Coffee Does More Good Than Harm To Your Health: Study

Drinking coffee is more likely to benefit than harm your health — except during pregnancy and in women at an increased risk of fracture — and is associated with a lower risk of a range of health outcomes like cardiovascular disease, liver disease and type 2 diabetes, a new study published Wednesday found.

The study, published in the British Medical Journal BMJ, found the lowest risk of disease associated with consuming three to four cups of coffee a day, with the largest reduction in relative risk associated with drinking three cups of coffee a day.

According to the study, researchers identified several harmful associations between coffee and pregnancy-related outcomes, including higher risks of low birth weight, pregnancy loss, and first and second trimester preterm birth. The study also found an association between coffee and an increased risk of fracture in women.

The study was an observational analysis on existing research that found a link between coffee consumption and a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and several types of cancer including prostate cancer, oral cancer and leukemia. Consumption was also linked to a lower risk of liver-related health outcomes, Parkinson's disease and lower risk of type 2 diabetes.

Since the study is observational in nature, researchers say that it only provides low or very low quality research.

The researchers say randomized control trials could offer more definitive conclusions and could be especially useful in relation to coffee consumption and chronic liver disease.

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