COFFEE ENIGMA
C. Norman Shealy, M.D., Ph.D.
Coffee is one of the most controversial of all drinks. For those who love it, it is the nectar of the gods.
There is a significant decrease in prostate cancer in men who drink 6 cups of coffee. And the same is true in women for breast cancer. On the other hand, 30 years ago, pancreatic cancer was significantly increased in moderate to heavy coffee drinkers:
(“the relative risk associated with drinking up to two cups of coffee per day was 1.8 (95% confidence limits, 1.0 to 3.0), and that with three or more cups per day was 2.7 (1.6 to 4.7)”. N Engl J Med. 1981 Mar 12;304(11):630-3.)
Diabetes is also reduced in coffee drinkers and they tend to be somewhat less overweight. On the other hand, hypertension is present in 18% of non-coffee drinkers and 28% of coffee drinkers, so there is a greater risk of heart disease and stroke.
On and on it goes. I could not possibly drink 6 cups of coffee daily. Among other things, that interferes with depth and quality of sleep. Actually one cup of coffee increases cortisone production for 24 to 36 hours. Now, you adapt to that over time, but the effect on sleep is always potentially present. Personally I do drink two cups of Gano Coffee daily, most of the time as a coffee slush mid morning. It has the extra benefit of reishi mushroom and is available at? www.nevadacoffee.com
