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Our weekly news column bringing the most current, non-biased health
information to the consumer. |
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November 18, 2008 |
A Publication of QVHD |
Coffee or Tea?
By: V. Deborah Culligan, RN, MPH,
Deputy Director QVHD
"Coffee is bad. No, wait a
minute, it might be good. On second thought it is neither bad nor good
for you. So give me tea. But it has to be green tea or it isn't going to
benefit my health. What's that? Black tea may be better? Oh bother! I'll
just have hot water!”
Confused? Well, you should be. For many years, nutritionists and other
scientists have tried to “prove” that coffee is bad for you and tea
(mostly green) is good for you. After all, caffeine is a drug. But newer
studies are showing coffee may actually be beneficial to health. And tea
doesn't necessarily have to be green to benefit your health. There are
numerous studies and articles on these two popular beverages. Here are
some highlights for you to consider:
Coffee: Recent studies have identified potential benefits of coffee.
Some of these potential benefits include: a lower risk of heart attack
and stroke, especially in women; better blood-sugar control; a lower
risk of Parkinson's disease; a lower risk of gallstones; improved
alertness and reaction time (but not for complex reasoning or memory);
ability to help the body burn fat instead of carbohydrates and blunt the
perception of pain, which in turn can boost endurance; and it can help
to decrease headache pain with the occasional-type of headache (not
migraines.) Coffee sounds great, so why not drink lots and lots of it?
There is also a downside to coffee as noted by researchers.
For example, too much coffee can interfere with sleep, which can have a
serious impact on certain health conditions and general safety. Caffeine
may also decrease fertility and increase the rate of miscarriage.
Caffeine may weaken bones, increase the risk of kidney stones, cause
heartburn or other stomach problems and interfere with certain drugs.
Caffeine does not sober people up, contrary to popular belief. Caffeine
may make migraine headache syndromes worse. There is not enough evidence
to rule for or against caffeine as a cause for birth defects which is
why pregnant women are advised to avoid caffeine-containing food and
drugs, if possible or consume them sparingly.
So it seems like coffee may be a good thing when used in moderate
amounts for most people. Or at least doesn't seem to be harmful, when
used in moderate amounts. However, you need to keep in mind that the
amount of caffeine always makes a difference as it would with huge
amounts of any ingredient. Caffeine is a drug and can lead to a physical
dependence. (Ask any coffee drinker who misses their morning dose!) And
caffeine is not just found in coffee. It is also found in soft drinks,
energy drinks, candy bars, hot cereal, gum, chips, jelly beans and other
food items.
Tea: Black tea appears that it may be associated with a lower risk of
Parkinson's. This lower risk does not seem to occur with green tea, nor
is it thought to be due to the caffeine in tea. The mechanism that
causes this lowered risk is not understood at this time. However, while
it was initially believed that there were many health benefits that were
attributable to tea (especially green tea) the studies that have been
conducted have been very disappointing. Basically, tea does not appear
to lower risk of heart disease or cancer in humans, nor does it promote
weight loss. Tea extracts may lead to some substantial decreases in
disease, but they have not been adequately studied in humans.
If you enjoy hot beverages such as tea and coffee, you should continue
to drink them. However, be wary of marketing claims that really push
“health benefits” as a reason to drink them. There may be some benefits,
as noted in this article, but it is too soon to be conclusive. The good
news, however, is that we can enjoy our coffee and not feel guilty!
District residents can get free reprints of articles on this topic by
calling QVHD, 248-4528 or request on line,
www.qvhd.org .
| An Ounce of Prevention is a
publication of the Quinnipiack Valley Health District, located at
1151 Hartford Turnpike, North Haven, CT 06473. Telephone:
248-4528. An Ounce of Prevention is
written by V. Deborah Culligan. The articles are published in the following local newspapers, The Advisor &
Beth-Wood News.
The content is provided as health education and
information to help you make health decisions. It is not intended to
be legal or medical advice, or substitute for recommendations made
by your health care provider. Address all comments to the district
office. |
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