More on Coffee and Health

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The coffee health debate is well grounded in fact

USA TODAY

06-14-10

When you wake up at the crack of dawn each day, like cafe owner Natalia Kost-Lupichuk, you need your coffee.

Milk, no sugar, please, Kost-Lupichuk says.

"I'm up every morning by 5 o'clock. Coffee gets the energy going," says the owner of Natalia's Elegant Creations in Falls Church, Va.

Kost-Lupichuk is among 56% of American adults who drink coffee regularly, the National Coffee Association says.

Though many refer to their java habit as an unhealthy indulgence, experts say that in moderation, a cup or two of joe a day actually has numerous health perks.

"People always talk about it as if it's a little bad for you. That's not necessarily true," says Donald Hensrud, associate professor of Preventive Medicine and Nutrition at the Mayo Clinic. "Coffee contains over 2,000 different chemical components, including cancer-fighting anti-oxidants."

Some studies suggest coffee can boost vision and heart health, says registered dietitian Elisa Zied, author of Nutrition at Your Fingertips. Research also has suggested coffee helps people with liver disease, but it has had mixed results when it comes to diabetes.

But be aware of how much caffeine you're consuming, because it varies among coffee drinks, says Mary Rosser, assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, N.Y.

Loading up on cream and sugar is a bad idea, Hensrud says. A Starbucks venti 24-ounce double chocolate chip frappucino has 520 calories, 14 grams of saturated fat and 75 grams of carbohydrates. Pregnant women and people with anxiety and sleep problems should especially watch their intake, he says.

Also, people metabolize caffeine differently -- the result of genetic differences, Hensrud says.

Caffeine's influence can last for 10 hours or more, says researcher Jim Lane, a professor of medical psychology at Duke. He recommends pacing yourself throughout the day: "It's nice to have places to meet friends that aren't alcohol-related, but it does sort of encourage people to ignore the drug effects of caffeine."