Can My Coffee Kill Me?

A look into the health effects of caffeine.

Explanation: This is a project I did for J50 class to demonstrate my research skills. I practiced searching a variety of sources for information on the topic of caffeine's effect on bodily health. Myself an avid coffee drinker and chocolate eater, I set out to investigate the rumors I had heard that regular doses of caffeine may have a harmful effect on health, especially for women.

Abstract: There have been a number of concerns in recent years over possible negative health effects of caffeine. However, overall results from varied research sources point to caffeine as a generally safe substance that, when consumed in moderate amounts on a daily basis, has no harmful health effects. But many studies and sources do recommend that children and pregnant women limit their caffeine intake to about half of the average consumption amount for the general population.

FAQ's

Q: How much caffeine intake is considered normal?
A: About 200-400 mg. per day, which translates into 2-3 cups of brewed coffee, 4-6 cans of caffeinated soda or 5-6 cups of tea

Q: Is caffeine dangerous because it's addictive?
A: Although habitual, regular caffeine intake is not considered a dangerous addiction.

Q: Will it increase my risk of cancer?
A: No, while there were earlier reports of a possible association, those have been disproved by more up-to-date studies. The American Cancer Society validates that there's no link between caffeine and any type of cancer.

Q: Is caffeine dangerous if I'm pregnant or planning to become pregnant?
A: While studies are still indefinite and inconclusive, experts generally agree that caffeine is still safe to consume, but women should limit it directly before, during and after pregnancy.

Q: Will caffeine raise my blood pressure?
A: It's quite possible. Caffeine is a mild stimulant. While everyone reacts differently to it, some studies have shown that it raises blood pressure at work, and may contribute to the development of cardiovascular diseases.

Q: Will caffeine steal away all my calcium?
A: No. Although caffeine slightly increases the level of calcium excretion, reports state that adequate calcium consumption—even just one cup of milk per day—is plenty to offset the effect of caffeine. The calcium loss can be easily counteracted.

Q: How about my kids (or the kids I babysit)?
A: Be careful. A snack of a ffizzy soft drink and bar of chocolate can easily have as much caffeine as a cup of coffee, yet we would never think to give that coffee to young kids. The Foods Standards Agency warns about the hidden effects of caffeine on a child’s behavior, and sources recommend that children limit caffeine intake, as over-consumption could lead to headaches, excitation or insomnia in kids.

Q: Are there any benefits of caffeine?
A: Actually, according to the Coffee Science Information Center, yes. Check out its link below. Also, a study publicized earlier this year claimed caffeine can help reduce the risk of Type 2 Diabetes. But that's hot off the press and time will test its validity.

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Three key sites:

The Coffee Science Information Centre

• This highly useful resource weighs the pros and cons of caffeine, emphasizing disparities based on different ranges of consumption and different reactions for each person. It also explains exactly what caffeine is and how the body absorbs it.
• This source seems to show a little bias in promoting the often unnoticed health benefits of coffee and caffeine,b but it's interesting information to peruse.
• The publisher, the COSIC, is a European organization based out of Oxford University. Their self-stated objective is to “bring balance to the coffee and health debate.”
• This link is well organized, with different buttons a user can click to read about the relation of caffeine or coffee to various health areas, such as pregnancy, cancer or bone health.
• There's also a section on the habit-forming factor of caffeine.

The Center for the Evaluation of Risks to Human Reproduction

• This link is the caffeine page for the CERHR, which is a center established by the National Toxicology Program and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.
• According to the site, it "provides scientifically-based, uniform assessments of the potential for adverse effects on reproduction and development caused by agents to which humans may be exposed. This is accomplished through rigorous evaluations of the scientific literature by independent panels of scientists."
• The overriding conclusion of this site is that regular caffeine intake will not have ill effects on women's reproduction abilities.

Caffeine and Women's Health

• This links to a brochure, in Web format, on the site of the International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation, whose purpose is "to bridge the gap between science and communications by collecting and disseminating scientific information on food safety, nutrition and health and by working with an extensive roster of scientific experts."
• The brochure, which is PDF-ready, sets women at ease regarding the rumors of harmful effects of caffeine.
• After addressing areas like fertility, miscarriage, birth defects, various cancers, and heart disease, the publication’s overall conclusion is that women can safely enjoy moderate caffeine consumption of about 300 mg. per day, while pregnant women should limit their intake to 100-200 mg. per day.
• It's a fair, intensive and well-cited source, but note that most funding for this foundation comes from food, beverage and agricultural industries that are likely wanting to promote their products.

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Database Sources:

Koepke, Tracey. “Caffeine’s Effects are Long-Lasting and Compound Stress.” DukeMedNews. Duke University Medical School. July 2002. <http://dukemednews.duke.edu/news/article.php?id=5687> (22 March 2004).

• Press release from a study reporting that morning caffeine intake actually lasts throughout the entire day (longer than what was originally thought) and increases stress in those who consume it regularly. The assertion that caffeine lasts longer is not really pertinent, but if it is increasing stress, that should be considered a negative health effect. This press release is based on a study published in 2002 in Psychosomatic Medicine by researcher J. D. Lane, who is cited another time in this bibliography.
  

Lane, JD. “Caffeine Raises Blood Pressure at Work.” Psychosomatic Medicine 60 (3). May-June 1998: 327-330. ISI Web of Science. UNC-Chapel Hill library. (23 March 2004).

• A Duke University study with results showing that caffeine, independent of other blood pressure related factors like posture and stress, increases blood pressure even in moderate doses. This study is relevant, but it should be noted that this researcher publishes many other studies with similar conclusions, and often cites his own reports.

Nawrot, Peter. “Effects of Caffeine on Human Health.” Food Additives and Contaminants 20. Jan. 2003: 1-30. ISI Web of Science. UNC-Chapel Hill library. (23 March 2004).

• This Canadian study, which includes 263 cited references, reviewed data from “published human studies obtained through a comprehensive literature search” and found that moderate caffeine intake for the general adult population does not have adverse effects on bodily health. The study is extremely useful and pertinent because it is a very recent review of many other studies.

Van Boxtel, MP. “The Effects of Habitual Caffeine Use on Cognitive Change: a Longitudinal Perspective.” Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior 75 (4). July 2003: 921-927. PubMed. UNC-Chapel Hill library. (23 March 2004).

• This research makes a concerted effort to examine the long-term potential of caffeine intake, and concludes that it does not, as once hypothesized, reduce the potential of age-related cognitive decline. It reports no “association between caffeine intake and verbal memory performance.” This is useful as a scientific basis for caffeine having no long-term memory effect, positive or negative.

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Print Sources:
All were obtained from LexisNexis on the UNC-CH library system, but are originally from journalistic publications.

“Coffee Linked to Type 2 Diabetes Risk.” Pulse. Feb. 2, 2004: 11.

• Short news blurb reporting that according to a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, people with a high caffeine intake have a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Coughlan, Sean. “A Kick of Coffee And Chocolate.” The Times Educational Supplement 4566. Jan. 16 2004: 11.

• This short journalistic piece addresses the effect of caffeine on kids’ temperamental behavior, and suggests that they are getting caffeine from non-coffee sources such as chocolate and fizzy drinks. This is relevant in that it reveals psychological health effects on an important population segment.

Fischman, Josh. “A Coffee Perk.” U.S. News & World Report 136 (2). Jan. 19, 2004: 70.

• Another news blurb reporting on the Annals of Internal Medicine finding that provided protection against type 2 diabetes, especially in men. It also says it’s unclear why this phenomenon occurs, and that researchers are still sorting it out.
  

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Complete Project:

Here's a PDF version of the entire caffeine project I did for class, including an annotated bibliography, an essay and a works cited list. Click on the button to open it in a new window.

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