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We are often bombarded with information about foods and substances that are said to be beneficial because of their “protective” health effects and “nutritional benefits”.
But the nutritional advice and reviews we hear about some foods seem to be everchanging.
Two of the most studied food substances for their effects on human health are coffee and red wine. And we’ve already heard of them having “harmful” or “beneficial” effects on our bodies.
What do the latest scientific studies say about these drinks? We consulted with two scientists who research the effects of coffee and red wine on human health.
coffee and mortality
The researchers found that those who drank 1.5 to 3.5 cups of coffee a day — even with a teaspoon of sugar — were up to 30% less likely to die than those who didn’t drink coffee during the study decade.
Those who drank coffee without sugar had a 16 to 21% lower risk of death. And those who had the lowest risk of death during the study period were those who drank three cups of coffee a day.
It’s not the first study to find a reduced risk of death among coffee drinkers. In 2018, another study that followed more than 500,000 people over 10 years also found a 16% reduction in the risk of premature death.
And several studies have even found this reduction in those who drank decaffeinated coffee, suggesting the benefit comes from some of the thousands of compounds coffee contains.
However, many people still believe that coffee is harmful and that we should limit the consumption of this substance. Did we make a mistake about the coffee?
“Some time ago, our view of the effects of coffee on health changed radically,” Esther LópezGarcía, professor of preventive medicine and public health at the Autonomous University of Madrid, told BBC Mundo, the BBC’s Spanishlanguage news service.
LópezGarcía has participated in several studies on the effects of coffee on the development of cardiovascular disease and disability.
“Starting in 2003, studies were conducted in large populations where coffee consumption was measured regularly over years and examined how it affects the risk of premature death, cardiovascular disease or type 2 diabetes,” she explains.
“It was found that after accounting for factors that also affect health, such as tobacco and alcohol consumption, regular coffee consumption has no harmful effects. It has even been shown to be beneficial in preventing the development of type 2 diabetes and prevent stroke,” adds .
“It has also been shown that the harmful effects of caffeine are not maintained in normal consumers who develop a tolerance to this substance and that the healthpromoting effects of other components of coffee are more important for them,” says the expert.
In the numerous studies that have been conducted on coffee, evidence has emerged of its supposed protective effects against Parkinson’s disease and it has also been said to protect against cognitive decline in general, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and protects against some types of cancer.
But Professor LópezGarcía emphasizes that ‘the strongest evidence is for type 2 diabetes. For the rest of the diseases it is still unclear.’
“It is not known to be harmful to cardiovascular disease or breast cancer. And caffeine is said to reduce the risk of neurodegenerative diseases, but the results are still unclear.”
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Coffee contains over a thousand chemical compounds, and many of them are studied extensively.
Coffee contains more than a thousand chemical compounds, many of which are intensively studied.
For example, it contains a large amount of antioxidants, which other research has shown can prevent or delay cell damage.
Professor LópezGarcía explains that the beneficial effects of coffee are essentially due to one of these antioxidants: chlorogenic acid.
“It’s an antioxidant that has many positive effects on glucose metabolism. It also contains other substances, like magnesium, a mineral with numerous health effects,” he says.
Perhaps part of the “bad image” coffee has had in the past is because caffeine can cause anxiety or insomnia in some people.
That is why the expert from the Autonomous University of Madrid points out that in healthy people, the usual consumption of 3 to 5 cups of coffee “can be beneficial”.
“Today, many nutrition guides recommend drinking sugarfree coffee as a healthy drink.”
But he adds that “all people with health conditions that could be aggravated by coffee consumption (insomnia, anxiety, uncontrolled high blood pressure, gastroesophageal reflux, or cardiac arrhythmia) should receive individual counseling about consuming this beverage.”
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“Current scientific evidence allows us to say that the best thing for your health is to consume as little alcohol as possible,” says one expert.
Wine and its “protective effect”
Red wine is often touted as the “healthy face” of alcohol.
Several studies over the last few decades have led us to believe that an “occasional” glass of wine is associated with better cardiovascular health due to its “protective” effects on the heart.
For example, a 2019 study published in the journal Molecules suggests that red wine is associated with a lower risk of coronary heart disease due to the multitude of polyphenolic compounds it contains.
But in January of this year, the World Heart Federation (WHF) released a research report showing that alcohol is definitely not good for cardiovascular health.
“Over the past few decades, the prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) has nearly doubled,” the WHF report notes, “and alcohol has played a major role in the prevalence of many of them.”
The organization notes that “For over 30 years, a common message has been spreading the myth that alcohol prolongs life, primarily by reducing the risk of coronary artery disease.”
However, the report adds that “alcohol consumption increases the risk of most cardiovascular diseases” and many other diseases.
So is red wine good or bad? We asked this question to Miguel Marcos Martín, a researcher at the Institute for Biomedical Research in Salamanca and professor at the University of Salamanca (Spain), who has taken part in several studies on the effects of alcohol on health.
“It is true that there are studies linking alcohol consumption to possible health benefits, with controversial and inconclusive results, but we cannot forget that many other studies clearly show that it is a substance with many harmful effects , even at low doses,” explains .
“For all of these reasons, consumption of any amount of alcohol or any type of beverage cannot be recommended at this time for health reasons.”
Martín says that the message that red wine has “protective effects” on the heart “is an indication that is not clearly based on scientific evidence in the first place because it has not been proven conclusively”.
“On the other hand, while wine has a protective effect against some diseases, we must not forget the side effects. Alcoholic beverages are addictive, cirrhosis of the liver, inflammation of the pancreas, etc.”
The argument for wine’s alleged protective effects on cardiovascular health is based on resveratrol, which is part of a group of compounds called polyphenols. They are believed to act as antioxidants, protecting the body from cell damage that can increase the risk of diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease.
However, as the doctor at the University Hospital of Salamanca explains, much larger amounts of this compound than those found in some doses of wine would be required to produce these health effects.
“The possible positive effect of wine is attributed both to the ethanol molecule itself and to resveratrol and other antioxidants contained in wine,” says the expert.
“However, there is no evidence that the separate administration of these substances has a longterm positive effect on health, and it is all the less clear that taking them in the small amounts contained in wine can be beneficial to health,” he adds. .
Many people believe that alcohol in excess is more harmful to health. But in reality, even moderate consumption, like a glass of wine every day, can have negative effects on the body.
“Consumption of alcohol in small doses (e.g. a glass of wine or a beer) is associated with a small increased risk of developing tumors (e.g. head and neck, breast or colon cancer) and atrial fibrillation (a very common cardiac arrhythmia).” , says Martin.
“Fortunately, eating small amounts also comes with few risks, but it adds up.”
The main thing, says the expert, is not to believe that drinking wine is good for your health.
“Right now, the scientific evidence allows us to say that the best thing for your health is to consume as little alcohol as possible.”
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