Coffee and Health Problems

Coffee and Risk of Stroke – Is That Cup of Dark Roast Coffee Bad For You?

In this two-part blog I will discuss some recent information about coffee and health. Part 1 will focus on the correlation between coffee and stroke, while Part 2 will focus on heart health and other health related concerns.

The information below is a summary of multiple articles on the subject of stroke and coffee consumption. It is up to each person that reads this to do his/her own research on the subject. In addition, this is not meant to replace a consultation with your health care provider. This article is for informational purposes only.

Coffee may not be quite as bad for you as most people think. In one study, it was found that regular coffee drinking appears to reduce the risk of stroke. The study consisted of 23,000 men and women who were followed 12 years. The study concluded that stroke risk was inversely proportional to their coffee consumption. in this study people who reported any intake coffee were at 27% lower risk of stroke than those who had said they never drank coffee.

The results of a 24 year study reported in the February 2009 issue of the journal Circulation said that drinking caffeinated coffee diminishes the risk of stroke for women. The study followed a group of 83,000 female nurses. Among those who were non-smokers, those who drank 4 or more cups of coffee apparently lowered the risk of stroke by 43% compared to those who drank no coffee. An important point in this is that coffee lessened the stroke risk over time. Other important factors to consider whenever you are doing stroke prevention are to maintain a healthy diet, exercise daily, control your weight and don’t smoke. High blood pressure and high cholesterol are usually the start of stroke problems and should be controlled.

There are also studies that say that coffee can increase the risk of stroke. In one study, researchers said the stroke risk increases in the hour after drinking a cup of coffee and that the risk decreases within two hours after consumption.
Among people who reported drinking one cup of coffee a day or less, stroke risk doubled in the hour after they consumed a cup of coffee. Coffee has been documented to have negative physiologic effects, such as increased systolic and diastolic blood pressure. In addition, some studies have proven that caffeinated coffee increases stiffness in the arteries. The findings in this study don't seem to have any application to those who drank more than one cup of coffee per day. Those who drink coffee more frequently apparently developed a tolerance to the short-term effects of caffeine.

So there are those that say coffee increases the risk of stroke and those who say it lowers the risk. Time and more studies will tell the tale.

In my next blog post I will cover the effects of coffee and heart disease along with other ailments. Thank you for coming by, and as always, may your next cup be your best!