intake from a high of 400mg+ to 200mg, which is in the moderate level of coffee drinking according to the studies listed above and the Health Canada recommendations (Health, 2010). Strategies to reduce caffeine intake ranged from the reduction of coffee cup size, to replacing coffee drinking with a Green Tea substitute. Other strategies involved replacing coffee shop visits with outdoor activities and seeking social support through the discussion of caffeine reduction goals with family and peers. Caffeine intake was calculated in both an online diary and a Microsoft Word format document over a period of four weeks with two diary entries per week.

Results

Early outcomes showed some early reduction in caffeine intake in the first week (May 18-19th) with relapse and an increase in caffeine intake occurring in the third week (May 26th). However, coffee drinking and general caffeine intake continued to reduce, with physiological and physical withdrawal most prevalent in the second week (May 22 and May 25th). The goal of reducing caffeine intake to less that 200mg, or to a moderate level, was reached with some consistency in the fourth week (June 1st and June 6th). Caffeine drinking ranged from a high of 331mg to a low of 165mg. Each calculated day in this health behaviour change showed moderate coffee drinking (Kleemola et al., 2000).

Figure 1. Mean equals 226.6 per day, median equals 185-230, and mode equals 165.

Discussion

A reduction in smoking could not be measured in this study as this experimentee is not a smoker. As well, a connection between alcohol consumption and coffee drinking could not be made as alcohol consumption was not measured either. Blood pressure, cholesterol, and other pains were not measured, but an overall feeling of improved health was noticed by this experimentee. Further studies would require the monitoring of blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and heart health to make this health change behaviour similar to a scientific study.

This health behaviour change of reducing caffeine intake was begun with the misinformed belief that: coffee drinking at any level has inherent health deficits, when in fact moderate coffee drinking has some health benefits as shown in Kleemola and Gyntelberg's studies above. Moderate coffee drinking has been associated with a reduction of serum triglyceride concentration, or glycerol fatty acids and a reduction in blood pressure as found in Gyntelberg's 2010 study Coffee consumption and risk of ischaemic heart disease - a settled issue? So, the maintenance of moderate level of caffeine intake between 165mg and 331mg allowed for the protective effects of caffeine, which are the reduction of blood pressure, and a generalized prolonged mortality compared to non-drinkers and heavy drinkers along with the protective effects of alcohol drinking: "moderate coffee drinking ...allows for the protective qualities of alcohol, which include a reduced risk of ischemic heart disease (Gyntelberg et al., 1995). Heavy coffee drinking replaces alcohol consumption and heavy coffee drinking is also associated with a lowering of selenium triglyceride cholesterol, which is a risk factor for ischemic heart disease, due to increased nicotine usage (Gyntelberg et al., 1995). Thus, maintaining moderate levels of coffee drinking, like the levels in the health behaviour change, without smoking allows for some pain management and a slight improvement in cardiovascular health when compared to other styles of coffee drinking.

Summary

There is a slight association between increased coffee drinking and a decrease in coronary heart disease. From the research, there also appear to be some pain reducing effects associated with coffee drinking in regards to headaches and joint pain. As well, both studies (Kleemola, Gyntelberg) showed a decrease in cholesterol and blood pressure levels: ""coffee drinking was...associated with serum triglyceride concentration, blood pressure level and BMI [body mass index] in a way indicating a decreased risk...for cardiovascular disease" (Gyntelberg et al., 1995). So, moderate drinking of one to four cups of coffee, which avoids the pitfalls of nicotine usage, is an appropriate health behaviour change for abstainers and heavy coffee drinkers.

References

Gyntelberg, F., Hein, H. O., Suadicani, P., & Sorensen, H. (1995). Coffee consumption and risk

of ischaemic heart disease - a settled issue? Journal of Internal Medicine, 237(1), 55-61.

It Is Your Health - Caffeine (2010). Retrieved March 1, 2010.

Kleemola, P., Jousilahti, P., Pietinen, P., Vartainen, E., & Tuomilehto, J. (2000). Coffee

Consumption and the Risk of Coronary Heart Disease and Death. Archives of Internal

Medicine, 160(22), 393-400.

Myers, M. G., & Basinski, A. (1992). Coffee and Coronary Heart Disease. Archives of Internal

Medicine, 152(9), 767-772.