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Studies Longer lives through moderate coffee consumption
Coffee was considered harmful for a long time. But in recent years, showed in various scientific studies that the popular pick-me-makers can be more health-promoting. An international research team has now found in a study that people with moderate coffee consumption live longer than coffee abstainers.
One of the most popular drinks of the Germans
Coffee is one of the most popular drinks of the Germans. Every German citizen drinks on average more than 160 liters per year. Although the watchdog has long been considered harmful to health, more and more scientific research shows that the popular hot drink is healthier than is often assumed. A recent study by an international research team has now found that people with moderate coffee consumption live longer.
Although coffee was considered unhealthy for a long time, more and more scientific studies confirm the positive effects on the health of the hot drink. A recent study showed that people with moderate coffee consumption live longer. (Image: fabiomax / fotolia.com) Lower risk of death
To reach their conclusions, scientists from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and Imperial College London have looked at death data from more than half a million people from ten European countries.
They found that "a higher coffee consumption was associated with a lower risk of death, in particular of circulatory diseases and diseases associated with the digestive tract," said in a post on the website of Imperial College London.
The probability of dying men with very high coffee consumption (more than 580 milliliters per day in Germany) was 12 per cent lower during the observation period of about 16 years than among non-coffee drinkers. For women, it was seven percent.
Influences such as diet or tobacco consumption had been excluded by the researchers in order to be able to look at the effects of coffee in isolation.
The researchers used data from the large European long-term study EPIC ("European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition") as a basis for their investigation..
The study results were recently published in the journal "Annals of Internal Medicine".
Health effects of coffee
It should be emphasized that the results were similar in all ten European countries, with different coffee drinking habits and customs. Our study also provides important insights into the potential mechanisms for the health effects of coffee, "said lead author Marc Gunter.
Nevertheless, too much euphoria should not arise: "Due to the limitations of observational research, we are not at one point to make a recommendation for more or less coffee consumption."
However, the results of the study suggest that moderate coffee consumption of about three cups a day would not be detrimental to health, but that the hot beverage might even have health benefits.
Professor Elio Riboli of Imperial College London said, "The results add further evidence that shows that drinking coffee is not only safe, but actually has a protective effect on people's health."
Positive effects on the liver
According to the study authors, an estimated 2.25 billion cups of coffee are consumed worldwide per day - although the opinion that the drink harms health is still widespread.
However, more and more findings speak against it. For example, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) announced last year that the increased risk of cancer from coffee can not be proven.
According to a US study, coffee can even reduce the risk of colorectal cancer.
Researchers from the German Institute for Nutritional Research (DifE) have also reported a few years ago in the journal "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" on protective effects in liver cancer with regular coffee consumption.
And scientists from the University of Southampton and the University of Edinburgh found that coffee can protect against the most common form of liver cancer.
The current study also showed positive effects on the liver: "We found that drinking more coffee was associated with a more favorable liver function profile and a better immune response," explained Marc Gunter.
The health effects may not come from the coffee
However, according to Gunter Kuhnle of the University of Reading, who was not involved in the study, this has already been shown in other studies, but not to the same extent, the news agency dpa reports.
Although the expert considers the observed effects of the study as rather small overall, the current study closes a gap for the nutritional epidemiologist.
This is because the connection between total mortality and coffee consumption has already been investigated in the USA, but not in Europe.
This was particularly interesting because the importance and preparation of coffee on the two sides of the Atlantic would differ significantly.
"In the US, coffee is a" standard drink "and is consumed in particular by people of lower income classes, while in the United Kingdom tea more widespread and coffee is the exception," the expert says dpa.
However, social status has major health implications. Kuhnle also raises the question of why mortality rates are lower with higher coffee consumption: "Is this the effect of bioactive compounds in coffee that you could then isolate or better prepare coffee for, or is there a different reason?"
Basically, it is also possible that the health effects are not derived from coffee, but that the drink with the actual reason for these effects only in a relationship.
For example, it is conceivable that people with an increased risk of illness generally drink less coffee. At least coffee is not unhealthy according to the latest research. "But if he is really healthy is another question." (Ad)