Inflammatory link to heart disease, death

Stanford: A chronic inflammatory process that occurs in some, but not all, older people may trigger cardiovascular problems, a new Stanford study shows. Part of the solution might be found in a cup of coffee.
Stanford University School of Medicine scientists have unearthed a connection between advancing age, systemic inflammation, cardiovascular disease and caffeine consumption.

Effects of restricted caffeine intake by mother on fetal, neonatal and pregnancy outcomes

Cochrane: Caffeine is a stimulant found in tea, coffee, cola, chocolate and some over-the-counter medicines. Conflicting results found in the literature make it difficult for health professionals to advise pregnant women about avoiding caffeine during pregnancy. Clearance of caffeine from the mother's blood slows down during pregnancy. Some authors of observational studies have concluded that caffeine intake is harmful to the fetus, causing growth restriction, reduced birthweight, preterm birth or stillbirth. The newborn could also have withdrawal symptoms if the mother has a high intake of caffeine (more than eight cups of coffee per day). Two studies met the inclusion criteria but only one contributed data to the outcomes of interest.

How coffee a day keeps stressheads' moods away

PNAS: Scientists have figured out how caffeine could prevent chronically stressed individuals from developing stress-related mood and memory disorders, such as depression. The international team of researchers looked at mice brains and found that caffeine physically blocks a stress-related chemical from connecting with its targets and triggering brain-changing events. Researchers report a potential molecular explanation for how chronic stress induces mood disorders and suggest a possible therapeutic approach for stress-induced disorders.

Four reasons to have another cup of coffee

TheConversation: Some like it hot, some like it iced, and some just don’t like it at all. Until recently, coffee was on the list of habits to break if you really wanted to be healthy. Not anymore. Systematic reviews of the research – the most powerful method to weigh up scientific evidence – judge the current evidence as mostly in favour of drinking coffee. Coffee drinking is linked to a decreased risk of premature death, type 2 diabetes and some types of cancer. However, some people will need to be cautious of the amount. Heavy coffee intake has been linked to an increased risk of lung cancer and can exacerbate heart problems.

Some coffee constituents have important antioxidant effects

Food science and technology: The coffee industry produces, among others, more than 2 billion tons of coffee by-products each year from the silver skin of the coffee beans and coffee grounds, which have a negative impact on the environment. Spanish researchers have examined these by-products and found that they have important antioxidant properties. The results were published in the journal "Food Science and Technology".

Coffee could make breast cancer drug tamoxifen more effective

NHS: "A cancer-killing cocktail of the hormone drug tamoxifen and two coffees every day was found to reduce the risk of [breast cancer] tumours returning," the Mail Online reports. The same study also found evidence that caffeine slowed the cancer's growth. Tamoxifen is a hormonal treatment used to treat cases of breast cancer known to be associated with the hormone oestrogen (known as oestrogen-dependent breast cancer).
The study found that women who reported drinking two to five cups of coffee a day had smaller primary tumours and a lower proportion of oestrogen-dependent tumours than those who drank one cup of coffee or less.

Health benefits of coffee

Monash researchers, in collaboration with Italian coffee roasting company Illycaffè, have conducted the most comprehensive study to date on how free radicals and antioxidants behave during every stage of the coffee brewing process, from intact bean to coffee brew. The team observed the behaviour of free radicals - unstable molecules that seek electrons for stability and are known to cause cellular and DNA damage in the human body - in the coffee brewing process. For the first time they discovered that under certain conditions coffee can act as an antioxidant, a compound found in foods that helps stabilise free radicals.

Coffee could protect against breast cancer recurrence

Lund: A number of research studies have shown that coffee helps to protect against breast cancer. A new study led by Lund University, has confirmed that coffee inhibits the growth of tumours and reduces the risk of recurrence in women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer and treated with the drug tamoxifen.

A coffee a day keeps the heart attacks away

Scimex: People who drink a moderate amount of coffee daily are less likely to develop clogged arteries that could lead to heart attacks, say South Korean researchers. The authors found that people consuming three to five cups a day had the least risk of coronary calcium in their arteries.

Coffee can cut risks of heart attack claims

NHS. UK: "Three coffees a day cuts the risk of heart disease and strokes," the Daily Mirror reports. A large study of 25,000 adults from South Korea has found that people who drink between three and five cups of coffee per day were less likely to have the first signs of coronary heart disease.

Three coffees a day could reduce risk of heart attack

British Heart Foundation: People who drink a moderate amount of coffee every day have a lower risk of clogged arteries and heart attacks, according to a study.

Coffee is not just caffeine

Tufts University. US: We know coffee is great for a stimulating jolt of caffeine. But coffee, the primary source of antioxidants in the American diet, is also rich in polyphenols, compounds that have been linked to brain health. A study published in the journal Age suggests that it is not just the caffeine that has a good effect on the aging brain, at least in rats.

Caffeine

• Caffeine occurs naturally in more t han 60 plants including coffee beans, tea leaves, kola nuts used to flavor soft drink colas, and cacao pods used to make chocolate products. 
• Man-made caffeine is sometimes added to foods, drinks, and medicines. 
• 90% of people in the world use caffeine in one form or another.
• The average american adult has an intake of 200 mg per day, the amount in two 5-ounce cups of coffee or four sodas. 
• Whether caffeine is consumed in food or as a medicine, it changes the way your brain and body work and changes how you behave and feel. 
• Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant. Your central nervous system includes your brain, spinal cord, and the other nerves in your body. 
• Caffeine’s main effect on your body is to make you feel more awake and alert for a while, but it can also cause problems. 
• It can:

• Make you jittery and shaky
• Make it hard to fall asleep, stay asleep, or get a good night’s sleep
• Make your heart beat faster
• Cause an uneven heart rhythm
• Raise your blood pressure
• Cause headaches, nervousness, and/or dizziness 
• Make you dehydrated (dried out) especially after a workout
• Make you dependent on it so you need to take more of it

• Did You Know? Caffeine doesn’t make a drunk person sober or fit to drive – it DOES NOT get rid of the effects of alcohol. 
• Caffeine is both a drug and a food additive. 
• Caffeine is used in both prescription and over-the- counter medicines to treat tiredness or drowsiness and to improve the effect of some pain relievers. 
• HEART: People with heart problems shouldn’t use caffeine because it makes their hearts work too hard.
• ANXIETY: People with anxiety problems or panic attacks may find that caffeine makes them feel worse. 
• After drinking caffeine, it usually reaches its peak level in your blood within one hour and stays there for four to six hours. 
• Caffeine increases the release of acid in your stomach, sometimes leading to an upset stomach or "heartburn." 
• DEHYDRATION: Caffeine is a diuretic, meaning it makes your body lose more water. So, drinks that contain caffeine aren’t good for quenching your thirst. Whether you drink sodas or coffee with caffeine or use medicines with caffeine, take care to drink extra water when you are working out or in the heat so your body doesn’t get dehydrated (dried out). 
• PREGNANCY: Most experts feel that using small amounts of caffeine during pregnancy is safe, but larger amounts of caffeine can be harmful during pregnancy. Women who are pregnant or planning to get pregnant should speak with their doctor about using caffeine.  
• TOLERANCE: When people use caffeine every day, their bodies get used to it, and they don’t get the “good effects” of feeling more awake and able to concentrate unless they use more of it. This is called “tolerance.” 
• ADDICTION: Some studies show that caffeine causes a physical dependence or addiction. If a person gets withdrawal symptoms when they suddenly stop using caffeine, then the person has a physical dependence on caffeine. Withdrawal symptoms don’t feel good and can include: severe headaches, muscle aches, temporary feelings of depression, and irritability. When people experience these symptoms, they often just take in more caffeine to make them go away. This cycle is hard to break.
• OVERDOSE: Symptoms of caffeine overdose (for example with pure caffeine products) can include rapid or dangerously erratic heartbeat, seizures and death. Vomiting, diarrhea, stupor and disorientation are also symptoms of caffeine toxicity. These symptoms are likely to be much more severe than those resulting from drinking too much coffee, tea or other caffeinated beverages.
• DEATH? Caffeine overdose is dangerous and can kill you.
  FDA knows of a 19 year old college student who died after taking an overdose of caffeine tablets to stay awake. A caffeine tablet contains as much caffeine as one to three 5-ounce cups of coffee.The FDA is also aware of at least one death of a teenager who used powdered pure caffeine.
• WARNING. PURE CAFFEINE: Pure powdered caffeine is a powerful stimulant and very small amounts may cause accidental overdose. Parents should be aware that these products may be attractive to young people. These products are essentially 100 percent caffeine. A single teaspoon of pure caffeine is roughly equivalent to the amount in 25 cups of coffee.
• HOW MUCH? Experts agree that 4 to 7 cups of coffee or more each day is too much. Studies suggest that moderate amounts of caffeine are not harmful. How much is moderate? One hundred to 200 mg (one to two 5-ounce cups of coffee) each day is the limit that some doctors suggest, but each person is a little different. How caffeine affects people varies with their size, their sex, and how sensitive they are to caffeine’s effects. Experts agree that 600 mg (four to seven cups of coffee) of caffeine or more each day is too much. 
• BE INFORMED. Learn how much caffeine is in your foods and drinks. Check the Caffeine Content Table to see how much caffeine you take in each day. If you’re taking in too much caffeine, you may want to cut back. This isn’t easy – reduce your caffeine slowly to make withdr awal symptoms (like bad headaches, and feeling tired, and depressed) as mild as possible. 

Caffeine Content in Common Drinks and Foods 

Product: Size (ml) / Caffeine (mg)

• Coffee 150 ml (5 oz) / 60-150 mg 
• Coffee, decaf 150 ml (5 oz) / 2-5mg
• Tea 150 ml (5 oz) / 40-80 mg
• Hot Cocoa 150 ml (5 oz) / 1-8mg
• Chocolate Milk 225 ml / 2-7mg
• Red Bull 8,3 oz / 77 mg
• Jolt Cola 12 oz / 100mg
• Josta 12 oz / 58 mg
• Mountain Dew 12 oz / 55mg
• Surge 12 oz/ 51ml
• Diet Coca Cola 12 oz / 45 mg
• Coca Cola 12 oz / 64 mg
• Coca Cola Classic 12 oz / 23 mg
• Dr. Pepper 12 oz / 61 mg
• Mello Yellow 12 oz / 35 mg
• Mr. Pibb 12 oz / 27 mg
• Pepsi Cola 12 oz / 43 mg
• 7-Up 12 oz / 0 mg
• Mug Root Beer 12 oz / 0mg
• Sprite 12 oz /  0 mg
• Ben & Jerry’s No Fat Coffee Fudge Frozen Yogur 1 cup / 85 mg
• Starbucks Coffee Ice Cream 1 cup / 40-60 mg
• Dannon Coffee Yogurt 8 oz. / 45 mg
• 100 Grand Bar 1 bar (43 g) / 11.2 mg
• Krackel Bar 1 bar (47 g) / 8.5 mg  
• Peanut Butter Cup1 pk (51 g) / 5.6 mg
• Kit Kat Bar 1 bar (46 g) / 5 mg
• Raisinets 10 pieces (10 g) / 2.5 mg
• Butterfinger Bar 1 bar (61 g) / 2.4 mg
• Baby Ruth Bar 1 bar (60 g) / 2.4 mg 
•  Special Dark Chocolate Bar 1 bar (41 g) / 31 mg
• Chocolate Brownie 1.25 oz / 8 mg
• Chocolate Chip Cookie 30 g / 3-5 mg
• Chocolate Ice Cream 50 g / 2-5 mg
• Milk Chocolate 1 oz / 1-15 mg
• Bittersweet Chocolate 1 oz / 5-35 mg 

Source: Food and Drug Administration  / FDA Consumer Advice on Powdered Pure Caffeine