The Truth About Coffee

Good For You? Bad For You? Dr. Holly Phillips Addresses Myth And Reality

(CBS)  Nothing like the smell of coffee to start off the day!

With so many studies out there about coffee, it's hard to remember whether our morning cup of Joe does the body any good -- or harm.

On The Early Show Monday, Dr. Holly Phillips of CBS station WCBS-TV in New York went through some commonly-circulated beliefs about the health effects of one of the nation's most popular beverages.

IS COFFEE GOOD FOR YOU?

Well, I would have to say, all things in moderation. There do definitely seem to be some health benefits. The more we're learning, research is leaning on the side of it being good for you. It lowers the risk of Parkinson's disease and Type 2 diabetes. It mediates depression. But the benefits are dose-related.

SHOULD CHILDREN BE DRINKING COFFEE?

It's better to limit their caffeine intake. They'll get caffeine in other things -- chocolate, sodas, but particularly in kids, it's linked to attention problems and hyperactivity, so it's better to avoid it.

COFFEE IS DEHYDRATING. TRUE OR FALSE?

It depends on the dose. We think of coffee as a diuretic. But recent studies have shown it's only a diuretic at high doses -- above 575 milligrams. Have some water if you exceed that amount.

HOW MUCH IS THAT?

575 milligrams is a little less than three cups of coffee, but that's three regular size cups. But we have to remember the cups we have nowadays are big cups. So, it's easy to have more than 575 milligrams.

COFFEE INCREASES HYPERTENSION. TRUE OR FALSE?

Coffee does increase your blood pressure, but only for a few minutes. What's interesting is that recent studies show it doesn't increase your likelihood of getting hypertension. I would caution that anyone who has high blood pressure that's not under control should avoid caffeine.

COFFEE HELPS WEIGHT LOSS

Unfortunately, this doesn't work. Caffeine does speed up your metabolism for awhile but, in long-term studies, people who drank coffee had no better weight control than people who didn't.

DOES COFFEE ACCELERATE BONE LOSS?

This one is a little controversial. It doesn't make our body lose more calcium or lose calcium from the bones, but some studies have shown coffee drinkers do have more brittle bones. I suggest all of my patients, especially women, supplement with a calcium supplement or, if you're going to have a great deal of coffee, make sure you put some milk in your coffee.

[missingamerica]

Q: Does coffee cure a hangover?

A: If it does, you way need to tell me what bean you are grinding.

[mswolfestock]

I wouldn''t care if coffee made me grow another head - I need my two big mugs of coffee every morning with real sugar and fat-free Coffee Mate. Milk is for your cereal. Over time you might lose a pound or two when you switch to fat-free creamers.

Post-menopausal women - get a bone scan, take calcium supplements, and limit your caffein intake to two cups of coffee a day. Get rid of any other sources of caffein - switch to caffein-free cola - it actually tastes better. Better yet, eliminate all sodas - they are bad for your kidneys.

[cwbrileyiii]

Please stop equating ''coffee'' and ''caffeine''. Yes, I started drinking caffeinated coffee - when I was less than a year old. And I drank it for about 40 years, primarily because that was the only kind, or the easiest to find. But for the last 20 years, I''ve had the good sense to drink decaf. I weaned myself off caffeine and now drink decaf coffee, tea and the occasional soda. I just had to endure about 8 days of horrible, incapacitating, 24-hours/day caffeine-withdrawal headaches. So this article does me little good because it''s assuming that all the readers drink - and think about - caffeinated coffee. Some of us are wiser.

[mydiatribe]

Ain''t givin'' up my Jo for NO body! No how!
If I die, I die, so be it

[davidy007]

Ain''''t givin'''' up my Jo for NO body! No how!
If I die, I die, so be it


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by mydiatribe at 12:37 PM : Aug 18, 2008


LOL...You said it Mydiatribe! I don''t care if they told me I would grow a second head...I am not giving up the da java!!!

[sharednotion]

The article says that kids'' caffeine intake should be limited, and that, since they''ll get some caffeine from sodas and chocolate, then it''s better if they avoid coffee. But, what about those caffeine-rich "energy drinks" that seem to be a fad with some teens? Would one morning cup of coffee be so bad, or is it largely that we tend to THINK of coffee as a "grown-up drink"?

[credibility2]

To diatreme: Coffee, as a beverage, has been around for centuries as has been tea, although it also contains caffeine, but in much smaller amounts. Some people detest both and prefer sugar-laden soda or sports'' drinks.

[kawosa]

The medical profession? Better to avoid this than the coffee. Anyway, give them another 2 years and they''ll tell you to drink it profusely. When will we learn to ignore these idiots and go with the old saying, like don''t drink coffee before your an adult because it will stunt you growth. Nuff said....

[dakotaclark]

Hmmm...

Coffee exacerbates the symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Many people have undiagnosed or untreated PTSD, and drinking coffee can make their mental condition worse.

Withdrawal from coffee produces intense headaches.

Yes, how can something smell so good but taste so bad. Coffee hawkers like Starbucks do not realize that strong coffee does not translate to good tasting coffee.

Why bother writing an article about this topic without providing FULL DISCLOSURE about other medical side effects... ? !

[rf35]

I think any discussion about caffine is incomplete without mentioning those so-called energy drinks. The "energy" is just the effect of large amounts of caffine, more than you find in coffee, and lots of sugar and/or HFCS. They also lack the anti-oxidants found in coffee. If you''re talking about caffine, don''t forget these!

[rf35]

MyOpinion1,
What''s wrong with Cheetos? I''m having some right now with my Diet Pepsi.

[gop_forever]

Coffee is the drink of Satan. It should never pass hristian lips.

[jennmarikp]

Good or bad, hot or cold . . . I love my coffee!

[walkshe]

If you really want to know what''s bad for us, read a little paper called "The Oiling of America" and see how the food industries, the pharmacies and the government all con us into believing whatever they want us to believe. (It doesn''t mention coffee, however, but none-the-less, it''s a VERY interesting article on our eating habits).

[republic1776]

Coffee, Cigarette''s and the Internet is all I need...

[usclimey]

What MORONS are giving their children SODA? Are they out of their minds? Talk about bad parenting. Diet sodas are no better. They increase hunger. Parents who give soda probably give their kids cheetos to eat too. Unreal. Try giving your children fresh fruit. What MORONS are giving their children SODA? Are they out of their minds? Talk about bad parenting. Diet sodas are no better. They increase hunger. Parents who give soda probably give their kids cheetos to eat too. Unreal. Try giving your children fresh fruit. They jump up and down with glee when I get home from the produce market. Any treats here are home made, baked and limited. Same goes with coffee. I have one cup, period. What is wrong with people giving their children a glass of HFCS.

Posted by MyOpinion1

My 12 year-old shoplifts broccoli crowns from supermarkets, eats strawberries by the punnet, and loves bananas. He also drinks water by the gallon, four caffeine/sugar free sodas a day and eats Cheerios. He''s also skinny as a rake. I''ve always found that there''s no correct way to be a parent, just an infinite number of wrong ones.

[dan_shields-2009]

Pepsi is so good!

[ernceesbs]

Comments gone with registration...

[malali87]

Hello, my name is Maria, I''m from Argentina, but I always log in here because I found some very interesting articles. About this one, let''s say that as all the food in general, is good to eat it, but of course with moderation. It is very important to incorporate fresh fruits and vegetables to the daily diet.

[erb0087]

"Coffee is the drink of Satan. It should never pass hristian lips."
Posted by GOP_forever at 01:45 PM : Aug 18, 2008
====================

I never knew a hristian who wasn''t addicted to the stuff.

[ernceesbs]

Comments gone with registration...Coffee GOOD!

[davewrite1]

I''ve drunk coffee by the gallon most of my adult life. At 68, I''m still trim and strong and am always mistaken for being 10 years younger. So how bad can it be?

[ml1474]

This is not about coffee, it''s about caffeine. Coffee can be decaf you know.

[rushlimpdrug]

Hello, my name is Maria, I''''m from Argentina, but I always log in here because I found some very interesting articles. About this one, let''''s say that as all the food in general, is good to eat it, but of course with moderation. It is very important to incorporate fresh fruits and vegetables to the daily diet.
Posted by malali87 at 04:37 PM

Maria, do everyone a favor, stay in Argentina.
If you are eating coffe, well just chew it well.

Back to the story, I''d like to ask the good doctor:

1. Does coffee stain teeth?

2. Are coffee beans better baked or fried?

3. If a person eats a bowl of baked coffee beans,
what will the pharts smell like, burned coffee?

[lovesamerica]

bad parenting? you are proud your child shoplifts broccoli from the grocery store?hmmmm

[sociald63]

i quit drinking coffee - i heard that it shrinks a man''s pee-pee and makes women less hor-ny

[demwatcher]

I DRINK COFFEE EVERYDAY AND IT DOESN''T AFFECT ME ONE BIT OR IMPAIR MY ABILITY TO DRIVE HEAVY MACHINERY THROUGH CROWDED STREETS DURING RUSH HOUR AND WHEN I DRINK A LOT IT MAKES ME FUNNY EVEN THOUGH IT MAKES ME NEED TO PEE A LOT I DON''T MIND COFFEE STAINS BUT THEY REALLY BOTHER MY WIFE WHO ALSO LIKES COFFEE BUT NOT AS MUCH AS I LIKE COFFEE AND IF EVERYONE DRANK COFFEE THE WORLD WOULD MOVE MUCH FASTER AND WE COULD ALL GET TO WORK ON TIME AND THE BOSS WOULD NOT BE SO DULL DURING BOARD MEETINGS AND HE CAN RIDE HIS BIKE TO WORK WHILE I DRIVE THE HEAVY MACHINERY DID I MENTION THAT I LIKE COFFEE BECAUSE IF I DID NOT SAY IT I REALLY WANTED TO AND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

[sistatee-2009]

I drink coffee at work to cover the smell of El Capitan Morgonne, my one and only hero.

[lovesamerica]

forgot to breath!!!!

[donnie10007]

Geez, I just pulled a great big booger out of my left nostril.

[closethippy1]

Expresso coffee is like liquid cocaine: 2 or 3 shots of it and I''m A-OK!!!

[gmond]

pharts? CBS won''t allow farts to be written here either?

[gmond]

Oh, I see, farts - ok, gay or *** - still no-no''s.

[gmond]

Ah, now gay is ok also.

[tothestars2]

My God! I have type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure, what do I do? I drink 5 6oz cups in the morning then 4 6oz cups in the evening. Should I drink 3 or 4 12oz cups of water in between. What is a regular size cup? Good grief people, drink what you want, it''s your body and you only live once.

[adfolder]

When I get a craving for something sweet, I drink a cup of black coffee which usually help kill it. Does coffee help weight control? In my case, yes.

[rwsmith29456]

Which philosopher was it that said, when told that coffee was slow poison replied, "It must be, for I''ve been drinking it for 80 years and I''m not dead yet."??

[raskal_2]

... I don''t smoke p-o-t, I don''t drink, I think anything white is a fright and refuse to smoke, snort or inject any of it. I refuse medically recommended narcotics, and I can no longer smoke a cigarette anywhere comfortable. All I have left is coffee shops and my computer. Come on, leave the coffee alone of somebody might get morale and pass some stupid law like you can''t use a computer and drink coffee within 200 feet of each other, jeeze golly..

[omnibus66]

Love my coffee, and don''t give me any of that formaldehyde treated decaf poison. The real thing only, black and strong. Mmmmmm!

[tootall10142]

www. what is in your milk .com read this and then ask yourself do i want my kids drinking this stuff? this information will make coffe look like a vitamin drink. Yes milk is homogenized to 186.6 degrees then cold stopped through cold filtering. Really at this point it is 92% cooked and cooled straight fat.

[swagvalance]

Let me get this straight. 50 years ago with the primitive science and medical knowledge we had, we were able to nail cigarettes as a killer.

Now add 50 more years of medical research and technology, weekly studies reporting conflicting facts over and over again, 1,000 years of epidemiological evidence of humans consuming coffee throughout history, and we still don''t have a medical clue?

This suggests either gross incompetence or deliberate deception. I am siding with the latter. If it''s been so inconclusive by now, any further research is a waste of money and a waste of consumer attention.

Sounds to me like both media publishers and research grant underwriters alike are addicted to ready-made readership in keeping this fake controversy alive when coffee is basically irrelevant to your health.

[amberfoxfour]

LOL, Whats the truth "today" will usually turn out to be "fiction" tomorrow!

RD
www.FireMe.To/udi

[mac4440]

Idiots.....Milk have been proven to be a good wholesome source of nutrition,with all kinds of benefits, no scientific proof otherwise, and you go to some obscure website and take that as the gospel truth.

[cfin5]

Think of the amount of lives it has saved over the years helping folks stay alert on the road,......works for me with just that benefit.

[oleander8]

Someday there is going to be a study that the public really needs to take seriously...and there will be no one listening because it will just be the kid crying ''wolf''.

[udontnoitall]

6 pages on a coffee study? Really?

[pat1967-2009]

I DRINK COFFEE EVERYDAY AND IT DOESN''''T AFFECT ME ONE BIT OR IMPAIR MY ABILITY TO DRIVE HEAVY MACHINERY THROUGH CROWDED STREETS DURING RUSH HOUR AND WHEN I DRINK A LOT IT MAKES ME FUNNY EVEN THOUGH IT MAKES ME NEED TO PEE A LOT I DON''''T MIND COFFEE STAINS BUT THEY REALLY BOTHER MY WIFE WHO ALSO LIKES COFFEE BUT NOT AS MUCH AS I LIKE COFFEE AND IF EVERYONE DRANK COFFEE THE WORLD WOULD MOVE MUCH FASTER AND WE COULD ALL GET TO WORK ON TIME AND THE BOSS WOULD NOT BE SO DULL DURING BOARD MEETINGS AND HE CAN RIDE HIS BIKE TO WORK WHILE I DRIVE THE HEAVY MACHINERY DID I MENTION THAT I LIKE COFFEE BECAUSE IF I DID NOT SAY IT I REALLY WANTED TO AND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Lol! When I read this, that guy''s voice from the end of car commercials was going through my head.

[mitdgreenb]

It''s important to separate studies of coffee from studies of caffeine. For instance, the difference in bone density is a key one, especially in kids.

Drinks like cola -- not coffee but full of caffeine -- have a lot of phosphates in them. Calcium phosphate is insoluable so calcium ions in the stomach precipitate out. Therefore, heavy drinkers of cola are more likely to have bone density problems... and teenagers in the midst of growing are more likely to have either bone density or growth problems. (Yes, cola in excess CAN stunt your growth.) Swallowing a calcium supplement with cola is not going to help.

By the way, I love both colas and coffee. I''m not giving either up. :)

[eddom949]

It gets eliminated, and Jesus was right. Whatever goes in there. Come on

[gce65]

Coffee is legalized speed, so it''s fine with business and government because on a societal level it probably increases productivity.
Faster, bigger, more, more, more!