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106/365 (April 16, 2010) – Never take caffeine for granted. For every so often, you run out and it’s just not a happy morning then!

At first I hated coffee. Then I went to France and started to experiment with it. Then I started college and ‘needed’ it. Then I became seriously addicted to it and drank up to 15 cups a day at one point. I cut back since I have a slightly irregular heartbeat at the best of times…and my doctor ‘strongly’ suggested I do so. Late in grad school I cut it out completely and switched over to chai tea. I like the chai better as a hot drink since it doesn’t leave me with ‘icky coffee mouth’.

But boy, do I appreciate a good cappuccino, and when the weather warms up I simply love iced Americano…even more than chai at that point.

And then, lo and behold, a new study that says coffee is not all bad for you! In fact, there are positive properties! Everyone used to go on about how bad it was for you. While coffee consumption can increase the risk of acid reflux and associated diseases, there have been no connections, positive or negative, to cancer. Researchers involved in an ongoing 22-year study by the Harvard School of Public Health concluded that “the overall balance of risks and benefits [of coffee consumption] are on the side of benefits.”

Other studies suggest coffee consumption reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, heart disease, type 2 diabetes 2, and liver cirrhosis. A study last year concluded that those who consumed a moderate amount of coffee or tea (3–5 cups per day) at midlife were less likely to develop dementia and Alzheimer’s disease in late-life compared with those who drank little coffee or avoided it altogether. The presence of antioxidants in coffee has also been shown to prevent free radicals from causing cell damage.

SO! I don’t have to feel guilt! In fact, all things considered, I’d better drink up!

Nikon D300 sporting the Nikko Micro 60mm.

Source –

Marjo H. Eskelinen, Tiia Ngandu, Jaakko Tuomilehto, Hilkka Soininen, Miia Kivipelto. 2009. Midlife Coffee and Tea Drinking and the Risk of Late-Life Dementia: A Population-Based CAIDE Study. The Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. 16(1): 85-91.

Abstract: Caffeine stimulates central nervous system on a short term. However, the long-term impact of caffeine on cognition remains unclear. We aimed to study the association between coffee and/or tea consumption at midlife and dementia/Alzheimer’s disease (AD) risk in late-life. Participants of the Cardiovascular Risk Factors, Aging and Dementia (CAIDE) study were randomly selected from the survivors of a population-based cohorts previously surveyed within the North Karelia Project and the FINMONICA study in 1972, 1977, 1982 or 1987 (midlife visit). After an average follow-up of 21 years, 1409 individuals (71%) aged 65 to 79 completed the re-examination in 1998. A total of 61 cases were identified as demented (48 with AD). Coffee drinkers at midlife had lower risk of dementia and AD later in life compared with those drinking no or only little coffee adjusted for demographic, lifestyle and vascular factors, apolipoprotein E ?4 allele and depressive symptoms. The lowest risk (65% decreased) was found in people who drank 3-5 cups per day. Tea drinking was relatively uncommon and was not associated with dementia/AD. Coffee drinking at midlife is associated with a decreased risk of dementia/AD later in life. This finding might open possibilities for prevention of dementia/AD.