Q: In your column on the health pros and cons of coffee on Dec. 29, I'm surprised you didn't discuss the effect of coffee on pancreatic cancer. Isn't that a major concern?—A.K. A: A New England Journal of Medicine study in 1981 did find that patients hospitalized with pancreatic cancer were more likely to be coffee drinkers than other patients. Earlier studies noted low rates of pancreatic cancer in Mormons and Seventh-day Adventists, who generally don't drink coffee. But several major studies since then find no such association.
In 2001, the American Cancer Society concluded there was no relationship between pancreatic cancer and consumption of tea, decaffeinated coffee or caffeine from soda or food. Q: You left out one important bad factor with coffee. After my kidney stone attack my urologist took me off caffeinated coffee.— B.S.
A: Some urologists do tell kidney-stone patients to avoid coffee, but others don't. This is another area where the effects of coffee and caffeine may cancel each other out. Caffeine increases calcium in the urine, which can be a factor in forming kidney stones. But several epidemiological studies have found that drinking coffee is associated with a lower risk, for reasons not well understood. Discuss the pros and cons with your doctor—and try to avoid cola beverages, which do seem to raise the risk of kidney stones.
Q: Does anyone make a substitute pill for a cup of coffee ... for people who can't stand the taste of coffee?—D.S. A: Over-the-counter caffeine pills have been available for years. But evidence suggests it's probably some of coffee's other components that provide the health benefits.
There are hundreds of trace components, including vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, and nobody knows which create which effects, so it's hard to know which to replicate. You can get antioxidants from other sources—especially bright-colored berries, vegetables and legumes.
0 comments:
Post a Comment