stay healthy...live well! Your guide to research that matters and solutions that work.

Enjoy it in moderation. Most of the negative effects of coffee, which include agitation, insomnia, and accelerated bone loss in post-menopausal women, are only apparent with high consumption (more than 3-4 cups a day).

Limit coffee intake during pregnancy. High consumption of caffeine, especially from coffee, during pregnancy has been linked to an increased risk of miscarriage or fetal growth retardation, especially in male babies.

Choose organic coffee. Because coffee plants are particularly susceptible to damage from insects and disease, many growers spray their crops heavily with pesticides and other dangerous chemicals. Organically grown coffee is grown without harmful chemicals, which not only protects you from ingesting poisons, it also protects the soil, water, animals, and people that live where the coffee is grown. If you can’t locate a good source of certified organic coffee near you, try Cafe Avion (www.cafeavion.com), a mail order supplier of organic, free-trade coffees.

For years, coffee has been getting a bad rap from the medical profession. Countless people have given up coffee because of its alleged health hazards. It has been blamed for causing high blood pressure, heart disease, benign breast lumps, ulcers, colon, bladder and pancreatic cancers, rheumatoid arthritis, and osteoporosis. Much of this, however, was based on traditional assumptions and incomplete evidence.

For example, some of the negative effects that were associated with coffee turned out to be the result of other lifestyle habits. Apparently, some researchers forgot to take into consideration that coffee drinkers are more likely to smoke and/or drink alcohol. (Arch Intern Med. 2000)

A recent review of the latest medical literature conducted by Randall Wilkinson, M.D., finds that most of the alleged hazards of coffee drinking have been disproven. What’s more, moderate consumption (2-4 cups per day) appears to have significant benefits, including improved memory, and a reduced risk of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. If you are missing out on your morning cup because of the supposed hazards of coffee, you may wish to reconsider based on the actual facts.

A 2005 study found that “In contrast to early studies, recent research indicates that habitual moderate coffee intake does not represent a health hazard and may even be associated with beneficial effects on cardiovascular health…In fact, no clear association between coffee and the risk of high blood pressure, heart attack or other cardiovascular diseases has been demonstrated.” (Prog Cardiovasc Nurs. 2005) Coffee intake also does not increase your risk of rheumatoid arthritis (J Rheumatol 2005), cancer (Int J Cancer. 2005), ulcers (Int J Epidemiol. 2002), or indigestion (Am J Gastroenterol. 2000).

On the other hand, a large Canadian study found that coffee consumption reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s disease (Am J Epidemiol. 2002). People who drink coffee also have a significantly lower risk of Parkinson’s disease, although the protective benefit of coffee was not seen in women taking hormone replacement therapy (Am J Epidemiol. 2004). And a review of recent research finds that “habitual coffee consumption is associated with a substantially lower risk of type 2 diabetes” (JAMA 2005).

THE BOTTOM LINE: The latest research indicates that moderate coffee consumption poses few if any serious health risks and offers neuroprotective benefits.