The Italians have it right: drink an espresso every 2 hours (~80 mg caffeine). Plus, it gives you a reason to take a break. And it’s delicious. Wish I could afford one of those high quality express machines!
What is a cup of a coffee? 6 ounces, 8, 12, 16? These studies never say. If you drink four 10 oz cups it is the same as five 8 oz cups.
How about quality? Is the coffee used in that big gulp the same as the good stuff I grind every morning? Does the age/freshness of the coffee used in those convenience stores matter?
My Md brother in law told me about a study (where I got the Italian reference above) that compared how American’s drink the huge caffeine laden “big gulp” and then crash a few hours later compared to the espresso method. Steady vs. rash and burn, and then cravings for anything. I’m a 2-cupper in the am (10 oz) and then maybe a cup or two later in the day if I’m not drinking a good hot tea.
Timing is everything. I just finished reading an article about Christie Brinkley, saying that she drinks 5 cups of coffee per day. So....I'm wondering, if I drink 5 cups of coffee every day, will I look like Christie Brinkley? Lol!
When will a chocolate milk study be done, ha! That’s my once a day morning caffeine intake, followed by a cup of tea. Wish there was a healthier option for my addiction other than coffee. Great news for all the coffee drinkers.
A few years ago, I drank a small cup of expresso in the morning to get my day started right. 6 months later I looked 10 years older and was even more exhausted than before. Evidently I have adrenal problems that were brought to the fore due to the coffee. So no caffeine at all from now on. Darn. Now I love the taste of coffee!
My one big question is how are we measuring “a cup” nowadays? At one time a cup of coffee used to be a 4 oz cup. A measuring cup is 8 ozs. and now, a cup is either small, medium or large, which, as we know, can be as large as 32 ozs. So can that be settled, please?
Sorry to be a Debbie Downer on coffee. Moderation is great but too much (and who knows how too much ever is?) can hurt bone health. I do know that soda pop is harmful to bones as it zaps the calcium out but too much coffee can as well. I am of a "certain age" where this is a BIG deal as once we have bone loss, and at an age where fractures are more likely to occur, healing is more difficult. I take a pill called Boniva to stave off bone loss. Sorry for the lecture but I spend a lot of time on-line trying to circumvent as much as possible the aging process, especially the damaging stuff. P.S. Christie Brinkley has had "work." I know this. She has admitted as much. Not saying she does not live a healthy lifestyle and has a good attitude and good genes, just that she has had some work. In that article on her yesterday, it said she "dabbled" in plastic surgery or something akin to that. I would like a definition of "dabbled." This is not sour grapes on my part. I like how I look or at least have accepted my looks.
A few decades ago, there was an article on Jane Fonda. She was 63 at the time and looked great of course. Next to her was a picture of Irene Ryan (Granny on the Beverly Hillbillies at age 63). Irene had her natural gray hair and probably no make-up on. Very startling to see images of two women at the same age, one aging without help and the other aging with help. I know this sounds snarky and is not becoming for the classy posts that Understandably is known for but JUST ONCE, I would like Christy Brinkley to cut her hair short, get a nice matronly perm, let it go gray (she is gray no doubt) and no makeup and let the Botox out of her system. A lot of pressure would be taken off of us if we did not have pressure like this on some of us.
The size of the "cup", amount of caffeine, type of coffee, and method of brewing, sex of drinkers, all need to be defined by the authors of these studies. Otherwise it is just anecdotal hand waving.
Interesting article. I find that one can find any number of studies to support almost any subject one wants to on the internet - one of its blessings, and curses. As a result, there is a tendency to select those articles that support the point of view of the author. As was mentioned by some of the other commenters, how much is a cup now? Another thing to consider is the amount of caffeine in each cup. As a therapist, I found that drinking "too much" (whatever that might be) caused stress reactions in a number of my clients. A bit of research done at that time, indicated that 300 mg of caffeine could cause a stress reaction. At the time of my clinical work, a "normal" cup of coffee contained 100 mg of caffeine. Following that line of reasoning, more than three cups of coffee could cause a stress reaction in a person, thereby activating the stress response in the person - the famous "flight or fight" response, which has been shown to be harmful to people if there is not some way to eliminate, or decrease the stress response.
The other thing the studies mentioned support is the ever changing findings of science. There is a strong movement today to see science as the final arbiter of almost anything today, yet it wasn't too long ago, 1980s & 1990s that indicated coffee wasn't all that good for a person, especially if one drank too much (whatever that might have been).
Overall, I support the studies, though I haven't looked at them to evaluate how they were done or if the findings were valid taking all things into consideration. However, just the sheer numbers of some of the studies give them a modicum of validity. For myself, I am a coffee drinker and have not found it to be detrimental, at least that I have noticed.
Hopefully it has the benefits suggested by the studies. That would be a real boon for a number of people, anything that helps one avoid strokes, heart attacks and any other ailment is a benefit.
Bill, as you may know (but probably not remember), I'm 93, going on 94 (in less than two months!). When I worked as a computer engineer for 38 years, I drank up to -- most weekdays -- 16 cups of coffee a day. I had free coffee all day, a cup warmer, and a cup never empty on my desk. I was a chain drinker, sipping on average every 1 to 2 minutes or less. Is that why I'm still alive (and kicking)? I have many other healthy habits as well, so I'm not sure. But according to the science you reported, it may have contributed. I gave coffee up about 35 years ago for decaf because I had become addicted. Severe headache if I didn't have a cup in my hand. Now I'm happily back on one cup a day and cautiously loving it. All that may have something to do with my good looks too (except that my great-grandchildren look at me from afar, not wanting to get too close). In any case, I'm happy as a pig in a mud hole.
The Italians have it right: drink an espresso every 2 hours (~80 mg caffeine). Plus, it gives you a reason to take a break. And it’s delicious. Wish I could afford one of those high quality express machines!
What is a cup of a coffee? 6 ounces, 8, 12, 16? These studies never say. If you drink four 10 oz cups it is the same as five 8 oz cups.
How about quality? Is the coffee used in that big gulp the same as the good stuff I grind every morning? Does the age/freshness of the coffee used in those convenience stores matter?
My Md brother in law told me about a study (where I got the Italian reference above) that compared how American’s drink the huge caffeine laden “big gulp” and then crash a few hours later compared to the espresso method. Steady vs. rash and burn, and then cravings for anything. I’m a 2-cupper in the am (10 oz) and then maybe a cup or two later in the day if I’m not drinking a good hot tea.
Poor Mormons.
Timing is everything. I just finished reading an article about Christie Brinkley, saying that she drinks 5 cups of coffee per day. So....I'm wondering, if I drink 5 cups of coffee every day, will I look like Christie Brinkley? Lol!
When will a chocolate milk study be done, ha! That’s my once a day morning caffeine intake, followed by a cup of tea. Wish there was a healthier option for my addiction other than coffee. Great news for all the coffee drinkers.
A few years ago, I drank a small cup of expresso in the morning to get my day started right. 6 months later I looked 10 years older and was even more exhausted than before. Evidently I have adrenal problems that were brought to the fore due to the coffee. So no caffeine at all from now on. Darn. Now I love the taste of coffee!
My one big question is how are we measuring “a cup” nowadays? At one time a cup of coffee used to be a 4 oz cup. A measuring cup is 8 ozs. and now, a cup is either small, medium or large, which, as we know, can be as large as 32 ozs. So can that be settled, please?
Sorry to be a Debbie Downer on coffee. Moderation is great but too much (and who knows how too much ever is?) can hurt bone health. I do know that soda pop is harmful to bones as it zaps the calcium out but too much coffee can as well. I am of a "certain age" where this is a BIG deal as once we have bone loss, and at an age where fractures are more likely to occur, healing is more difficult. I take a pill called Boniva to stave off bone loss. Sorry for the lecture but I spend a lot of time on-line trying to circumvent as much as possible the aging process, especially the damaging stuff. P.S. Christie Brinkley has had "work." I know this. She has admitted as much. Not saying she does not live a healthy lifestyle and has a good attitude and good genes, just that she has had some work. In that article on her yesterday, it said she "dabbled" in plastic surgery or something akin to that. I would like a definition of "dabbled." This is not sour grapes on my part. I like how I look or at least have accepted my looks.
A few decades ago, there was an article on Jane Fonda. She was 63 at the time and looked great of course. Next to her was a picture of Irene Ryan (Granny on the Beverly Hillbillies at age 63). Irene had her natural gray hair and probably no make-up on. Very startling to see images of two women at the same age, one aging without help and the other aging with help. I know this sounds snarky and is not becoming for the classy posts that Understandably is known for but JUST ONCE, I would like Christy Brinkley to cut her hair short, get a nice matronly perm, let it go gray (she is gray no doubt) and no makeup and let the Botox out of her system. A lot of pressure would be taken off of us if we did not have pressure like this on some of us.
The size of the "cup", amount of caffeine, type of coffee, and method of brewing, sex of drinkers, all need to be defined by the authors of these studies. Otherwise it is just anecdotal hand waving.
Interesting article. I find that one can find any number of studies to support almost any subject one wants to on the internet - one of its blessings, and curses. As a result, there is a tendency to select those articles that support the point of view of the author. As was mentioned by some of the other commenters, how much is a cup now? Another thing to consider is the amount of caffeine in each cup. As a therapist, I found that drinking "too much" (whatever that might be) caused stress reactions in a number of my clients. A bit of research done at that time, indicated that 300 mg of caffeine could cause a stress reaction. At the time of my clinical work, a "normal" cup of coffee contained 100 mg of caffeine. Following that line of reasoning, more than three cups of coffee could cause a stress reaction in a person, thereby activating the stress response in the person - the famous "flight or fight" response, which has been shown to be harmful to people if there is not some way to eliminate, or decrease the stress response.
The other thing the studies mentioned support is the ever changing findings of science. There is a strong movement today to see science as the final arbiter of almost anything today, yet it wasn't too long ago, 1980s & 1990s that indicated coffee wasn't all that good for a person, especially if one drank too much (whatever that might have been).
Overall, I support the studies, though I haven't looked at them to evaluate how they were done or if the findings were valid taking all things into consideration. However, just the sheer numbers of some of the studies give them a modicum of validity. For myself, I am a coffee drinker and have not found it to be detrimental, at least that I have noticed.
Hopefully it has the benefits suggested by the studies. That would be a real boon for a number of people, anything that helps one avoid strokes, heart attacks and any other ailment is a benefit.
I like my morning java. Happy to see it's one of the good things I like to drink. I wonder what the skinny is on TEA?
Bill, as you may know (but probably not remember), I'm 93, going on 94 (in less than two months!). When I worked as a computer engineer for 38 years, I drank up to -- most weekdays -- 16 cups of coffee a day. I had free coffee all day, a cup warmer, and a cup never empty on my desk. I was a chain drinker, sipping on average every 1 to 2 minutes or less. Is that why I'm still alive (and kicking)? I have many other healthy habits as well, so I'm not sure. But according to the science you reported, it may have contributed. I gave coffee up about 35 years ago for decaf because I had become addicted. Severe headache if I didn't have a cup in my hand. Now I'm happily back on one cup a day and cautiously loving it. All that may have something to do with my good looks too (except that my great-grandchildren look at me from afar, not wanting to get too close). In any case, I'm happy as a pig in a mud hole.
Wow! With you having so many followers, I'm amazed that you would remember. Says a lot about you -- all good!
Permission to drink coffee?? Yes!!!!!!!!!
Drinking more coffee is a resolution I can get behind and successfully do 365 days a year.