COFFEE AND HEALTH
There is widespread confusion about coffee and health, despite the fact that coffee is one of the most heavily researched commodities. The confusion is not just confined to the general public, as many healthcare professionals give advice based on reports in the popular press rather than scientifically validated guidelines.
For more information on coffee and health, please contact the British Coffee Association on 01608 644 995, or email them at bcainformation@btopenworld.com.
The British Coffee Association state that 4-5 cups of coffee per day is perfectly safe for the general population and may confer health benefits. Listed below are some headline facts that you may not have known about coffee.
Positive Coffee Statements
Caffeine Content
Frequently Asked Questions
POSITIVE COFFEE STATEMENTS
1. Coffee contributes toward your daily fluid intake
Drinks containing caffeine will not result in dehydration if drunk in moderation. Coffee, along with other popular hot and cold drinks, is recognised as an important source of fluid in the diet when consumed in moderation.
In fact, recent research shows that caffeine, at the levels commonly consumed in coffee, is no more a diuretic* than water.
Contrary to popular advice consumers DO NOT need to drink more water to compensate for consuming caffeinated drinks.
So coffee drinkers can continue to enjoy their favourite drink in moderation, without worrying that it will dehydrate them.
*A diuretic is defined as any substance that increases the production of urine - put simply this means anything that makes you want to pass water.
Source: Armstrong et al, International Journal of Sport Nutrition & Exercise Metabolism, Volume 12, 2002
2. Drink coffee and top up your antioxidants
Research shows coffee to contain four times as many antioxidants as tea. Protection against damaging free radicals can be enhanced by intakes of dietary antioxidants and coffee has been shown to be a significant source.
Source: Svilaas A. Journal of Nutrition, Volume 134, 2004
3. When drunk black with no sugar, coffee contains less than one calorie
4. Drink milky coffee to help boost your intake of calcium
The milk in coffee can be an important source of calcium, especially for women. At least two and a half million young people and women in Britain do not consume enough calcium in their diets to maintain healthy bones. Why not have a milky coffee to ensure that you get part of your daily intake of calcium?
For those of you concerned about fat intake, use skimmed milk - calcium is contained in the non-cream portion of milk and so when milk is skimmed, all the calcium remains.
Source: The Dairy Council
5. Drink coffee to help alleviate fatigue when driving
The Department of Transport advises drivers to ‘stop, drink two cups of coffee or a high-caffeinated drink, then take a short nap’ to alleviate driver fatigue. So why not take time out of your journey to enjoy a coffee every once in a while and perk yourself up?
Source: Department of Transport, www.thinkroadsafety.gov.uk/advice/drivertiredness.htm
6. Drink coffee before you exercise to help increase your stamina
Coffee is widely reported to improve the capacity to do work or exercise. It has been shown that caffeine consumption can improve athletic performance in numerous endurance events.
CAFFEINE CONTENT
Based on FSA advice 2001:
- Average cup of filter coffee - 75mg caffeine
- Average mug of instant coffee - 100mg caffeine
- Average cup of brewed coffee - 100mg caffeine
- Average cup of tea - 50mg caffeine
- Regular cola drink - up to 40mg caffeine
- Regular energy drink - up to 80mg caffeine
- Plain bar of chocolate - up to 50mg caffeine (caffeine in milk chocolate is about half that of plain chocolate)
Coffee can be taken as part of a healthy balanced diet in moderation. This translates to between three and five cups of coffee daily for most consumers, equal to 400mg caffeine. For women planning a pregnancy and during pregnancy, the amount is 300mg caffeine daily - that translates into 2-3 coffees a day. However, it is important to remember that the amount of coffee recommended to meet these guidelines depends on both the size and strength of each coffee serving as well as the intake of other caffeine containing foods.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q. Is coffee addictive?
A. No. Coffee drinkers do not require increasing amounts of caffeine over prolonged periods of time (characteristics of addictive substances), and they can moderate or change their consumption with no difficulty. Although many people drink caffeine-containing coffee on a regular basis and coffee drinking may well be a habit, this does not amount to addiction but is simply a part of everyday life.
Q. What do researchers mean when they say that coffee is a 'marker' for a detrimental lifestyle or dietary habit?
A. This means that coffee is simply associated with other lifestyle or dietary habits. For example, people who smoke may also often be coffee drinkers. Coffee is thus a marker for smoking. This can create problems analysing research results, for although it may appear that coffee drinking is a risk factor for a particular disease, it may simply be a marker for another lifestyle or dietary factor which is the real cause. This means that coffee itself is not an actual risk, it is simply associated with the real risk factor.
Q. Can coffee contribute to daily fluid intake?
A. Yes, healthy adults need two to three litres of fluid a day - more if they are physically active or the weather is hot or humid. This is approximately equivalent to daily losses. Drinks, foods and, to a much lesser extent, metabolism, all contribute to meeting fluid requirements. The recommended fluid intake can be achieved through a range of drinks - including moderate coffee consumption, of 4-5 cups per day.
Q. But isn't coffee a diuretic?
A. Diuretics are substances that cause the body to produce more urine. Though coffee contains caffeine, accepted as being a mild diuretic, there is no scientific evidence to back up any advice to avoid it. Indeed, advising people to cut back their regular coffee intake could result in an overall reduction in fluid intake.
Q. Do you have to follow every cup of coffee with a glass of water, as frequently recommended?
A. No, the recommended fluid intake can be achieved through a range of drinks - including moderate coffee consumption, of 4-5 cups per day. The British Nutrition Foundation states that 'you do not need to drink more water to compensate for consuming caffeinated drinks'.
View Nestlé Nutrition Information for Beverages
