Every morning Michael Collins makes himself a stovetop espresso.
“I like a good coffee,” says Collins. “It is a joy to drink.”
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Collins, of course, has plenty of company. Fifty-four percent of all U.S. adults or 110 million people drink coffee every day, and another 25 percent consume it occasionally. The habitual coffee drinker downs three cups a day in nine-ounce servings. Nearly 20 percent opt for what are considered gourmet coffee drinks, such as espressos, lattes, cappuccinos and mochas.
What makes Collins different is he is a professor of biochemistry at the Loyola University Medical School in Maywood. He knows caffeine is a stimulating “pure and psychoactive chemical” that inhibits brain receptors designed to otherwise sedate the body. He sees the research literature on caffeine, recognizes there is a considerable amount of conflicting evidence about its effects on health.
That said, he doesn’t hesitate to have second cup of coffee late morning and sometimes another one in the afternoon.
“There doesn’t seem to be any harm in drinking coffee in moderate amounts,” says Collins. “It might even have some protective effects; one recent study showed it reduced the risk of Parkinson’s disease.”
Dr. Ronald Krauss grinds his own coffee beans every morning and drinks a mug that he readily admits is about two to three times the amount most people would consider a normal cup. He rarely drinks coffee the rest of the workday, though he does like to have a cup at dinnertime.
Krauss is another guy who knows enough about the chemical properties of coffee to avoid the stuff if it were unhealthy. Instead, as the principal writer of the last two sets of dietary guidelines for the American Heart Association, Krauss says coffee in moderation is perfectly–and deliciously–OK.
“Coffee is one of the few things that people enjoy that most experts have not taken away from a recommended healthy diet,” says Krauss, a physician and head of the molecular and nuclear medicine department at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley, Calif.
Not that some folks haven’t tried cooling off the satisfaction of a hot cup of coffee. There is some research showing certain brewing methods, namely the so-called plunger pot and Turkish or Greek coffee, produces a cup high in cafestol and kahweol, substances that are known to boost “bad” LDL or low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Espresso and instant coffee have medium levels of these substances (which seep from the bean whether caffeinated or decaffeinated) while American drip or percolator coffees have the lowest levels.
The difference in brewing methods is one reason offered why European studies showing increased risk for heart disease among coffee drinkers wasn’t matched when the studies were repeated at U.S. medical centers.
“We have examined this issue closely,” says Krauss. “For healthy individuals, there is no evidence coffee has any negative effects on heart disease when consumed moderately.”
Just how much is too much is a matter of debate. Many experts will say three to five cups (and three to four shots of espresso) is the maximum, while others suggest the safest approach is two to three cups of drip coffee daily or one double espresso drink. People with high risk for cardiovascular disease, irregular heart rhythms, high blood pressure or past heart attacks should consult their physician and consider drinking less caffeine. Some researchers contend drinking more than three cups per day can interfere with a woman’s ability to get pregnant or carry a baby to term.
“Coffee is not the problem for most patients,” says Krauss. “What happens for some people is they take in too much caffeine because they also get it other ways, especially in soft drinks.”
Body awareness is important when gauging your own caffeine habits. If you do get jittery, irritable or sluggish on a regular basis, coffee might affect you and your brain more intensely than others. Relying on coffee or soda to always provide a needed pick-me-up is not advisable. Most nutritionists will suggest the afternoon coffee or cola is better replaced with a large glass of water. It may be your body needs the hydration more than the caffeine. Another strategy is to take a five-minute walking break about mid-afternoon (and not straight to the coffee line). At the least, try these ideas before making another pot or heading for the vending machine.
But let’s not confuse the day’s third cup of coffee with the first. Collins, for one, has substituted tea for his morning espresso, mostly because it contains about half the caffeine. He didn’t feel satisfied.
“I just didn’t get the same awakening feeling,” says Collins. “There’s just something about coffee I don’t want to give up.”
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It’s comforting to know we don’t have to.
TO CONTACT BOB CONDOR or find an archive of his columns, visit: chicagotribune.com/go/health
His e-mail is [email protected]