Caffeine has no adverse health effects: scientists
8/16/93
The world's leading medical and scientific experts on caffeine recently reached consensus that caffeine consumed in moderation produces no adverse health effects.
Notable scientific findings in the area of caffeine and health were pre sensed at the Seventh International Caffeine Workshop held in Santorini Greece. The forum, sponsored by the International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI), convened about 100 physician. and scientists from government agencies, universities and industry world wide
Experts specializing in caffeine and health presented results from various studies, indicating that caffeine consumption does not contribute to adverse health effects including cardiovascular disease, cancer or birth defects. Research was also presented examining caffeine's effects on behavior, bone health and mental, as well as physical, performance.
Some studies discussed at the forum even identified potential benefits of this ubiquitous ingredient that has been consumed in food and beverage' for centuries.
Cardiovascular disease and cancer
Caffeine's association with cardiovascular disease and cancer incidence was thoroughly discussed at the workshop and several presenters shared results from various studies examining caffeine's effects.
Dr. Diederick E. Grobbee of the Erasmus University Medical School in the Netherlands reported the results of long-term follow-up studies examining caffeine and cardiovascular disease. After analyzing the data, Grobbee concluded mild to moderate coffee consumption was not a risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
Grobbee's findings were substantiated by Dr. Peter Wilson's results from the ongoing Framingham Study After studying all possible links between coffee intake and cardiovascular disease, Wilson concluded that caffeine consumption had no adverse effect.
Furthermore, Dr. Martin Myers of the cardiology division at Sunnybrooke Medical Centre in Toronto stated that after reviewing the results of 11 prospective studies consisting of subject' who consumed moderate amounts of coffee, there was no association between coffee consumption and the occurrence of coronary heart disease.
Likewise, extensive research has shown no relationship between caffeine consumption and cancer incidence.
Adding to this body of evidence, Dr. David Hunter of the Harvard School of Public Health presented findings regarding any potential association between coffee intake and breast cancer Hunter summarized several epidemiological studies noting the absence o any adverse effect of coffee or caffeine consumption on breast cancel risk. In fact, the studies suggested that women at the highest levels of caffeine consumption were at lowest risk of breast cancer.
Reproduction and other women's health issues
An abundance of research in the area of caffeine and women's health has indicated that moderate caffeine consumption has no deleterious effects on reproduction or fertility and does not contribute to osteoporosis or benign breast disease. However, scientists continue to investigate any potential effects.
Dr. Lawrence Devoe of the Medical College of GA discussed the results of a study that evaluated the potential effects of maternal caffeine intake on fetal behavior and heart rate during the last trimester of pregnancy.
Fetuses of mothers with higher caffeine intake (exceeding 500 mg per day) spent a similar amount of time in a quiet sleep state but more time in an arousal state than those whose mothers consumed in moderation. No effects were seen on fetal heart rate. Maternal caffeine intake below 200 mg per day had no effect on fetal behavior or activity.
Caffeine's effect on bone density in premenopausal women was the subject of Dr. Tom Lloyd's research from PA's Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. Lloyd noted that the small increase in urinary calcium excretion that is observed with caffeine consumption does not represent bone demineralization.
His studies of premenopausal women show no effect of caffeine intake on bone density, leading him to suspect that any increased urinary calcium may represent a modest redistribution of calcium excretion, rather than bone demineralization.
Caffeine's impact on exercise and mental performance
In reviewing the effect of caffeine on athletic performance, exercise physiologists reported that caffeine may enhance endurance and performance. Dr. Leonard Kaminsky of Ball State University in IN noted that in some studies performance has been increased following caffeine intake. Kaminsky and others concluded that caffeine increases fat utilization during exercise, which decreases muscle glycogen use and therefore delays fatigue. Other factors such as previous diet and caffeine consumption patterns also should be considered in future studies.
Psychological health expert Dr. Andrew Smith of the Wales School of Psychology documented the positive effects of caffeine on mental performance including shortened response time enhanced memory and sustained attention.
According to Smith, "The effects of caffeine on sleep have been exaggerated and are exceeded by the benefits of alertness the next day. Drinking coffee can eliminate the negative effects of low arousal due to fatigue and other physical impairments."
Moreover, Dr. Karl Battig of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology examined whether stress increases coffee or caffeine consumption. His analysis concluded that there is no psychophysiological interaction between caffeine and stress, despite anecdotal claims to the contrary. Is more research needed?
In his closing remarks, Dr. Allen Neims, Dean of the University of FL's College of Medicine and one of the leading U.S. experts on caffeine, summarized the results of years of research on caffeine and many potential health effects.
Neims commented that the overwhelming evidence to date shows that moderate caffeine consumption does not contribute to adverse health effects, including coronary heart disease, cancer, and birth defects.
While most participants agreed that moderate caffeine consumption poses no significant health hazard, some expressed a need to further explore the area of caffeine and its potential benefit.