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More Consensus on Coffee’s Benefits Than You Might Think

nytimes.com

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Re: More Consensus on Coffee’s Benefits Than You Might Think

#11

Post by erikb »

Kurtz79 wrote: post #3
mariusz79 wrote: post #2

It's a drug. It's full of harmful chemicals because of the way it's processed. It affects mind and body, often negatively. But it's great money maker so we will be hearing more about its "benefits" in a near future.

Also tobacco and alcohol are big moneymakers, but there is a large consensus about their negative effects, and that's why their use (or abuse) is discouraged, by doctors and governments alike. So either: - The coffee "lobby" is more effective than the tobacco and alcohol lobbies. - Maybe all drugs cannot be dumped in the same bin, and we should treat them case by case, critically.

The consensus wasn't always focussed on tobaccos/alcohols disadvantages though. If you watch movies about the US's 60s you'll see doctors advising their patients to smoke more.

Re: More Consensus on Coffee’s Benefits Than You Might Think

#12

Post by snissn »

mariusz79 wrote: post #2

It's a drug. It's full of harmful chemicals because of the way it's processed. It affects mind and body, often negatively. But it's great money maker so we will be hearing more about its "benefits" in a near future.

> It's full of harmful chemicals because of the way it's processed.

Like which chemicals?

Re: More Consensus on Coffee’s Benefits Than You Might Think

#13

Post by gadders »

anu7df wrote: post #8

This is all well and good. I drink my locally roasted, manual ground, aeropress brewed coffee for pleasure and taste. Everything else.. meh.. Actually most/all coffee lovers I know drink coffee because they like it, not because they expect a lot of health benefits from it. But... good to know..

I use it as a caffeine delivery system primarily.

Re: More Consensus on Coffee’s Benefits Than You Might Think

#14

Post by pennaMan »

mariusz79 wrote: post #2

It's a drug. It's full of harmful chemicals because of the way it's processed. It affects mind and body, often negatively. But it's great money maker so we will be hearing more about its "benefits" in a near future.

Do you have any evidence for your claims?

Re: More Consensus on Coffee’s Benefits Than You Might Think

#15

Post by Diederich »

For some people with GERD, coffee is very bad for them. My wife switched from coffee to tea for this reason. Tea is pretty fabulous for her, and I gather there's at least some documented health benefits on that front as well.

Edit: GERD = http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gastroesophageal_reflux_disease

Second Edit: To be clear: I agree with the parent article, I think coffee is close to harmless for MOST people, and very well might have some positives.

Re: More Consensus on Coffee’s Benefits Than You Might Think

#16

Post by mseebach »

erikb wrote: post #10
MrJagil wrote: post #4

Coffee itself might not have anything to do with it; rather, coffee follows a certain lifestyle which is healthier than that of non-drinkers. I.e. it is perhaps quite good for you to get up every morning at 9am and go to work. Active lifestyle, continuous stimuli etc. Coffee just so happens to be very ingrained in that culture. It might not be the actual chemicals and nutrients of coffee that helps you, but the fact…

I'd argue that coffee is connected to a rather unhealthy lifestyle of sitting in an office chair the whole day, eating unhealthy fast-/restaurant food instead of cooking for yourself, working long hours instead of a regular 7 to 5 schedule etc.

I'd argue that you're both middle-browing the f* out of an article that actually quotes several actual scientific studies.

Re: More Consensus on Coffee’s Benefits Than You Might Think

#18

Post by jwcooper »

erikb wrote: post #10
MrJagil wrote: post #4

Coffee itself might not have anything to do with it; rather, coffee follows a certain lifestyle which is healthier than that of non-drinkers. I.e. it is perhaps quite good for you to get up every morning at 9am and go to work. Active lifestyle, continuous stimuli etc. Coffee just so happens to be very ingrained in that culture. It might not be the actual chemicals and nutrients of coffee that helps you, but the fact…

I'd argue that coffee is connected to a rather unhealthy lifestyle of sitting in an office chair the whole day, eating unhealthy fast-/restaurant food instead of cooking for yourself, working long hours instead of a regular 7 to 5 schedule etc.

Coffee is ingrained into the culture of many professions, far beyond just office jobs.

Nursing, landscaping, utility work, construction, you name it...it's a great way to kickstart the body when having to get up at 5am or, stay awake during an overnight shift serving tables at a restaurant.

Re: More Consensus on Coffee’s Benefits Than You Might Think

#19

Post by wimagguc »

MrJagil wrote: post #4

Coffee itself might not have anything to do with it; rather, coffee follows a certain lifestyle which is healthier than that of non-drinkers. I.e. it is perhaps quite good for you to get up every morning at 9am and go to work. Active lifestyle, continuous stimuli etc. Coffee just so happens to be very ingrained in that culture. It might not be the actual chemicals and nutrients of coffee that helps you, but the fact…

Quite some research in rodents supports the statement. That would suggest that coffee works without the typical lifestyle choices, at least unless coffee-high rats are programming till the sun comes up.

(A Scientific American article about a similar research from last year: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/coffee-and-tea-may...)

My two cents is in keeping my daily coffee - and leave the causation vs. correlation debate for later.

Re: More Consensus on Coffee’s Benefits Than You Might Think

#20

Post by a3n »

drcube wrote: post #9
mariusz79 wrote: post #2

It's a drug. It's full of harmful chemicals because of the way it's processed. It affects mind and body, often negatively. But it's great money maker so we will be hearing more about its "benefits" in a near future.

What harmful chemicals are those, exactly?

Surprisingly few. I would have expected anything arriving in US stores at an industrial level would have suffered from industrial levels of processing and storage-related chemicals, but a quick skim of wikipedia reveals essentially none. Huh.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffee_production

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffee_production

Ethyl acetate is sometimes used in decaffeination.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decaffeination#Solvents_used_i...

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