Coffee: Does it Make Things Better?

Abstract

Coffee is a brewed drink prepared from roasted coffee beans and is one of the most commonly consumed beverages worldwide due to its stimulating effects on the central nervous system as well as its taste and aroma. It lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart failure and protects against Parkinson's disease in addition to having beneficial effects in cases of liver cirrhosis and in hepatocellular carcinoma. Heavy coffee consumption in pregnancy seems to be associated with harmful outcomes related to low birth weight, preterm birth, and pregnancy loss. Coffee intake of more than 3-4 cups per day has been shown to increase the risk of fracture in women with inadequate dietary calcium. Medium-roasted coffee and filter coffee are associated with maximum health benefits. Consuming tea has been believed to be a health promoting habit and reduces the risk of developing chronic diseases such as cancer with special mention to prostatic cancer, cardiovascular diseases, arthritis and diabetes. Both green tea and black tea have a positive effect on health but effects of green tea have been extensively studied. 1−6 cups/day of tea have beneficial effects on health but more than 8 cups of tea per day may have toxic effects on human health. 400ml per day is the recommended milk consumption and it provides a package of essential nutrients that are difficult to obtain in low-dairy or dairy-free diets and should be included as part of a healthy balanced diet. Dairy products may represent a useful source of dietary calcium and optimum utilization of milk and dairy products all through life is probably going to be gainful for skeletal wellbeing. Few studies have suggested a reduction in osteoarthritis progression associated with frequent milk consumption. Lactose intolerance can prompt an avoidance of all dairies, but this is not necessary in most people. In particular, yogurt and hard cheese are well tolerated and provide the nutritional benefits of dairy products. This review article evaluates the existing evidence for associations between coffee consumption and multiple health outcomes and compares the health effects of coffee, tea and milk.