Is Coffee a Vice -or Healthy Practice?

Right now I’m fascinated with coffee.  Even though I did my medical training in Seattle and studied night and day at coffee shops (when I smell coffee, I think of cadavers…), I didn't start drinking it until a few years ago when I was doing some work in Ecuador.  Now, I enjoy grinding up some good roasted beans in the morning and making a double espresso.  Still don’t like that conventional Americanized coffee-water stuff that’s pre-ground…   

Conventional alternative thought tends to throw coffee in the “evil stimulant” file and dogmatically screech for its complete elimination from the diet.  I’m starting to develop other ideas and apparently, I’m not alone !

I’m interested in coffee, and other beverages that have stimulant properties.  My theory is that as one ages, these plants were used to stimulate physiological processes like digestion and liver detoxification.  They can also be a significant source of nutrients –for instance, a 2-ounce espresso may have up to 4 mg of niacin! 

In the next set of mini-articles I’m going to explore some of the compounds, and talk about therapeutic effects –especially related to liver phase I/phase II detox and digestion…

Here a link and some references related to coffee and caffeine: 

Coffee Overview (click to download pdf)

1. J Adrian and R Frangne, “Synthesis and availability of niacin in roasted coffee,” Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology 289 (1991): 49-59.
2. Almeida IM Alves RC and Alves RC, Almeida IM, Casal S, Oliveira MB., “[http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/jf9039205 Isoflavones in coffee: influence of species, roast degree, and brewing method.],” J Agric Food Chem 58, no. 5 (2010): 3002–3007.
3. R. Bressani and D. A Navarrete, “NIACIN CONTENT OF COFFEE IN CENTRAL AMERICAa,” Journal of Food Science 24, no. 4 (1959): 344–351.
4. S Casal et al., “Discriminate analysis of roasted coffee varieties for trigonelline, nicotinic acid, and caffeine content,” Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 48, no. 8 (August 2000): 3420-3424.
5. R. J. Clarke and R. Macrae, Coffee: Physiology (Springer, 1988).
6. Maria Daglia, Maria Teresa Cuzzoni, and Cesare Dacarro, “Antibacterial activity of coffee,” Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 42, no. 10 (October 1, 1994): 2270-2272.
7. Richard G. Davis, “Increased bitter taste detection thresholds in Yucatan inhabitants related to coffee as a dietary source of niacin,” Chemical Senses 3, no. 4 (December 1, 1978): 423 -429.
8. J. V Higdon and B. Frei, “Coffee and health: a review of recent human research,” Critical reviews in food science and nutrition 46, no. 2 (2006): 101–123.

Hot Tea and Coffee to Avoid MRSA!

                                                   Photo:  S. aureus  (US CDC Janice Haney)

According to a recent study, those who partake of hot tea and/or coffee may at least half their chance of carrying resistant Staph.  Since at least 2.5 million Americans are carriers of this pesky bug and the associated diseases are difficult to treat, this is significant.  Apparently, the beverages need to be hot, since no protection was afforded by drinking ice tea…  

Jury is still out on how this works but there are several theories.  It’s been known for years that both coffee and tea have antimicrobial and antioxidant properties.   Coffee contains interesting compounds like trigonelline and diacetyl, while tea has catechins and tannic acid.  Both beverages must be consumed while hot which alludes to the idea that the compounds are volatile and go up into the nasal area where Staphylococcus aureus likes to hang out.  Another thought is that both beverages have a way of reducing overall iron absorption.  Chemical compounds in these drinks stick to dietary iron, and make it harder to be taken up in the intestines.  Since bacteria like Staph really need that iron for metabolic processes, this may make it harder for them to live on coffee and tea drinkers.  

Staph is rampant in many American communities, with at least two major forms.  Treatment is expensive and difficult, so any positive news on prevention is embraced.  I guess the next step would be to tease out how much of each beverage is required for the optimal effect, and to see if there’s a difference between black and green teas.  

Primary Source:  Matheson E, et al "Tea and coffee consumption and MRSA nasal carriage" Ann Fam Med 2011; 9: 299-304.