Most people will consider this good news. When compared to non-coffee drinkers, consumption of up to four cups of coffee have a 29% reduced risk of all-cause mortality over a seven-year period and a 15% reduction in all cardiovascular disease. The highest consumers of coffee are 29% less likely to develop type 2 diabetes compared to non-drinkers (although I do wonder if high consumers are different in other important ways). There is even recent data showing that coffee is associated with a reduced risk of developing both acute and chronic kidney disease.  Most of us love caffeine because we need/want the stimulant benefit that derives from its being an adenosine receptor antagonist. I was surprised to learn that it contains a wide range of polyphenols, plant-derived chemicals that act both as anti-inflammatories and antioxidants. Perhaps the best of all studied in coffee is chlorogenic acid. It’s a potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant also found in peaches and eggplants.

Check out the podcast or the transcript of Coffee Science: A Clinician’s Guide to a Beloved Bean, an interview with Dr. Stephen Devries on the website of the Gaples Institute, a physician-led, educational non-profit organization. Drink a cup of coffee while you do so.

–Caroline

Caroline Fife, M.D.

Dr. Fife is a world renowned wound care physician dedicated to improving patient outcomes through quality driven care. Please visit my blog at CarolineFifeMD.com and my Youtube channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/carolinefifemd/videos