Coffee is a "Health Drink"

WoodenRobot writes "Not that it would stop an Italian or a techie from drinking the stuff, but Chiara Trombetti, of the Humanitas Gavazzeni institute of Bergamo has reported that coffee, especially espresso, is good for you and provides numerous health benefits. All the more reason to tuck into a cup o' Joe - but no more than 3 or 4 cups a day."

Comments

Cheers

[Shivaji Maharaj]

For Good health - there's my first dose - nothing like a rich black brazilian coffee

Re:Cheers

[the_2nd_coming]

you do know that the lighter the coffie the more caffine there is right?

Re:Cheers

[Anonymous Coward]

Cocaine is healthy in its natural form (chewed leaf or leaves used as a tea). It took "intelligent" white man to reduce it to a hydrochloride salt and ruin it. In its natural form it is very nutritious (the highest amount of calcium in any plant known, for starters) and does not cause problems because the high isn't a rapid up after snorting it and a rapid down after it wears off, leaving you craving more. Chewed or used as a tea it comes on slow, lasts all day, and wears off by night.

Re:Cheers

[Anonymous Coward]

Eh? Are you trying to say cigarettes are not a physical addiction? And cocaine is?

I think you're way out of whack here, son. Cocaine is much more psychological than physical (crack excepted, of course). Cigarettes are a real physical addiction. Why do you think people have "nic fits"?

Plus: coffee does indeed have a minor physical addictiveness (similar to cocaine). In fact cocaine and coffee have similar effects on the body and mind, although of course attenuated for coffee.

So to sum up: you crazy, boy.

Re:Cheers

[gfxguy]

I've always loved that! Seeing someone act all wired after an espresso and yet perfectly normal at other times after two or three cups of the regular stuff.

It's psychological. The stronger the taste, the stronger people think it is.

I've also had people refuse to believe it. Whatever.

Re:Cheers

[macthulhu]

So, when is the last time somebody pulled a home invasion and killed a family to get money to buy coffee? I mean, I'm kind of scary in the moring before my first cup, but seriously...

Re:Cheers

[Anonymous Coward]

It is similar in some ways to crystal meth or speed, they are both stimulants. Speed is always in a pure form though because it is synthetic. People end up snorting, smoking, and shooting it up and have a lot of problems similar to cocaine used in the same way. Orally is still the safest way to use it, but they are different drugs and I am not trying to defend speed, just put it into perspective.

I did not say white man is evil, I just poked at his (my, I am white) intelligence. Europeans found natives using coca leaf and studied it scientifically. They found the active chemical and threw the rest away thinking what they were doing was a good or smart thing to do. The USA has a lot of problems with cocaine hydrochloride (the stuff you snort), and cocaine freebase (the stuff you smoke, aka crack). The natives still to this day simply chew the leaf. They are also better for it. We should learn from them, and our own mistakes, and realise that we made a mistake. Instead we see ourselves suffering because of our own mistake (purifying it), so we blame the whole plant. This is our typical approach of blaming others, and why we are often looked down on.

Re:Cheers

[twenex]

He actually has a point. There are quite a few people (myself included) that caffeine is toxic to - even in the dosage that decaf gives you.

This is often misdiagnosed and having gone through years of treatments for other unrelated (and nonexistant) ailments, it's worth getting the word out about this.

There's a number of sites on the web with more information.

Re:Cheers

[macthulhu]

Heh? I keep forgetting that on slashdot you have to parse every statement down to the last possible interpretation so the other readers don't get too cranky. I get news from as many different sources/perspectives as I can. While there is surely not a home invasion every night in every neighborhood, you can't really deny the fact that there is quite a bit of crime being committed in this country to fund drug habits. If there were indeed only one violent crime per year connected to cocaine, it would still be more than the number connected to coffee. I was merely pointing out that cocaine comes with a whole host of connected social ills and that it was absurd to compare it to coffee. Sorry to confuse anyone.

Re:Cheers

[macthulhu]

Just remember... doing lines of espresso results in far less discomfort than the regular grind, not to mention better bang for the buck.

Re:Cheers

[cshark]

According to this it may be best to drink six cups or more. Whod've thought?

Re:Cheers

[chef_raekwon]

Instead we see ourselves suffering because of our own mistake (purifying it), so we blame the whole plant

same thing with pot - we have to stop blaming the whole plant for the buds we smoke.

(this is a joke for those who don't understand a sad attempt at humour...joke made because US has a problem with naturally grown items, that, like the coca leaf, don't do much harm)

Great Health

[loserbert]

It's just as good as getting a hi-colonic (sp?) so keep on drinking those 4 cups a day and keep your colon clean as a whistle!

I'm shooting for 10 cups a day, maybe I can be the first self propelled man into space.

Re:Great Health

[Anonymous Coward]

Personally, I prefer bran muffins myself. Sometimes I have to go really bad and my haste at posting on /. ends up being moderated as troll or offtopic. Complete misunderstanding, really. So the next time you read one of my comments, keep in mind I might be holding off a core dump.

thanks.
-AC

#1 Health benefit

[Anonymous Coward]

Daily use prevents caffeine withdraw.

Just had my first double. Thanks, Krups!

As a techie who doesn't drink it...

[bc90021]

...does this mean I should start? ;) I've never liked the stuff, and I manage to live without caffeine for the most part. (I don't drink soda, either.)

Personally, I find that tea is the way to go, so I hope they have a study that shows it's healthy too.

Re:As a techie who doesn't drink it...

[Pirogoeth]

Well, those aren't too hard to find...

Re:As a techie who doesn't drink it...

[prgrmr]

Some Tea's are higher in caffeine than coffee, so you may not be as caffeine-free as you thought.

Re:As a techie who doesn't drink it...

[twilight30]

I thought teas had theobromine, which was a stronger caffeine relative, not caffeine itself.

In reply to the parent, don't start. Caffeine addiction is one of the most widespread going, and like most habits, most people don't notice their addiction until they can't stop.

My cousin stopped drinking it years ago. Within a month, the bags under his eyes disappeared, probably from the corollary effect of actually going to bed on time.

Unfortunately, I do really like the stuff, so call me a hypocrite...

Re:As a techie who doesn't drink it...

[Otter]

Coffee drinking is like gambling or smoking -- if you don't develop a taste for it, you'll be better off and the only thing you'll miss out on is satisfying cravings you don't have in the first place.

Not that I take any of this to seriously but there's far more evidence for the health value of tea (especially green tea) and the downside is much less.

Re:As a techie who doesn't drink it...

[Gumshoe]

...does this mean I should start? ;) I've never liked the stuff, and I manage to live without caffeine for the most part. (I don't drink soda, either.)

Personally, I find that tea is the way to go, so I hope they have a study that shows it's healthy too.

Tea contains caffeine too, although not as much as coffee does . This is only partly relevent though as the reported health benefits of coffee isn't entirely due to the caffeine.

Re:As a techie who doesn't drink it...

[Pope]

Frank Zappa was also a chain smoker who refused to eat correctly after being diagnosed with cancer, preferring to smoke more cigarettes to relieve his hunger pains instead of eating. That contributed to his rapid health decline more than anything.

Re:As a techie who doesn't drink it...

[Frymaster]

probably from the corollary effect of actually going to bed on time

which proves my point that coffee extends your life... not by adding more years to the end of it, when you're old and frail, but by giving you more of it now. time that would normally be wasted in sleep is yours to live with coffee!

witness: if you drink enough coffee to get by on 6.5 hours of sleep rather than 8 then, after 35 years of continuous use you will have extended your life by a full two years ((35*365*1.5)/24/365 = 798)

it's true.

Re:As a techie who doesn't drink it...

[Jonboy X]

Coffee drinking is like gambling or smoking -- if you don't develop a taste for it, you'll be better off and the only thing you'll miss out on is satisfying cravings you don't have in the first place.

As a gambling, smoking caffeine addict, I take offense to your (twitch) characterization of me as (tic) slave to my (cough) bad habits.

Re:As a techie who doesn't drink it...

[Dixie_Flatline]

I remember talking to a biochemistry student, and he said the REALLY interesting thing about the stuff in tea is that while it's a completely different chemical, and excites entirely different neural pathways, the end point and end result turn out to be exactly the same. For most intents and purposes, the stuff in tea may as well be caffeine.

Re:As a techie who doesn't drink it...

[dipipanone]

Coffee drinking is like gambling or smoking -- if you don't develop a taste for it, you'll be better off and the only thing you'll miss out on is satisfying cravings you don't have in the first place.

Sorry, but that *isn't* the only thing that you'll miss out on. You'll also miss out on the experience of a wonderful food/drink that has been hugely valued by man since its discovery in Ethiopia around a thousand years ago.

You could say exactly the same thing about fine wine, and if you say it loud enough and often enough, you might eventually convince yourself that you're right.

Meanwhile, the rest of us will go on enjoying the complex delights of a fine, single estate arabica, or a good espresso blend, with beans roasted in the Northern Italian style -- and our lives will go on being all the richer for it.

Re:As a techie who doesn't drink it...

[Dun Malg]

, I work in an office where coffee is strong, and black, and if you add sugar we all know your the new guy.(and god help you if you ask where the creamer is) I just saw a movie(Hidalgo) and it has enspired me to try something, make a pot of coffee so thick you can toss a horse shoe in and it will stand up straight.

Reminds me of when I used to pull CQ duty (night watch, basically) in the army at Ft. Devens. It was the CQ's job to make the coffee for the company admin staff (sergeants and officers all). The staff always liked when I made the coffee because, instead of following the directions on the coffee can which said "8 scoops", I would shovel something like twenty scoops into the percolator basket. The stuff came out so thick that no amount of creamer would lighten its color. It was nasty stuff (I couldn't drink it) but those coffee-addict sergeants raved over it. I never did tell anyone the "secret recipe".

Re:As a techie who doesn't drink it...

[linzeal]

The healthier you are the less sleep you require. For instance I stopped smoking cigarettes, stopped drinking daily, and switched from coffee to tea. That with my switch into a 95%+ non animal protein, 3-4 fruits a day, and plenty of veggies has made me a cheerful bastard in the morning after 5-6 hours of sleep as opposed to the 7-10 hours I required before. Add years to your life and more time in the day by treating your body well.

Re:As a techie who doesn't drink it...

[probbka]

What you have to try is Chai Latte. Green tea + milk + spices. Oh emm eff gee, I less than three it.

Re:As a techie who doesn't drink it...

[sydb]

if you drink enough coffee to get by on 6.5 hours of sleep rather than 8 then, after 35 years of continuous use you will have extended your life by a full two years ((35*365*1.5)/24/365 = 798)

It's better than that. We spend on average one third of our lives asleep. Therefore the two years of waking life you get by drinking coffee, is worth three years of normal life.

Hold on, it get's even better.

We spend another third of our normal lives at work. Of the remaining eight hours a day, I would estimate we waste four of them. Cleaning up. Washing clothes. Shopping for food. Eating food. Preparing food. Preparing drinks. Watching TV. Cleaning ourselves.

So each hour of coffee time is worth two of mundane time, thus doubling our original life extension figure.

Coffee extends your life by six years.

Correcting my maths (sydb is Scottish, not American) is left as an exercise to the reader.

Re:As a techie who doesn't drink it...

[DrCode]

Are there others out there who aren't kept up by caffeine? I can drink a cup of coffee in the middle of the day and take a nap half-an-hour later. But then, I've fallen asleep during rock concerts.

Alzheimer's disease

[derphilipp]

Yes i read about it in a news magazine, that regular coffee drinkers are not so often in the group of persons who will suffer of the Alzheimer's disease when they are old.

Re:Alzheimer's disease

[fsmunoz]

Well, I have red the same thing about smokers due to the effect that nicotine has on the dopamin levels.

Since I'm portuguese I drink about 5/6 coffees ("expressos", the only real coffee ;) ) a day. I also smoke about 6 small cigars a day. I'm pretty much Alzheimer free, the only drawback is that I have a higher chance to actually not reach the age when Alzheimer generally appears *sigh*.

Headache cure

[michael path]

I had been using coffee, as well as water, as my preferred headache cure for quite a while.

However, caffiene withdrawl also creates headaches, and the article is a little on the vague side to suggest otherwise.

Most of the other news (antioxidants, tannin, good for the liver, and asthma relief) are pretty awesome, though. Again, I'd rather see this in more details - and I can't find any English links referring to dietician Chiara Trombetti.

Definitely good news for nerds and latte addicts everywhere.

-m.

Re:Headache cure

[hamsterboy]

However, caffiene withdrawl also creates headaches, and the article is a little on the vague side to suggest otherwise.

Actually, this is a myth. Caffiene relieves headaches, and so when you stop ingesting it, you're just feeling the headaches that were there all along.

Don't believe me? Look at Excedrin; it's just a mixture of aspirin and caffiene.

-- Hamster

Coffee is boring

[superpulpsicle]

Is it me or is coffee becoming more and more boring? Even starbucks can't turn me into a coffee drinker again.

Re:Coffee is boring

[mrscorpio]

That's because Starbucks is the McDonald's of coffee, and you don't go to McDonald's for its fine cuisine! Go to your nearest independant place near a college campus for better coffee.

Chris

Re:Coffee is boring

[UpLateDrinkingCoffee]

Boring? Sure if you are stuck on a black and decker coffee maker and basket filters. You've gotta mix up your brew methods and experience the alchemy of making a good cup of coffee. Try a french press, that can be pretty exciting but hard to clean. One of my favorite methods is the Chorreador de cafe. It's the traditional method in Costa Rica where, as far as I'm concerned, the best tasting coffee beans come from.

Oh, it should go without saying that grinding the beans just before you use them is the only way to get exiting coffee. Pre-ground might be convenient, but it loses flavor fast. Also, Starbucks is great for convenience, but I think the quality of their coffee beans has slipped. It's still way better than McDonalds, but you can get a way better cup at home with a little effort.

Hope that helps everyone on the road to exciting coffee!

Re:Coffee is boring

[Hiro Antagonist]

Identifying Starbucks as the pinnacle of coffee is like identifying Michael Jackson as the model of proper child care.

Re:Coffee is boring

[evilad]

I use a Melita cone which isn't that much different from your Chorreador. The only real difference is that it uses paper filters instead of cloth -- which I prefer, because I grind my own and find that cloth, like metal mesh, lets fine particulate get through.

But really, if you're into amusing ways to brew coffee, I'm surprised you didn't bring up the amazingly cool-looking Vacuum Percolator.

Re:Coffee is boring

[Rostin]

It's a silly thing to argue about, but I have a lot of esteem for Starbucks. The quality of the espresso and coffee you get at a locally-owned place depends pretty heavily on things like how rigorously the baristas are trained, the quality and freshness of the beans, and so on. All these factors depend ultimately on a combination of how good a manager the owner is and how much he knows/cares about coffee (which is, btw, a far more subtle art than most people realize). Starbucks is in the business of coffee and has been for years and years. They know what they're doing. That doesn't necessarily mean that they are doing it well, because they could be doing a crappy job intentionally for business reasons, but my experience has been that Starbucks is consistently decent. It's certainly possible to get better coffee at a locally owned joint (When I was still in a college town, I always went to the locally owned places over the Starbucks, partially out of principle, but mostly because they were just as good), but it isn't absolutely going to happen. In fact, the worst "latte" I've ever had was at a locally owned place, probably because the lady running the machine had no freaking idea what she was doing.

Re:Coffee is boring

[thelasttemptation]

Dude.... That's a bong...

Re:Coffee is boring

[JordanH]

I find that ironic because, here in Ohio, USA, the real McDonald's of coffee would habe to be Tim Horton's, which is owned by the Wendy's Hamburger chain.

Funny thing though. I like their coffee a LOT better than Starbucks and it's a lot more reasonably priced.

Re:Coffee is boring

[ipxodi]

Starbucks deserves accliam for their marketing methods and their ability to take over the marketplace. (much like our favorite whipping boy, Bill Gates.)
However, the reason most people think Starbucks is great coffee is because A) it's consistant (like McDonalds), B) it's expensive, and C) it is a reasonable quality. (though not top quality.)
Also they have "converted" most of the country into "west coast roast" (heavily roasted) afficionados, and very few people appreciate the "east coast" (lighter roast) style that actually allows more of the nuances of flavor through.
One of the best old-time "east coast" coffee purveyors was Boston's Coffee Connection, which Starbucks bought in the early 90's, and promptly did away with. (That was great coffee -- I was so bummed...)

Re:Coffee is boring

[dipipanone]

That should read, "Go to your nearest independant place near a college campus" for cheap, strung-out coffee and obnoxious, pretentious patrons.

Such places *do* tend to be full of obnoxious, pretentious patrons, but the attraction of such places is that the coffee that they sell is supposed to be of very high quality, freshly roasted and with careful attention paid to serving. It's not always the case though, I'll admit.

Look at me, mama! I'm a college boy now! I drink 'expresso' with the girlies! w00t!

Heh. If *you* were a college boy, you'd know that the stuff was actually called 'espresso'. And don't knock it. He'll *still* be fucking those fine, perfumed college-educated girls when Mrs. Lambent is too worn out to give you any, because of her long day tendering the hogs.

If you want REALLY good coffee, get in your car ... go out on the highway ... drive to the middle of nowhere and stop at the dirtiest, dingiest truck stop you can find. When coffee is a neccessity for your livelihood and personal safety , you can be damn sure they'll do it right.

Don't talk crap. When did you ever find a dirty dingy truck stop that sold single estate arabicas and fine espresso blends that were roasted within the last few days and ground immediately before serving?

Of course, if your idea of 'doing it right' is serving up commercial swill that's grown in Vietnam and sold at $2 per ton to multinational companies, then you're absolutely correct. You'll find plenty of that in dingy truck stops.

Personally, I'd rather drink raw sewage than that crap, but if that's your favoured drink -- enjoy.

Perhaps the old slapper serving up the stuff may even become the future Mrs. Lambent?

Re:Coffee is boring

[rleibman]

the digital clock and status lights never worked.

Peeve of mine... why does every appliance in the modern kitchen need to come with a digital clock and kitchen timer? I count five as I stand in my kitchen. I DON'T want another clock in my can opener! They are a pain to set (the U.I. in each one is slightly difference) and everytime we have a blackout (about twice a year), or I'm working on the lights, or when I need to adjust savings time I have to set all of them over again.
C'mon, learn from software engineering: Create components that do ONE thing only and do it well.

Re:Coffee is boring

[grammaticaster]

Actually, Starbuck's isn't cheaper than most independent coffee shops. Its ubiquity and (decent) quality have more to do with its success than price. One of my pet peeves is when people talk about a "four-dollar cup of coffee." Yes, there are many coffee drinks that you can get for four dollars, but a cup of normal coffee (not espresso) still only costs about a buck at most shops. A cup of plain espresso usually costs less than two bucks, too. It's cappuccinos and drinks that require the barista to grind, tamp, and brew the espresso beans, plus froth milk (which is more difficult than it might seem) and put flavoring or cream in it that cost four bucks. You're really paying for the labor, not the materials in that case.

By the way, is that poster still available?

Well..

[hookedup]

The only health benifits I can see at my office would be for my co-workers.

Since it's their health that's in jeopardy if I dont get my coffee.

Oh no!

[DaHat]

So you mean all these years when I thought I was being healthy and avoiding it... I've been hurting myself? Next you're going to tell me the large amounts of caffeine I don't ingest daily in the form of other beverages is also bad for me... if you'll excuse me though, it's 9:15 and I need to wait up before I get to work... while here at work.

Ok - then what about ...

[JSkills]

Ok - then what about caffiene soap? Will it make my arteries extra squeaky clean?

Shpoiled little kidsh

[Stile 65]

Dr Trombetti is adamant that a cup of milky coffee could make the ideal start for the next generation of coffee lovers - Italy's drowsy school kids - stimulating their brains ahead of a day that often lasts from 0830 until 1600.

When I wash their age, I wash in shcool from sheven pm the night before to nine pm every shingle day! And I tell you what, shonny, I liked it and didn't need no shtinkin' coffee, no siree! And we didn't have no shtinkin' 24-hour time neither!

Coffee is food

[l0ungeb0y]

"Coffee is a health drink" my ass.
I eat my coffee with a fork.

Coffee is also a great way to lose weight

[tdwebste]

Caffeine is not as strong as ephedrine, but it still works in some what the same way.

If that is not enough a good dose of lack of sleep will make anyone lose weight :)

Re:Coffee is also a great way to lose weight

[stevesliva]

Black coffee, I've been told, also has zero calories. Skip the cream and sugar and it's a healthy diet drink.

Re:Coffee is also a great way to lose weight

[Anonymous Coward]

Water, I've been told, also has zero calories. Skip the sparkles and sugar and it's a healthy diet drink.

Re:Coffee is also a great way to lose weight

[cpex]

yes especially with all the time you will be spending on the toilet if you drink enough, should lose some good wieght

subjectivity

[iezhy]

it's the matter of pros and cons - like for every thing in our lives. some aspect of coffe are good to healt some are bad. thats just the way things are in life :-)

Obviously...

[UncleBiggims]

The article says, "It can relieve headaches." Isn't that just plain obvious. Especially considering that the most common headache relieved by coffee is in fact caused by caffeine withdrawl.

Besides that, this article is obviously lacking in supporting information. What did this "scientific" study involve? Was this simply a look at the components of coffee: antioxidants, tannin, etc? Or was it a double blind study that looked at the long term effects of 4 cups a day?

Are you Corn Fed?

Re:Obviously...

[dangermouse]

The article says, "It can relieve headaches." Isn't that just plain obvious. Especially considering that the most common headache relieved by coffee is in fact caused by caffeine withdrawl.

Caffeine can relieve tension headaches, which have nothing to do with caffeine withdrawal. They're caused by overdilation of capillaries in your head, and caffeine (like ibuprofen) is a vasoconstrictor.

Re:Obviously...

[Vaughn Anderson]

Caffeine can relieve tension headaches, which have nothing to do with caffeine withdrawal. They're caused by overdilation of capillaries in your head, and caffeine (like ibuprofen) is a vasoconstrictor.

Sorry I have to reply to this, you are just way off.

One question:

Why do you think you get a headache from expanding capillaries?

[drum roll]

Answer:

Because caffine initially "constricted" them in the first place, then you go into caffine withdrawl your capillaries start to go back to _normal_ (of which you would like to call "overdilation") you get your headache, and *boom*, caffine cures your headache... (call them tension headaches if you want, look up some unbiased research out there, there's plenty of it)

I agree, but define healthy differently.

[still cynical]

Coffee (preferably espresso) is vital to my health. Of course, I'm thinking more along the lines of preventing a subdural hematoma caused by my forehead slamming onto my desk. Coffee is a great preventative for that.

yeah, yeah...

[Boing]

Quick! I haven't had my morning cup of "scientific study that 'proves' what I want to believe". I'm going to be a jittery wreck for the rest of the day if I can't get justification for my ridiculously bad nutritional habits!

Re:yeah, yeah...

[Imperator]

Pssst... check out my new "bacon and eggs" diet. You can eat as much as you want of steak and chocolate and all that good stuff. Just watch out for bread and pasta...

(I swear, it's a scientific diet! Ignore the giant marketing machine that's profiting from it.)

Prejudiced Generalization

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm Italian, and I don't drink coffee. And I certainly don't appreciate a story that portrays us (or technies for that matter) as coffee-swillers.

It's really not good journalism to post material like that guys.

Re:Prejudiced Generalization

[Biotech9]

Generalisations are GENERALLY right. There are ALWAYS exceptions.
I used to work in a cafe, and I learnt quick when an american asks for an espresso he wants a small shot of coffee. When an italian asked for an espresso he wanted the first teaspoon of water out of the machine, which was black as night and as strong as tar.
My GENERAL experience with Italians and coffee is that they like it strong enough to strip paint. Just like GENERALLY Irish prefer tea, or nerds prefer jolt.

Re:Prejudiced Generalization

[fsmunoz]

I'm Italian, and I don't drink coffee. And I certainly don't appreciate a story that portrays us (or technies for that matter) as coffee-swillers.

Dude, the fact remains that in the last Euro statistics I have red Italians were #1 household coffe drinkers ("expresso") and Portuguese were #1 out-of-house coffee drinkers (also "expresso").

Look at it this way: you might not drink coffee, but at least enjoy with the fact that if you did drink it you would be able to drink good one and not some creamed-watered-gigatic-soup-like mess.

Coffee, beer, what's next?

[vijayiyer]

Cool. Coffee is now good for you. Beer (and any other form of alcohol) is good for you. Now I just need to find out bacon is healthy too, and maybe I'll be less likely to get a heart attack!

Relieving headaches

[asit ler]

I've found that post-migrane consumption of coffee helps me out a lot. Perhaps this is an excuse to start drinking the stuff like water.

Dark-roasted coffee is "better" than medium

[csoto]

Don't forget that the longer coffee beans are roasted, any coffee brewed from them will have less caffeine. Of course, darker roasted coffee tends to be more bitter and possibly more acidic (especially true of steam-brewed coffees, such as espresso). But, the tiny bit of acid and tannins in coffee is probably nothing compared to the damage done by caffeine (hey, I'm an addict - I live with it).

E' allora? (And so?)

[twilight30]

Keep in mind that an Italian saying coffee is good for you -- even with the disclaimer that she personally hates it -- only goes so far.

I like it too, and I consume loads here in Italy -- but she has a vested interest in saying that espresso is the best of all types to drink.

Why? Because you really have to try hard to find 'long coffee' or caffe' americano here. It's almost impossible. I remember a year ago watching a French girl flip her lid at some poor barista because he couldn't understand that she wanted the 'long coffee' instead of the syrupy stuff. And she was shouting at him in English, which was most amusing. She'd have had more success using French...

Also, no other nationality fetishises food to the extent the Italians do. I'll leave it there.

Re:E' allora? (And so?)

[DarkSarin]

I spent a couple years in Portugal (though we may have some natives who are more aware of things than I am) and I have seen any number of them who would order an espresso, then dump an equal amount of milk into it.

As far as the study is concerned, I am always suspicious of things like this. It is *not* that coffee is good for you, much like it is *not* the marijuana or the wine that is good for you, but rather that in specific instances, some of the ingredients can be medicinal. For instance, the oft-sited "fact" that wine is good for you, typically fails to mention that it is only red wine, and then its a result of the natural coloring agent. This agent is also found in red grape juice. So its not the wine, its an ingredient thereof.

Similarly, its not coffe itself, but a specific set of ingredients in the coffee. This means that coffee itself may still be more harmful than good (who knows). Personally, I never touch the stuff, and I think it smells nasty (except *some* of the specialty stuff, but that's different).

Someone will probably next study tobacco and find that its also *good* for you, but I don't think most of us are going to buy that.

Always be suspicious of people who do research. I say this as a person currently involved in various types of research.

I RTFA

[chia_monkey]

I read the article and it's just too damn short. "It COULD do this and it COULD do that". "It has anti-oxidants and that's good". Well duh. It also has caffeine which some health nuts say is good for you (raises metabolism, messes with your appetite, gives you energy to work out) and it can be bad for you (making you dependent on it, screwin' with your metabolism, etc). Coffee also supposedly messes with your cortisol levels (which is partly responsible for giving the fat gathering around the waist area).

My point is, you'll see reports say it's healthy, you'll see reports say it's bad for you. I've seen more detailed reports saying it's bad and just a few "well it could be good for you" reports saying it's good.

Shall we discuss if wine is good or bad for us now?

Atkins lovers/Atkins haters = boozers/benefits

[adzoox]

Ya know, a study comes out every other week that something that has been reported bad is now good. Rest assured a story will come out within a week or two - "lawsuit filed against Maxwell House for cancer causing contaminents in coffee - lawyers say, all cofee might be affected."

Same thing as the Atkins Diet - Animal Rights groups didn't like The Atkins Diet - protein = meat - so they put out a bogus study that Atkins died because of Atkins.

Same thing happen with beer/alchohol - one week a study will come out that says beer is bad, next week "binge drinking" is epidemic or drunk driving is on the rise.

When stories are reported like this it should be a requirement for the journalist to cite the sources and the backgrounds of those sources should be published in the footnotes so "true thinkers" can easily pick up on propoganda.

Re:Atkins lovers/Atkins haters = boozers/benefits

[ShawnDoc]

Well, no study came out this week on coffee. This is just a single dietician saying it might be good for you because it contains some potentially beneificial stuff. No studys. No reasearch. Just one person's opinion based on nothing more than, "Well, it has some stuff in it that might be good for you."

Is there any news here?

[Otter]

Perhaps I missed it, but was there any actual finding being reported here? Surely the BBC has more important news to cover than "Italian dietician thinks coffee is healthy in moderation!"?

If not, they can feel free to give me a call and I'll be glad to hold forth on my semi-informed views on all sorts of things.

3 or 4 a day?!!

[pair-a-noyd]

Oh good, I'm in the clear! Wheh!
I usually stop at 3 pots a day myself.

Wait a minute, what's this? CUPS! CUPS!!
Shit! I thought they said POTS!

Damn rtfa stuff again...

Just the smell of coffee gets me goin'

[chia_monkey]

Seriously...if I make coffee or smell it, I can feel the dogs scratchin' at the door and I gotta let them out quick. It's amazing the power of coffee. Anyone else just SMELL the stuff and feel the need to take the browns to the super bowl?

Re:Just the smell of coffee gets me goin'

[Hiro Antagonist]

If you want a real morning of fun, eat a box of Rice-A-Roni for dinner, have a bowl of Fiber One cereal and a cup of coffee for breakfast, and wait about an hour. Do this and you will lose five pounds *and* experience the same sensations as a woman giving birth.

Re:Just the smell of coffee gets me goin'

[Cruciform]

Try drinking it when you have IBS. You practically have to master time travel to make it to the bathroom on time.

As wine also features ...

[burgburgburg]

tannin and antioxidants and many health benefits, is it so wrong of me to mix the two and drink my espresso/wine drink approximately every fifteen minutes from the time I wake up to the time I ...try to go to sleep? Why won't my wife/ex-boss/judge understand I'm doing this for my health?!?

Re:Consider this

[tommten]

I don't want no stinkin' plants living in my body!

Coffee != hot water

[l0wland]

And coffee, dear American /.-readers, is NOT the hot water in which a sole coffeebean did some skinny dipping, like the stuff you regularly tend to find in the US. Order a triple espresso at Starbuck's, and then you might know what coffee should taste like. ;)

So if you want to have the same results in the US, you can easily drink 3 times the amount mentioned in the Italian report.

Re:Coffee != hot water

[Anonymous Coward]

well, I wouldn't get a triple expresso in starbucks. I'm a regular starbucks drinker (twice a day). The starbucks french roast is OK, but it's nothing to scream about. I'd much rather get a real Italian or French roast and just have a good expresso or real latte. All things considered, Starbucks is way better than the alternative. Dunkin Doughnuts for example is more sugar than coffe and is totally horrible. Now new englanders drink that DD coffee is beyond me. Personally, an authentic Vietnamnese ice coffee rocks. Thai ice coffee is good too. That's some really strong and flavorful stuff.

Re:Coffee != hot water

[greygent]

Bitch please! Starbucks is coffee for candy asses. If you want "real" coffee, I suggest you go to a locally-based cafe with baristas who abhor the flavor "double mint caramel candy crunch".

And didn't we just see an opposite view...

[geekpuppySEA]

Who's submitting THIS one, reps from Seattle's Best? (which I despise even worse than starbucks or tully's, BTW.)

(Initial text of the article:)

Coffee-breaks sabotage employees' abilities

18:41 13 February 04 NewScientist.com news service Taking a coffee break at work may actually sabotage employees' ability to do their jobs and undermine teamwork instead of boosting it, suggests new research. Dosing up on caffeine is particularly unhelpful to men, disrupting their emotions and hampering their ability to do certain tasks, suggests a report by psychologists Lindsay St Claire and Peter Rogers at Bristol University in the UK. Many people take coffee breaks at work believing this will reduce their feelings of stress. But theories about the effects of caffeine are conflicting. Some studies suggest caffeine can worsen anxiety and trigger stress, while others show it boosts confidence, alertness and sociability, making certain tasks easier. But this latest report, released by the UK's Economic and Social Research Council on Friday, backs the view that coffee exacerbates stress, especially in men, and makes people less co-operative when working in teams. "Our research findings suggest that the commonplace tea or coffee break might backfire in business situations, particularly where men are concerned," says St Claire. "Far from reducing stress, it might actually make things worse."

Re:Which is your favourite brand?

[Plammox]

Freshly ground coffee in a coffee press is just dynamite!
Pretty much whatever kind of coffee beans you can get is way better than pre-ground coffee, as it loses a lot of its aroma during the grinding/packaging/etc process.
I certainly didn't regret buying that coffee grinder.

Re:Consider this

[colinleroy]

Because you're not a plant?

Re:Is this considered a dupe?

[igrp]

Very true. You might find Coffee Health Myths Explained and Google Cache version of a government study interesting. I guess when it comes to socially-accepted "drugs", there's always a lot of FUD involved.

I overdosed on coffee once

[Zog The Undeniable]

Red face, palpitations, slight paranoia and bizarrely, extreme short-sightedness (I normally have 20-20 vision). Wore off after 3-4 hours but it was scary as hell.

Re:I overdosed on coffee once

[PCM2]

Red face, palpitations, slight paranoia and bizarrely, extreme short-sightedness (I normally have 20-20 vision). Wore off after 3-4 hours but it was scary as hell.

Hell, yes. You guys can brag all you want about the amount of coffee you drink -- and I myself used to down mugs so black the liquid would stain your finger the color of chocolate -- but until you've overdosed on caffeine you don't know what you're talking about when you say "caffeine buzz."

An ex-girlfriend of mine once gave me a couple No-Doz type caffeine pills, because I needed to stay up all night to get some work done. I downed both, not realizing she'd meant me to take one at a time -- or, in her case, a half of one at a time. She said nothing, though gave me a funny look. I, still under the delusion that these things really didn't affect me all that much, proceeded to go home, make myself a pot of black coffee, and down it.

Big mistake.

By four in the morning, I was tweaking like the worst speed come-down you can imagine. My head was spinning. I couldn't see straight. My pulse was racing. Hot flashes. Cold sweats. My hands were shaking like a newborn's. I was shaking, scratching, and wiping at my face like a junkie. And worst of all: the nausea. Extreme nausea, coupled with the inability to vomit (I stuck my finger down my throat repeatedly to make it stop -- nothing doing), that lasted for the next fourteen hours, give or take. As soon as the nausea went away for a time, I'd do something like ... oh, I dunno ... drink a glass of water ... and here it all came again.

Add to this the fact that I had to fly to an all-day business meeting at the home office of a Fortune 500 company that morning, and you can imagine how bad my day sucked.

The whole experience made me gun-shy of caffeine for a long time; as soon as I started feeling those telltale effects that you normally don't even think about, I would freak out and have to start drinking water or something.

The moral: Coffee is good. I still luvs me a good Italian espresso. But remember -- it ain't a contest, fellas.

Body and mind

[pubjames]

Some things are healthy for the body, some things are healthy for the mind, and what's good for the body is not necessarily good for the mind and vice-versa.

For instance, during my finals at university getting blindingly drunk at the weekends was probably very bad for my body, but it really helped my mind. It got rid of the stress and I felt fresh again going back to my study. I'm not joking, I think it really helped.

It's like some people can't function properly unless they've had a coffee or a ciggie. May not be healthy for their body, but it helps their mind function.

Did you see the related articles?

[bobdinkel]

Civet Coffeee--made from coffe beans that have been partially digested and excreted by the Civet (of SARS fame). Read more here. Freaky.

YOU BET ITS A HEALTH DRINK

[coldtone]

Is VERY VERY Healthy for everyONE IN MY OFFICE THAT I GET TO HAVE MY GODDAMN COFFEE, AND DON'T BUG ME TILL (sip) I'm done. Because I'm a much calmer reasonable person after I've had my little cup of happiness.

Scientists Declare 'Nothing Bad For You'

[azaris]

In an unprecedented move today, an international body of scientists declared in a press conference the findings of their latest array of studies. The scientists surprisingly came to a conclusion that they had finally managed to not find anything that is in any way detrimental to your health and stated that people should just live the way they like and not care about potential consequences to their health.

The results of the study have raised some rare disagreements amongst the community of scientists, but the consensus seems to be that all our health and nutrition related problems are over. The board of directors at the tobacco-giant Philip Morris, as well as CEOs of multinational food and beverage corporations such as Pepsi and McDonalds heralded the results as groundbreaking.

When interviewed after the press conference, one of the scientists involved in the study revealed that he had some misgivings about drawing such near-sighted and overtly optimistic conclusions, but also stressed that the benefits of letting people finally do what the fuck they want and slowly kill themselves in the process were much preferred to the endless bickering and whining about whether something is good for you or not. The scientists concluded his statement by saying that: "Every one of us has to leave this world at some point or other", but that "the fat pig over there munching Cheetos is gonna be one of the first ones to go".

Several other scientists were quoted as not giving a fuck about it either.

Re:Scientists Declare 'Nothing Bad For You'

[Shonufftheshogun]

You say that jokingly, but the Bush administration said almost this exact same thing to the United Nations:

"The (U.S. government) favors dietary guidance that focuses on the total diet, promotes the view that all foods can be part of a healthy and balanced diet"

You can read the full article here.

Tea is NOT higher than coffee in caffeine

[Anonymous Coward]

Some Tea's are higher in caffeine than coffee

Please name a type of tea that is higher in caffeine than coffee (per serving or cup, or however you want to define it).

Unless you're suggesting to "brew the Earl Grey a little stronger". In which case, I'll respond, "brew my coffee a little stronger".

Re:Tea is NOT higher than coffee in caffeine

[prgrmr]

I stand corrected

Re:Tea is NOT higher than coffee in caffeine

[xaaronx]

That's actually the proper way to brew any tea. When the tea is confined in a bag or mesh container, the leaves can't "bloom" properly and you won't get a really good cup because some of the compounds won't be released. Also, black teas need to be brewed with water that is still boiling as it is poured over the leaves for proper brewing; green, white, red, and oolongs can be a little cooler i.e. 190-200 degrees F. For a really good cup of tea, invest in a Yixing teapot and use it every day. The porous unglazed clay absorbs the flavor of the tea and over time begins to bring out subtle nuances of the tea, assuming you're using high quality stuff.

Oh and teas can have just as much caffeine as coffee but because of its peculiarities, the form of caffeine in tea is absorbed more slowly and produces a gentler, but more lasting effect. Or so the information available suggests; as someone totally unaffected by caffeine, I wouldn't know. And tea almost certainly has more caffeine than your precious espresso (I like those too). Why? The longer roasting time for dark coffee beans destroys a significant amount of the caffeine in said beans and the short extraction time for espresso doesn't allow a great deal of the caffeine present to be extracted.

Yeah, I'm a geek.

Re:Tea is NOT higher than coffee in caffeine

[orasio]

Hey!!
Mate is not a tea.

Tea is an infusion while mate is a maceration (or whatever you english speaking people call it:)

Meaning that tea is supposed to be prepared with boiling water, in a relatively short time, then drank.

Mate is a cup of wet "yerba mate" leaves, where we pour hot (not boiling) water, and keep drinking and refilling, until it tastes like clear water.

It takes some time learning to prepare it, and to drink it (through the bombilla), because it is very hot, and can be very bitter for example if you use boiling water. The good part is that it can keep you awake all night if you want with no side effects, and it is easy on your stomach and your nerves, compared to coffee (I think it might be because we drink it with so much water).
Everybody in Uruguay* drinks it, specially students, and I am drinking it right now, at an evening coding session (this is the good stuff, 2.5 grams of caffeine per kilogram, just like cofee).

*mate is the traditional beverage of Uruguay, which is the biggest consumer of yerba mate, produced in neighbour country Brazil.
South Brazilians, Argentinians and Paraguayans drink it too, but not massively, and they drink a mellower kind of blend, that I dont think has the stimulating properties of yerba, the preferred brand in Uruguay, that is available in the U.S., mostly in Miami and New York, or wherever you can find a uruguayan.

And it's not tea, it's Mate!!!!!!!!!

Re:Just reading your post is allowing me to

[teamhasnoi]

Just reading your post is enough to have to send the Seals on a night mission, with only the moon for illumination. Or stock the pond with brown trout. Or dunk the Oompa Loompas at the Chocolate factory. Or make like the Cadbury bunny. Or start construction on my underwater theme park. Or bring the kids to the water slide. Or play the tuba backwards. Or eat a Snickers in reverse. Or deliver packages for UP-ass. Or give the pipes something to think about. Or take Billy Ruben to church. Or work my part-time job at Fanny Farmer. Or recreate Pangea. Or...ok thanks, I'm done.

Quoth the article:

[p4ul13]

"It can relieve headaches."

What is left out is the sentence stating that those same headaches were caused by caffine withdrawal.

Off to Dunkin Donuts for my medicine. Anybody want me to pick something up?

Re:Quoth the article:

[pherris]

Off to Dunkin Donuts for my medicine.

Don't forget your health insurance card. FYI, higher copay applies to all filled donuts.

Re:#2 Health benefit

[xploita]

Personal testimony. I did some long haul driving in the past year and thanks to coffee, I managed not to kill a few people.

I'm healthy, they're healthy. Everybody wins.

Further proof: It's 'kicking' for enemas. [I'm told]

Coffee and espresso is fricken great!

[ScottGant]

I love coffee, and espresso is awesome! I drink like 12 big cups of espresso everyday and it's super super super super superrrrrrr....um...what was I saying? WHO CARES! Another sip!

I'm typing this on my treadmill right now while playing my guitar and espresso and coffee and espresso makes this happennnnning for meeeeee.

It givesss me so mucch time to work on thingz tooo since I don't have to worrry about sleeep anymore. I haven't slept since 1983 and looke at me! Alert! Perceptive! Razor sharp!

Have to go, working on my cure for cancer and have a roast in the oven while painting a self-portrait!

And in related news...

[goldspider]

The President's Council on Physical Fitness declared Friday that masturbation can be substituted for a healthy exercise regimine.

Seriously folks, can the news possibly get any better for us Nerds?

Caffeine itself?

[br3itain]

I read the article, but it's a little vague as to whether all the results are attributed to caffeine itself or specifically coffee. As a Diet Coke addict, I'm wondering if any of those benefits are for just caffeine.

Anyway, it's nice to see that coffee is good for your liver. Even more reason that it's the perfect hangover fix -- takes away the headache AND fixes the damage you did to your liver the previous night... :)

details...

[Big Nemo '60]

Found something more from the site of Humanitas Gavazzeni institute:

The article quoted by BBC:
http://www.humanitasalute.it/int_focus.html? id_p=9 45

Another article on similar subjet, from a few months ago:
http://www.humanitasalute.it/int_stilidivita .html? id_p=84

Google translation of the first article (with a bit of editing from me):

Coffee, all the health in three cups

The liver helps, alleviates badly of head is effective against the asthma crises. Defects? Not to misuse of.

Million Italians go crazy for the aroma of the coffee, but they believe features of one bad habit, because often the searches of it put in evidence only the negative characteristics and never those positive ones. Many ignore it but the coffee has also many effects benefits for the health and is one promoted drink to full ballots in food habits, pact not to misuse of and not to exceed the three or four cups to the day.

Some cup to the day, in fact, is to greet for the arteries, for the liver, it helps the line and it alleviates badly of head is that features of expressed, American or prepared coffee with the moka and, moreover, do not have calories practically.

We make the point with Chiara Trombetti , dietologist of Humanitas Gavazzeni of Bergamo.

Which are the benefits of the coffee on the health?
"Coffee" Chiara Trombetti explains "helps to protect the arteries because it contains some elements like the tannin and other polifenoli that have a anti-oxidant power, four times more effective than one cup of green tea. Moreover, he is a friend of the liver because it contributes to prevent of some diseases like the cirrosi hepatic and the biliary calculosis thanks to the diterpeni (kawehol and cafestol), substances that have the ability protect and to reinforce epatociti (the cells of the liver) from the aggressions of these diseases. In particular, it is above all the coffee prepared with the moka and tasted bitter that, sipped after the meal, the liver in the digestion helps. The coffee, then, continues Chiara Trombetti "may help during the asthma crises because caffein has a broncodilatatore effect and reduces, therefore, the strain of respiratory muscles improving the exhaled volume (until quite to two hours after drinking one cup). Finally, to the contrary of what commonly it is believed, the coffee badly alleviates of head thanks to its vasocostrittore power (shrinks is gone blood) and is slightly analgesic. To case in medicinal ones made up of paracetamolo (it does not use you as pain-killers) is contained also caffein.

And is it true that helps also to maintain the shape?
"coffee's caffein" continues Chiara Trombetti "contains a stimulating substance that contributes to accelerate the metabolism immediately rendering the fat people available like energy for physical activity. For this it has an important role in the maintenance of the shape. If, in fact, beyond following a diet a coffee cup is consumed then to fine meal engaging itself for approximately half an hour in the movement, the fat people assumed with their food come burn to you with more facility. Moreover, the coffee does not add calories to the diet because a cup without added milk or sugar does not exceed the two calories.

But a type of coffee is worth another?
"actually is several types of coffee and they are not all equal one" it clears Chiara Trombetti. "espresso it more contains elevated doses of caffein regarding that one prepared with the moka and maintains its beneficial property stable, while in the second they are flown them, therefore, for trarne the advantages, is advisable to drink endured it after to have prepared it. The coffee American , instead, is thought from much less strongly than espresso and 'acquoso'. In truth, it contains the caffein double quantity and it is a valid aid in order to maintain high attention, but the present caffein amount is better not to exceed the two glasies to the seen day. That one d? I luff, t

Not -just- for caffeine withdrawl

[lysium]

Caffeine dialates your blood vessels; that will help stop a headache, which is commonly caused by too much blood trying to circulate through the head. Coffee won't help with, say, eye-strain headaches, but it will help with the sort I mentioned. But put that little bit of caffeine in with a pain-killer.....and you have brand-name Alieve. They put it in there for a reason....

=====--======

Obligatory geek/Dune/coffee quote

[LittleLebowskiUrbanA]

It is by caffeine alone I set my mind in motion,
It is by the beans of Java that thoughts acquire speed,
The hands acquire shaking, the shaking becomes a warning,
It is by caffeine alone I set my mind in motion.

Re:Coffee and espresso is fricken great!

[Solosoft]

What you guys need is the new "Big Tim" cup from Tim Hortons.

This Coffee cup holds an entire pot of coffee and keeps it warm all day long. Also it has a big warning on it NOT TO DRINK FROM IT. But I do anyways. All it looks like is a giant coffee cup. For sure it would be a good gift for the coffee drinkers alike.

Re:Just reading your post is allowing me to

[clem9796]

And my personal favorite, being a techie... I'm going to go download some brownware!

Drinker beware

[Pedrito]

I'm glad they point out that caffeine isn't for everyone. Some of us suffer from anxiety disorders and caffeine is definitely not helpful. I'm fortunate that I don't have an issue with it anymore, but I could some day.

Frankly, tea (black and green) are much better for you than coffee in terms of the anti-oxidants. Tea is loaded with them, with or without caffeine. Tea also has flavonoids which on top of being an anti-oxidant, is also acts as a vasodilator, making the arteries more flexible and less likely to rupture, something important for people with high blood pressure.

And the benefits don't end with cancer and the heart. Tea also makes the bones (and teeth) stronger. In fact, it's been shown to reduce the damage caused by osteoperosis.

So, while I enjoy my occasional cup of coffee, I'll continue to drink my 6-8 cups of tea a day.

Re:Which is your favourite brand?

[panurge]

Illy beans.

Ground in my cast iron hand grinder

Extracted in my Krups espresso machine

As espresso, or as a proper cafe-au-lait (thanks broken /. I18n).

Are people really caffeine addicts? Sometimes I drink the stuff, sometimes I don't, and it makes little difference.

Keep watching on coffe packagers

[Maljin Jolt]

There are basicaly two varieties of coffee on the world market, Robusta and Arabica. Arabica is much higher quality than Robusta.

It is essential for drink quality and final effect to use a 100% Arabica, not a cheaper Arabica-Robusta mix nor plain Robusta. Check your package for note about what variety it's made from, if it does not have any it's just a cheap Robusta.

I use to drink about 6-7 pots daily and 4-5 pots nightly, so really I CAN feel the difference!

Excellent

[supun]

I'll enjoy a healthy pot of java while I enjoy my healthy bucket of KFC!

nope, sorry

[sbma44]

Theobromine occurs in cocoa products, primarily. It's chemically similar to caffeine but is generally considered to produce a "mellower" feeling. It does occur in tea, but in miniscule amounts. Theophylline does occur in tea at larger amounts -- it's also related to caffeine, but again, produces fewer jitters. Its main claim to fame is being used for treatment of asthma. While it does show up in tea, it does so in tiny amounts -- 1 mg vs 50 mg of caffeine (source).

The "tea is different!" confusion generally comes up because caffeine can also be called theine -- it's the same chemical, though. Tea's got a lot of healthy stuff in it, but its stimulant properties work exactly the same way as coffee's -- via caffeine. The only significant difference is the average dosage.

Immortality

[chronus22]

I think that this study, coupled with some other recent research, pretty much conclusively proves that I will live forever.

In addition to RTFA...

[marcello_dl]

... i found Caffeine FAQ which discusses some of the myths typical of any discussion about coffee.

JUST 3 or 4 cups?!?!?!?

[YinYang69]

Dammit, in my job I don't survive without 3 or 4 dozen.

puff piece

[sacrilicious]

There's been a steady stream of research lasting well over a decade that conclusively indicates that coffee is (a) bad for you, and (b) does not have silver linings that begin to compensate for its detriments. The only mitigating factor is one's subjective assessment of the experience of drinking coffee... which is valid, i.e. I think should be taken into account by any given person, but which crosses the line from "medical fact" to "psychosomatic rumor".

Dr Trombetti says she hates the stuff herself - but points to a welter of scientific evidence to back her case.

Hmmm... a "welter" is a "chaotic, jumbled mess" according to webster. Personally I've always preferred my scientific evidence presented in an orderly fashion. Even more, I like double-blind random scientific studies, but they're not even hinted at in this article.

Coffee contains tannin and antioxidants, which are good for the heart and arteries, she says. It can relieve headaches. It is good for the liver - and can help prevent cirrhosis and gallstones. And the caffeine in coffee can reduce the risk of asthma attacks - and help improve circulation within the heart.

I'm sorry to break it to "doctor" Trombetti but these are claims, not evidence. See above comment regarding the absence of scientific studies.

There is no denying that coffee is not for everyone. If you drink too much it can increase nervousness, and cause rapid heartbeat and trembling hands.

Ah, here's the interjected token fact to try to induce readers into a feeling that facts are being recited throughout. Sorry, no sale.

Fact: Coffee may be good for you, it may be bad for you. Fact: Scientifically speaking, this article does nothing to change the preponderance of evidence supporting the latter.

Caffeine Awareness month....

[UNOStudent]

An interesting side note which encourages my growing disdain with my native state. Nebraska's Gov. Johanns recently declared March as "Caffeine Awareness Month" in an effort to promote "awareness, detection and prevention of caffeine addiction in Nebraska....to educate businesses and consumers about the threat of caffeine addiction and to raise awareness about the impact it has on society." Hmm....like PRODUCTIVITY?

www.theindependent.com

I hope someone else finds this as funny as I do.

Nope....

[ericlp]

Not to be mean, but these little fluff science pieces just don't cut it. These days, knowing how the popular media spit out "science" reports without checking it, this item could be junk science for all I know unless I see the hard data including a serious peer review to cross check the findings.

A coffee review on /. ?? You guys are putting me to sleep with dull items like this. I need another cup of coffee.

A Better Article

[Rossome]

"So what's wrong with your coffee habit? How about low energy, extra stress, mineral depletion, exhausted adrenal glands, indigestion, anxiety and mood swings":
Caffeine, Grounds for Concern?

Coffee Quotes & Recipes

[FePe]

• Coffee Quotes
• Coffee Recipes
• More Coffee Recipes

I have tried some of them. They are another good reason for drinking lots of coffee.

Italian Science

[ILL Clinton]

A report by Italian Scientists saying that espresso is good for you reminds me of the report by Italian Scientists saying that pizza is good for you.

Tea has less caffeine, period

[fnj]

"Some Tea's are higher in caffeine than coffee, so you may not be as caffeine-free as you thought."

While it's certainly possible to create a cup of tea and a cup of coffee, with the cup of tea having more caffeine than the cup of coffee, that's not how it works in actual daily life.

Check the Caffeine FAQ

From one list, for 7 oz servings:
Drip coffee = 115-175 mg of caffeine
Espresso = 100
Brewed coffee = 85-135
Instant coffee = 64-100
Brewed tea = 40-60
Instant tea = 30
Iced tea = 41 (i.e., 70 for 12 oz)

Other lists from other sources are there, and they are similar.

Green tea is even lower than black tea. From Stash Tea, we have:

5 oz cup of coffee = 80 mg
One bag of black tea = 40
One bag of green tea = 20

Health wise, green tea r00lz! But black tea is good for variety, and gives benefits as well.

Of course, the amount you actually get depends on how long you brew the tea. I tend to prefer tea brewed for a much briefer time than many people: I like around 2 minutes, and shudder a bit when 5 bits is recommended, let alone when I see people leave the bag in the cup for 10 minutes or more. Yech. When you brew too long, you are adding mostly acid and yucky taste.

Re:Follow the Money?

[maja33]

Eh, scary? Has no one on slashdot been given 'child coffee' or 'coffee wrong' when they were young? (sorry, literal translations from Dutch because I do not know the English terms).

It is exactly the same stuff as described in the article: lots of milk and sugar and little coffee. It is given to childeren (or drank by people with 'immature' taste). No evil effects and/or conspiracies are reported.

some info... sorry not so good

[jasonp1014]

This article seemed to belabour the obvious such as:
If you drink too much it can increase nervousness, and cause rapid heartbeat and trembling hands.

Wow... did not know that.

I happened to watch something more informative but less optimistic about coffee last night on PBS.
This was Dr. Perricone who has a diet book and all that.

There are plenty of reasons not to drink coffee. Coffee (and not necessarily just caffeine) elevates the hormone cortisol. Cortisol is a "stress" hormone that is needed but can do nasty stuff like:

• Raise insulin levels, throwing your blood sugar level out of wack (Insulin and blood sugar is another subject altogether about how it causes obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, etc.)
  
• Cause your body to put on weight around the torso where the fat cells in that region have extra cortisol receptors
  
• Acts as a catabolic agent which breaks down muscle tissue and is damaging to brain cells. In general it acts as a toxic substance at extended high levels
  

Now what is recommended is green tea which is loaded with anti-oxidants, much more than coffee. It also has the caffeine without the cortisol raising effect.

I've been trying to get into green tea but it's just not the same as coffee.
In fact, I'm about to get a cup of joe right now... :P

If it's that addictive it can't be good for you.

Tea vs espresso

[fnj]

"And tea almost certainly has more caffeine than your precious espresso."

The Caffeine FAQ disagrees with you.

Espresso = 100 mg caffeine per 7 oz
Brewed tea = 40-60 mg caffeine per 7 oz

So does Stash Tea.

5 oz cup of coffee = 80 mg
One bag of black tea = 40
One bag of green tea = 20

Re:Coffee and espresso is fricken great!

[murray_420]

The "Big Tim" cup is awesome! It holds 60oz of the most addictive coffee in North America (Tim's) anybody who argues has never experienced Tim's withdrawal(Severe Migraines). Lucky for me I live in the Tim Horton capital of the world, Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada.

You know, it's funny...

[Senjutsu]

how coffee effects different people differently.

It makes you want to do all that, and all it make me want to do is take a crap.

Health benefits from coffee or caffiene

[Precipitous]

Many of the health affects of coffee are not associated with caffeine. Some of the studies haven't separated caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee drinkers. Others that have done so, but noted no difference in benefits between the caffeinated and decaff coffee. The benefits come from other chemicals (sorry, tea drinkers).

Sciam has had very interesting articles about coffee, which get more into the science then this blurb. Sadly, the best one isn't free - so I'll link to the list of coffee articles.

Miscellaneous coffe articles
Lower Diabetes Risk