Elizabeth Bishop, that precise, austere poetess, penned so many odes to prosaic, un-picturesque subject matter (filling stations, bus rides) that one critic described her best work as a “magical illumination of the ordinary.” An early piece, penned during the Great Depression and entitled “A Miracle for Breakfast,” is just such an “illumination.” In it, Bishop describes the pleasures of a simple cup of coffee as a “miracle.”
Though coffee is one of the world’s most popular—and therefore prosaic—drinks, coffee addicts probably share Bishop’s perception of the “miraculous” powers of the beverage. There’s hardly a bedraggled student, graveyard-shift slave or journalist on deadline who hasn’t praised high heavens for the mild stimulant properties of coffee. However, in spite of this popularity, coffee is a somewhat controversial beverage. Myths abound about its potential health consequences, health gurus periodically decry caffeine dependence, and controversial studies turn up new and conflicting evidence about its effects on various parts of the population every month or two. So what’s the real—or at least the most recent—story about coffee?
The Good News
One of coffee’s most well-reported —and best documented, both anecdotally and scientifically—benefits is its aid to memory and mental performance. Of course, it has a long-standing reputation as the scholar’s beverage of choice: during the Restoration, Dryden, Pepys and Pope used to converse at coffee houses; Voltaire apparently drank fifty cups a day; Elizabeth Bishop imagined a lifestyle where “every morning, I sit on my balcony/and drink gallons of coffee;” and the list goes on.
A 2008 report published by the International Food Information Council noted that subjects in a variety of laboratory studies demonstrated increased cognitive functioning after consuming coffee or other caffeinated beverages. And an often-cited study conducted at the French National Institute for Health and Medical Research showed that women who drank three or more cups of coffee per day displayed significantly fewer signs of age-related cognitive decline than their caffeine-avoiding counterparts.
Coffee is also a mood booster. Subjects who participate in coffee studies report an increase in happiness, alertness, and sometimes even sociability, though health professionals warn that coffee drunk in large doses or by individuals who are high-strung by temperament can increase anxiety. And in spite of conventional wisdom (and old wives‘ tales about stunted growth) that urges parents to forbid children to drinking coffee, a study of Brazilian youth showed that those who drank coffee with milk were less likely to suffer from depression than those who abstained from the beverage altogether.
Coffee is not just a quick pick-me-up, either. Recent evidence suggests that it may aid in the prevention of several chronic diseases. A review of thirteen clinical studies indicates that people who drink caffeinated coffee are 30 percent less likely to contract Parkinson’s disease than non-coffee drinkers or those who drink decaf. A lengthy study conducted at Harvard shows significantly decreased risk of diabetes amongst coffee drinkers, especially die-hards who consume four to six cups per day.
And coffee has also been closely linked with a reduction in colon cancer risk. (The relationship of caffeine to tumor growth is complicated, however, since there are indications that caffeine suppresses the growth of some kinds of tumors but may promote the growth of others.)
Dispelling Myths
Many long-standing myths about the deleterious effects of coffee consumption have also been dispelled or disproved by recent studies and publications. According to both the IFIC Report and a recent New York Times article, moderate amounts of coffee (two or three cups) are not diuretic, and do not cause significant bone loss or increase the risk of developing osteoporosis in individuals who continue to consume the recommended daily values of calcium.
And though certain older studies offered some panic-inducing conclusions—that coffee might contribute to the risk of developing fatal ailments like heart disease and pancreatic cancer, for example—experts have recently declared that there are few substantiated links between either of these diseases and moderate coffee consumption.
Finally, ample evidence suggests that sensible amounts of coffee—two or three cups per day—are fine for women, even those who are pregnant. A report on caffeine and women’s health published by the IFIC concludes that there is no conclusive evidence linking moderate coffee consumption to miscarriage, breast cancer or other common reproductive ailments (though the IFIC report does add that certain organizations, including the March of Dimes, offer more conservative coffee-drinking suggestions for pregnant women).
The one unfortunately untrue rumor about coffee consumption? Though the caffeine in coffee speeds up individuals’ metabolisms, no study has yet proven coffee to be an aid to long-term weight loss or maintenance of a healthy weight. Ironically, a study of 58,000 health professionals showed that those whose coffee consumption increased over time were more likely to gain weight than abstainers or those whose coffee intake remained consistent.
Coffee and Sustainability
Distinctly post-industrial— and political—health concerns have been all over the news in recent years, and coffee, the second most pesticide-laden crop in the world after cotton, is one of the most controversial products on the market. An alternative health and lifestyle magazine asserts that “coffee is one of the most important crops to buy both organic and fair-trade,” for self-preserving and altruistic reasons. Pesticide use in developing countries poses a grave threat to human health worldwide: ecosystems are threatened, farmers suffer a higher incidence of pesticide-related diseases (including various cancers and developmental problems in children), and, of course, pesticide residue remains on coffee exported for consumption worldwide, contributing to the “toxic load“ in the bodies of coffee drinkers. Additionally, the coffee trade is often severely economically exploitive for farmers in developing nations. The crop is notoriously expensive and labor-intensive, and farmers may be tragically poorly compensated for their efforts.
There are peripheral concerns related to coffee, as well. Though this article focuses mainly on the health effects of caffeinated coffee, coffee decaffeinated by conventional methods (i.e. the use of chemical solvents like ethylene chloride) may have deleterious health effects, and the Organic Trade Association notes that organic decaf is produced by cleaner, water-based caffeine extraction practices.
Finally, “the tools of the trade” also have an impact on the health impact of the brew. Bleached coffee filters contain dioxin, a known human carcinogen. Though the FDA and EPA ruled that the cancer risk from commonly used products like coffee filters and milk cartons was negligible in 1990, dioxin, like lead, accumulates in the body. The health-conscious might want to select unbleached coffee filters (now widely available and often only a few cents more expensive than the bleached variety) or a reusable stainless steel filter or French press-style coffee maker.
The Golden Mean
The overall conclusion? Don’t emulate Voltaire or Elizabeth Bishop; consuming “gallons of coffee” can lead to caffeine intoxication (shakiness, anxiety, insomnia). But the vast majority of evidence suggests that for most individuals, coffee in moderation (two or three cups per day) is benign, possibly even beneficial. However, those with pre-existing health conditions and concerns should, of course, consult a doctor about the inclusion of coffee in their diets.
