Coffee: now more friend than foe

There is no doubt coffee is one of the world’s favourite stimulants and it also has a raft of health benefits, the decaffeinated variety of the dark brew included.

For a start, as recently as 2016, the World Health Organisation (WHO) reversed its classification of coffee as a ‘possible carcinogen’ after coming to the conclusion that there is not enough proof to establish any link to cancer.

“I’m not really sure why coffee was in a higher category in the first place,” said Owen Yang, an epidemiologist at Oxford University, at the time. “The best evidence available suggests that coffee does not raise the cancer risk.”

Drinking coffee that’s too hot, however, is not desirable. WHO still advises that drinking very hot beverages of any kind can potentially raise the risk of esophageal cancer, although the evidence is limited.

The year before WHO revised its classification about cancer and coffee, the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, in the US, released study results that found moderate coffee drinking, meaning less than five cups per day, was linked to a lower chance of dying from chronic illnesses like heart disease, type two diabetes and neurological diseases.

Protective effects were found in both regular and decaf coffee, suggesting that it’s not just caffeine that comes with health benefits, but possibly the naturally occurring chemical compounds in coffee beans.

Coffee is also thought to be helpful in guarding against the onset of Parkinson’s disease, a neurological condition causing tremors and difficulty coordinating movements, although the findings for women and men vary slightly. Studies have shown that men who drink lots of coffee have a below-average risk for Parkinson’s disease, and animal studies suggest caffeine prevents the death of nerve cells that produce the neurotransmitter dopamine, which is a core component in bringing on the disease.

In women, however, the relationship between caffeine intake and Parkinson’s disease appears more complex. Recent research suggests caffeine has a beneficial effect on women, but only if they are not using any kind of oestrogen-replacement therapy generally prescribed during menopause.

On the aesthetic level, drinking four cups of coffee a day can slash the risk of developing rosacea, a skin disease marked by chronic redness. This is attributed to caffeine’s ability to restrict blood vessels and suppress immune response, but only from coffee, not other sources such as tea.

Maybe best of all is that coffee adds depth and decadence to a range of desserts. Here is a healthy version of one of the world’s most famous and favourite coffee-based recipes, the Italian treat tiramisu. This no-bake, vegan, dairy-free and gluten-free recipe comes courtesy of Sydney-based nutritionist and television personality Zoe BingleyPullin (zoebingleypullin.com).