James OKeefe is a cardiologist who specializes in heart disease prevention, a positive guy who often must deliver a downer message.Stop smoking. Careful with the alcohol. Cut back on sugar and starches. Lose weight.Yep, lots of things you like arent good for you. So OKeefe is starting to enjoy this new message: You like coffee? Great. Drink up!For years, doctors worried about coffees stimulant effect, a seemingly bad deal for blood pressure and pulse rate. Logical, right? But the science is concluding otherwise.Its fun to say, You can drink coffee, and probably more is better,  says OKeefe, with St. Lukes Health System.OKeefe and colleagues reviewed some of the latest and largest studies on the health effects of coffee, one of the most widely consumed pharmacologically active beverages across the world. They reported their findings in a recent issue of Missouri Medicine, the journal of the Missouri State Medical Association.Uh-oh. Here we go again. More medical studies that jerk us from one conclusion to its opposite, right?That yo-yo feeling prompted Robert J. Davis, editor of <a href ="http://everwell.com/" target="_blank">everwell.com</a> and author of The Healthy Skeptic, to write a book, released this month, about food health claims.Coffee is the first topic in the first chapter, and his analysis provided the books title, Coffee Is Good for You.Often we only hear about the latest study, or somebody takes one study out of context, says Davis, who looked at more than 60 claims. I wanted to analyze all the evidence. Davis says the science now shows that coffee is not bad for you, and in fact its associated with a lower risk of certain diseases with some caveats.In the case of coffee, enough big studies over several decades make the healthy claims believable, he says.Coffee starts with the beans, of course, which get roasted and ground. Once coffee is brewed, you end up with a cup of hot water and what?Various oils and acids, including caffeine: These are rich sources of antioxidants, which provide a host of health benefits, OKeefe says.Compounds in coffee increase insulin sensitivity and reduce inflammation you want both of these things. And they boost metabolism while delivering no calories. (Yes, this article is about plain coffee, not coffee specialty drinks or even regular coffee loaded with cream and sugar.)While years of research havent completely quieted heart concerns, coffee-drinking appears to be at least neutral in relation to most issues of coronary heart disease and the risks of heart failure and stroke.Caffeine can temporarily boost heart rate and blood pressure, but for most people that doesnt result in long-term increases. And many who feel jittery or anxious when they start drinking caffeinated beverages find that such effects decrease as they get accustomed to the caffeine.Still, some people are very sensitive to caffeine. OKeefe thinks he is, and so he has never been a coffee drinker. But after digesting the data about coffee, he decided to drink more green tea, which has antioxidant benefits and caffeine, although in smaller amounts.The more green tea Ive been drinking, the more Ive gotten acclimated to the caffeine myself, he says.Lots of folks drink coffee because they enjoy it and like the caffeine boost, particularly in the morning. But many endurance athletes and those who run and bike drink coffee for the jolt it provides before they exercise. One study showed that more than two-thirds of about 20,000 Olympic athletes had caffeine in their urine, particularly cyclists and triathletes. (Its legal.)Caffeine apparently increases fatty acids in the bloodstream, which help people run and cycle longer distances. But less was known about how caffeine affects other sports and fitness activities, such as soccer and weightlifting.A recent study from Coventry University in England found that men performing a weight-training regimen were less tired during the routine, could complete more repetitions and were less exhausted later with caffeine before the exercise than without. And a study reported recently in the Journal of Applied Physiology showed that participants in a workout that simulated soccer or basketball performed 16 percent better with caffeine.

KansasCity.com

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Health | Enjoy that morning cup (or more) of joe

The many health perks of coffee

Caffeine can lower the risk of some diseases, help with weight loss and boost workouts, a growing amount of research shows.

By EDWARD M. EVELD

The Kansas City Star

Coffee is good for you, doctors now say.

A cup of prevention

Here are several benefits, documented in large multiyear studies, that most impress cardiologist James O’Keefe and others.

• Moderate weight reduction. That’s due to the metabolic boost, plus a lot of people drink coffee as a substitute for beverages with calories.

“A big part of what I like about coffee is it has no calories,” O’Keefe says. “Clearly, the increased consumption of sugary and high-calorie beverages is playing a major role in the obesity epidemic.”

• Prevention or delay of Type 2 diabetes. Coffee-drinking, even fewer than two cups a day, was associated with a reduced risk of Type 2 diabetes, and four to six cups a day resulted in a “significantly reduced” risk. Decaffeinated coffee offered some risk reduction.

It could be the chlorogenic acid in coffee that’s responsible for improving glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity, O’Keefe says. (Better insulin sensitivity means lower blood sugar levels.)

• Lower risk of several neurological problems, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, dementia and depression.

In several studies tracking neurologic effects, caffeine in coffee seemed to be one of the important ingredients. Increased caffeine was related to lower Parkinson’s risk. Three to five cups of coffee a day for middle-aged study participants was associated with a 65 percent decrease in the risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia.

Authors of a recent study of more than 50,000 women concluded that the risk of depression decreased with an increase in caffeinated coffee drinking. “This is the scientific data that’s the most compelling and fascinating to me,” O’Keefe says.

Proper dosage

Scientists warn that too much caffeine could have unintended effects. Besides jitters, anxiety and stomach upset — which may abate over time — consider these cautions:

• Caffeine is habit-forming. Once your system is used to a certain amount, it will react when deprived. A bad headache is the chief symptom. Others include irritability and lethargy.

• It can cause sleep loss. Caffeine can take many hours to metabolize, O’Keefe says, so even an early afternoon cup can disturb sleep that night. Throttle back as the day goes on.

• Caffeine has been associated with calcium loss, so make sure your diet includes enough calcium.

• Pregnant women are advised to limit caffeine, as in a cup or two a day. And other food and drinks contain caffeine, including chocolate and some sodas.

More information

See Monday’s FYI for heart-healthy lifestyle tips.

More News

James O’Keefe is a cardiologist who specializes in heart disease prevention, a positive guy who often must deliver a downer message.

Stop smoking. Careful with the alcohol. Cut back on sugar and starches. Lose weight.

Yep, lots of things you like aren’t good for you. So O’Keefe is starting to enjoy this new message: You like coffee? Great. Drink up!

For years, doctors worried about coffee’s stimulant effect, a seemingly bad deal for blood pressure and pulse rate. Logical, right? But the science is concluding otherwise.

“It’s fun to say, ‘You can drink coffee, and probably more is better,’ ” says O’Keefe, with St. Luke’s Health System.

O’Keefe and colleagues reviewed some of the latest and largest studies on the health effects of coffee, “one of the most widely consumed pharmacologically active beverages across the world.” They reported their findings in a recent issue of Missouri Medicine, the journal of the Missouri State Medical Association.

Uh-oh. Here we go again. More medical studies that jerk us from one conclusion to its opposite, right?

That yo-yo feeling prompted Robert J. Davis, editor of everwell.com and author of “The Healthy Skeptic,” to write a book, released this month, about food health claims.

Coffee is the first topic in the first chapter, and his analysis provided the book’s title, “Coffee Is Good for You.”

“Often we only hear about the latest study, or somebody takes one study out of context,” says Davis, who looked at more than 60 claims. “I wanted to analyze all the evidence.”

Davis says the science now shows that coffee is not bad for you, and in fact it’s associated with a lower risk of certain diseases — with some caveats.

“In the case of coffee, enough big studies over several decades make the healthy claims believable,” he says.

Coffee starts with the beans, of course, which get roasted and ground. Once coffee is brewed, you end up with a cup of hot water — and what?

Various oils and acids, including caffeine: These are rich sources of antioxidants, which provide a host of health benefits, O’Keefe says.

Compounds in coffee increase insulin sensitivity and reduce inflammation — you want both of these things. And they boost metabolism while delivering no calories. (Yes, this article is about plain coffee, not coffee specialty drinks or even regular coffee loaded with cream and sugar.)

While years of research haven’t completely quieted heart concerns, coffee-drinking appears to be at least neutral in relation to most issues of coronary heart disease and the risks of heart failure and stroke.

Caffeine can temporarily boost heart rate and blood pressure, but for most people that doesn’t result in long-term increases. And many who feel jittery or anxious when they start drinking caffeinated beverages find that such effects decrease as they get accustomed to the caffeine.

Still, some people are very sensitive to caffeine. O’Keefe thinks he is, and so he has never been a coffee drinker. But after digesting the data about coffee, he decided to drink more green tea, which has antioxidant benefits and caffeine, although in smaller amounts.

“The more green tea I’ve been drinking, the more I’ve gotten acclimated to the caffeine myself,” he says.

Lots of folks drink coffee because they enjoy it and like the caffeine boost, particularly in the morning. But many endurance athletes and those who run and bike drink coffee for the jolt it provides before they exercise. One study showed that more than two-thirds of about 20,000 Olympic athletes had caffeine in their urine, particularly cyclists and triathletes. (It’s legal.)

Caffeine apparently increases fatty acids in the bloodstream, which help people run and cycle longer distances. But less was known about how caffeine affects other sports and fitness activities, such as soccer and weightlifting.

A recent study from Coventry University in England found that men performing a weight-training regimen were less tired during the routine, could complete more repetitions and were less exhausted later with caffeine before the exercise than without.

And a study reported recently in the Journal of Applied Physiology showed that participants in a workout that simulated soccer or basketball performed 16 percent better with caffeine.