Does Coffee Reduce Mortality Risk?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the potential relationship between coffee consumption and mortality risk, exploring whether drinking coffee may reduce the likelihood of death. Participants share personal experiences, opinions, and interpretations of research findings related to health and coffee consumption.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Personal anecdotes

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants reference a study suggesting that drinking two or three cups of coffee daily may correlate with a 10 to 15 percent lower risk of death from various causes.
  • One participant shares personal experience with coffee consumption, noting it as a stimulant that helps with alertness but expressing uncertainty about its overall health benefits.
  • Another participant expresses a strong aversion to coffee, suggesting that it is not necessary for good health.
  • Several participants discuss withdrawal symptoms associated with caffeine, such as headaches, with differing personal experiences regarding these effects.
  • Some participants humorously question the validity of the study, suggesting that the relationship between coffee consumption and mortality may not be as significant as implied.
  • There are claims that coffee does not increase mortality risk, but these are countered by others who emphasize that the original claim was about decreasing risk, not eliminating it.
  • One participant humorously suggests that the study might indicate that those who drink coffee have safer jobs, implying a correlation rather than causation.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a range of opinions, with no consensus on the health implications of coffee consumption. Some agree that coffee does not appear to be harmful, while others challenge the significance of its benefits and question the study's conclusions.

Contextual Notes

Participants note potential flaws in the study, including its duration and the nature of the data collected, but do not reach a definitive analysis of these issues.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals interested in the health effects of coffee, those curious about caffeine consumption, and readers looking for personal anecdotes related to dietary habits may find this discussion relevant.

zoobyshoe
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Those who drank at least two or three cups a day were about 10 percent or 15 percent less likely to die for any reason during the 13 years of the study. But you don't necessarily need to be a heavy coffee drinker.

"Starting with those drinking a cup a day or more then there started to be this inverse association," he said.

When the researchers looked at specific causes of death, coffee drinking appeared to cut the risk of dying from heart disease, lung disease, strokes, injuries, accidents, diabetes and infections.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/20...e-help-you-live-longer-we-really-want-to-know
 
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I'm 65, and in good health, except when I have Crohn's Disease flareups. I drink at least two cups of black French roast coffee per day. I have no idea if coffee helps with general health, but I'm quite sure that it's a stimulant that will keep you awake and somewhat alert when tired. I used to drink from 10 to 12 cups of coffee, sometimes with cream and sugar, sometimes not, per day. And during that time I felt good and healthy. So, I have to conclude, from personal experience, that coffee drinking isn't important, for me anyway, one way or the other. So, when I feel like having a cup of coffee ... I do.
 
I'm 27, almost 28 and if I never have a cup of coffee it will be too soon. Yuck!
 
Drakkith said:
I'm 27, almost 28 and if I never have a cup of coffee it will be too soon. Yuck!
Well, I think that's a good attitude. I don't know, but my guess would be that consuming coffee certainly isn't in any way necessary for, or inducive to, good health.

My point was that, apparently, it doesn't hurt either.
 
I like coffee, so I drink it. I'm glad to know that, at the very least, it is not harmful to anything other than my teeth. The downside is that if I go a day without drinking, I get "the headache." The flipside to that, is the remedy: 3 advil and a good long sleep. Next day, with a coffee in hand, is wonderful.

That's my only vice, so be it.
 
Chi Meson said:
The downside is that if I go a day without drinking, I get "the headache."
That's interesting. I've never experienced any such withdrawal symptoms. Sometimes I'll go days without having coffee or tea, and don't think about it. Some days I'm probably drinking more cups of the stuff than I should. Curious.
 
I'm a tea-sipping elitist myself. :wink:
 
Awesome. Drink my coffee black too. Gotta have a cup of Jo every morning too. My friend who is a surgeon also likes to tout coffee drinking with lower incidences of AZ. Caffeine in moderation is wonderful.
 
  • #10
ThomasT said:
Well, I think that's a good attitude. I don't know, but my guess would be that consuming coffee certainly isn't in any way necessary for, or inducive to, good health.

My point was that, apparently, it doesn't hurt either.

Oh I'm not saying that coffee is some terrible drink that is horrible for you, I just can't stand the taste lol.

Chi Meson said:
I like coffee, so I drink it. I'm glad to know that, at the very least, it is not harmful to anything other than my teeth. The downside is that if I go a day without drinking, I get "the headache." The flipside to that, is the remedy: 3 advil and a good long sleep. Next day, with a coffee in hand, is wonderful.

That's my only vice, so be it.

ThomasT said:
That's interesting. I've never experienced any such withdrawal symptoms. Sometimes I'll go days without having coffee or tea, and don't think about it. Some days I'm probably drinking more cups of the stuff than I should. Curious.

Many people experience withdrawal symptoms such as headaches, fatigue, irritability, etc.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caffeine#Addiction.2C_tolerance_and_withdrawal
 
  • #11
I've been drinking coffee since I was 12, and tea before that. I'm not about to stop. I drink about 1-2 pints/day, and sometimes more depending. I've had those nasty headaches when going a day without coffee, but more recently, it hasn't been much of a problem.
 
  • #12
No it doesn't. No matter how much coffee you drink, you're still going to die.
 
  • #13
Jimmy Snyder said:
No it doesn't. No matter how much coffee you drink, you're still going to die.
Then on the other hand, it doesn't increase the risk either. :biggrin:
 
  • #14
Astronuc said:
Then on the other hand, it doesn't increase the risk either. :biggrin:
Neither does potassium cyanide.
 
  • #15
Jimmy Snyder said:
No it doesn't. No matter how much coffee you drink, you're still going to die.
The claim is not that it eliminates the risk of death, Jimmy.
 
  • #16
zoobyshoe said:
The claim is not that it eliminates the risk of death, Jimmy.
True. The claim is that it decreases the risk of death. I'm just pointing out that it doesn't.
 
  • #17
Jimmy Snyder said:
True. The claim is that it decreases the risk of death. I'm just pointing out that it doesn't.

I think we can all agree that it's supposed to be the risk of earlier death, not the risk of death.
 
  • #18
Jimmy Snyder said:
True. The claim is that it decreases the risk of death. I'm just pointing out that it doesn't.

What? You're picking on the fact the thread title abbreviates the full claim?

Those who drank at least two or three cups a day were about 10 percent or 15 percent less likely to die for any reason during the 13 years of the study.
 
  • #19
during the 13 years of the study
Herein lies the flaw in the study.
 
  • #20
Jimmy Snyder said:
Herein lies the flaw in the study.
Go ahead and analyze it, then.
 
  • #21
OK, Jimmy has PM'ed me that he was joking. I didn't catch it because I was fully expecting someone, or several people, to attempt to deconstruct the study when I posted it. (It seems kinda loose to me, open to much questioning.)

Everyone may proceed with their coffee.
 
  • #22
Given how much coffee* I drink, I'm suspect that it might actually decrease my risk of eventual death. Although I concede that my other vices might get me in the end.

*(For years I've called "coffee" "sacred fluid of life.")

Then again, I don't believe in life before coffee, so I guess it doesn't really matter.
 
  • #23
collinsmark said:
Given how much coffee* I drink, I'm suspect that it might actually decrease my risk of eventual death. Although I concede that my other vices might get me in the end.

*(For years I've called "coffee" "sacred fluid of life.")

Then again, I don't believe in life before coffee, so I guess it doesn't really matter.

Nonsense, everyone knows that Zeus drank Mountain Dew, aka "The Nectar of the Gods" to stay immortal. It was like Popeye's spinach to him.
 
  • #24
zoobyshoe said:
OK, Jimmy has PM'ed me that he was joking. I didn't catch it because I was fully expecting someone, or several people, to attempt to deconstruct the study when I posted it. (It seems kinda loose to me, open to much questioning.)

Everyone may proceed with their coffee.

I made the joke first, and nobody responded. :-(
 
  • #25
Jack21222 said:
I made the joke first, and nobody responded. :-(
My bad. I didn't follow the link and ended up repeating your joke. If it's any consolation, yours was funnier.
 
  • #26
Jimmy Snyder said:
My bad. I didn't follow the link and ended up repeating your joke. If it's any consolation, yours was funnier.

I think we've all learned a lesson about humor here: death is hilarious, but coffee is not funny.
 
  • #27
Perhaps the study just proved that people who have time to drink coffee have safe jobs?
 
  • #28
zoobyshoe said:
I think we've all learned a lesson about humor here: death is hilarious, but coffee is not funny.
I think most folks take death pretty seriously, especially when it comes to one's own.

Those who drank at least two or three cups a day were about 10 percent or 15 percent less likely to die for any reason during the 13 years of the study.
It's not like anyone is looking for a reason, eh? :biggrin:

The important point is that drinking coffee won't change the likelihood of dying at the end of one's life. So we can rest easy.

In the meantime, at the moment, I'm drinking Top Sail Imperial Porter.
 
  • #29
russ_watters said:
Perhaps the study just proved that people who have time to drink coffee have safe jobs?
I was thinking it could be spun to say that healthy people are more likely to drink coffee everyday. It's probably safe to conclude at least 75% of people in comas don't drink coffee, for example.
 
  • #30
But it still caffeine, which acts as stimulant drug if ingested too much. That is why moderation is needed
 

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