Caffeine Prevents Liver Disease

DC Jeff writes "The Washington Post reports that drinking two cups of coffee or tea daily may reduce the risk of liver disease. From the article: 'The study of nearly 10,000 people showed that those who drank more than two cups of coffee or tea per day developed chronic liver disease at half the rate of those who drank less than one cup each day.'"

Forget coffee!

[bwd]

Green tea [wikipedia.org] has caffeine just like coffee but has immeasurably more benefits, such as reducing the likelihood of all kinds of cancers and tumors. Further, it has been shown in some studies to do more good for the heart than a glass of wine every day. All coffee has is caffeine.

Nope

[flyinwhitey]

"Vinson and his team studied the content of antioxidants in various foods, like vegetables, fruits, tea and cocoa. They eventually decided to look at coffee as well. When they did, they found that both regular and decaffeinated coffee contain significant amounts of antioxidants, though Vinson does note that fruits and vegetables are more nutritious sources.

What kind of health benefits can people expect to receive from drinking coffee? According to Martin, "Predominantly in epidemiologic studies, there have been associations between coffee consumption and lowered rates of certain illnesses, like suicide, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's, Type II diabetes, colon cancer and heart disease." (Epidemiologic studies are often historical trials that are not considered definitive by clinicians.)"

Re:Nope

[randomencounter]

Technically it is a symptom.

Depression is the illness usually leading to suicide.

Again, irresponsible medical reports

[TheSkepticalOptimist]

I grow tired of these kinds of "studies", those that say drinking beer, wine, tea, coffee, coke, or even smoking have some benefits. Especially when they start saying that 1 or 2 cups or servings of someting will prevent something else.

These studies are generally aimed at foods or products that are generally considered to be unhealthy or otherwise, the people making these products are in a defensive position to try and validate their existence.

The problem is that there are those people just waiting for an excuse to over-indulge in these products. If drinking 2 cups of beer a day prevents cancer, then by drinking 12 I will live to 100, right?

Often people just read the caption without reading the entire article, or in many cases, the finer points of the study are excluded to a terse clipping of the conclusion without preventing the facts, those facts usually explaining how overindulgence could cause adverse medical problems. This is the case here in Slashdot where many people simply read the blurb without delving into the hyperlinked article.

Also, these studies are usually contradictory to other studies. Recently it was reported on Slashdot that drinking even one cup of coffee was linked to some kind of adverse health issue. The studies conflict each other, meaning that the truth of the matter is never effectively conveyed by both parties. People that love coffee will be quicker to believe that it is more beneficial to them then those that don't drink it, who would quote coffee is harmful to you.

Lastely, these studdies generally ignore other serious health issues that might go along with the consumption. Like the fact that most people take cream and sugar in their coffee. Many people in Canada love their double/doubles (2 creams and 2 sugars). This study suggests that drinking two cups of coffee a day has positive health effects, but for those that like cream and sugar in their coffee, this means drinking in addition to the coffee, one will consume 4 servings of high fat cream and 4 teaspoons of suger. The high fat in cream and excessive calories of the sugar are sure to be more harmful to your health then whatever positive effects the coffee may have on your health. Those that feel more is better will consume more high fat cream and high calorie sugars which will exponentially have a negative effect on their health, in addition to ignoring disclaimers by the study that too much coffee could have a detrimental effect.

Finally, there are those people who consider themselves well learned and so propose that its the caffine in coffee that is beneficial, so drinking a couple cups of cola should also be beneficial, or popping a couple of caffine pills or those high-caf beverages. The study mentions that drinking 2 cups of coffee or tea a day is beneficial, but the Slashdot article only says that Caffeine prevents liver disease, a discrepancy in the facts presented.

In any case, one should never blindly use these articles as an excuse to continue or start a bad habit. There are MANY healthy ways to prevent Liver Disease, drinking two cups of coffee a days to cure a hangover after consuming an excess of alcohol the previous night probably won't have a positive effect on your liver.

Re:Forget coffee!

[phasm42]

The quote from the GP said:
"All coffee has is caffeine." (bold mine). As in, coffee contains caffeine and nothing else. I can see how you missed the "is" part, I missed it the first time I read it.

Re:O Rly?

[Randall_Jones]

caffeine generally only raises blood pressure temporarily, and regular coffee drinkers experience less of a blood pressure spike. http://www.ohiohealth.com/healthreference/referenc e/6488C9E0-4259-425B-975EDA39F3378760.htm?category =5171 [ohiohealth.com]

questionable article

[Flunitrazepam]

This article obviously wasn't meant for much more than a quick conversation piece. There is litte, if any, scientific data presented.

In general, coffee is quite a bit more caffinated than tea. Brewed coffee is around 135mg, instant around 95mg, whereas the most common teas (lipton green, instant black, etc) have about 35-40mgs. So statements like "one or two cups of coffee OR TEA" puts the targetted intake anywhere between 70mg and 270mgs per day. How useful.

Re:O Rly?

[SatanicPuppy]

Your Grandma knew her classics: ...But though our present account is of this nature we must give what help we can. First, then, let us consider this, that it is the nature of such things to be destroyed by defect and excess, as we see in the case of strength and of health (for to gain light on things imperceptible we must use the evidence of sensible things); both excessive and defective exercise destroys the strength, and similarly drink or food which is above or below a certain amount destroys the health, while that which is proportionate both produces and increases and preserves it. So too is it, then, in the case of temperance and courage and the other virtues. For the man who flies from and fears everything and does not stand his ground against anything becomes a coward, and the man who fears nothing at all but goes to meet every danger becomes rash; and similarly the man who indulges in every pleasure and abstains from none becomes self-indulgent, while the man who shuns every pleasure, as boors do, becomes in a way insensible; temperance and courage, then, are destroyed by excess and defect, and preserved by the mean.

--Aristotle, the Nicomachean Ethics.

Re:Great News!

[lixee]

An idea as old as the 70's. Later studies challenge that http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id= 46&ObjectID=10358263 [nzherald.co.nz].