Coffee Brings More Health Than Harm

Coffee drinkers have had a very good month. Last week, a study reported that coffee—up to six cups per day—was linked to heart health. This week, a large analysis in The BMJ finds that coffee consumption is associated with a variety of health outcomes, from reduced risk of diabetes to reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease. The caveat, as always, is don’t pair your coffee with doughnuts: sugar, as studies are finding more and more, is decidedly on the list of foods that pose risk.

The new study, from the University of Southampton, was an umbrella review, meaning that it looked back over studies that were meta-analyses themselves, providing a deep look into the existing literature on coffee and health.

Coffee was also linked to reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, kidney stones, gout, and several types of cancer, including endometrial, skin, prostate and liver cancer. In fact, the largest benefit was for diseases of the liver, including cirrhosis.

One of the most fascinating benefits of coffee is that it’s been linked to neurological and psychological benefits. The new study too found coffee linked to a reduced risk for depression, as well as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.