Packed with health benefits, coffee gains ground with experts

Long viewed as a controversial dark substance, coffee is gaining ground among medical experts who say it can protect against heart disease, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and diabetes, even if it is decaffeinated. Multiple studies published worldwide in recent years have concluded that coffee can be good for the health. In February, the US government issued new dietary guidelines, as it does every five years. But this year’s recommendations said for the first time that coffee is not generally harmful, even multiple cups per day.

We have found no negative, adverse effects on health when you drink up to three to five cups a day. In fact, there is a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, Parkinson’s disease and a couple of cancers.

Miriam Nelson, a professor in the School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University

A study involving 2,000 people found coffee may help protect against Parkinson’s disease, an incurable neurological disorder. Other studies have linked coffee consumption to lower incidence of Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers at Harvard University showed in 2011 that women who drank at least four cups of decaffeinated coffee per day had a 20 percent lower risk of depression.

There is no evidence whatsoever for negative health consequences in the general population and if anything, the signal was in another direction. It seems to be protective. The real takeaway is, have your coffee in the morning with complete confidence that at least on average, nobody ever found any problem.

Tom Brenna, a professor in the School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University

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