A new study has found that coffee could help to eliminate the inflammation that is associated with aging. Professor Mark Davis and his fellow researchers from the Stanford University of Microbiology and Immunology studied the data they had collected from over 100 people who took part in the study. This data included the participants blood tests and family medical history. The results indicated that the older participants had increased levels of the inflammatory protein IL – 1-beta compared to the younger ones. This causes stiff arteries and higher blood pressure compared to people who have lower levels of IL – 1- beta.
The researchers studied the link betweenIL – 1- beta and increased blood pressure in mice. The mice were injected with a substance which increased their levels of Il-1-beta and found that the mice experienced more inflammation and high blood pressure. Further studies indicated that the older participants who consumed regular coffee had lower levels of this protein. The scientists wanted to find a cause and effect relationship so they added caffeine to some human cells which they had growing in the laboratory. The results indicated that caffeine helped to avert inflammation in the cells. Davis said “this finding may explain why caffeine consumption correlates with lower blood pressure. For now, drinking coffee may be one way to decrease the inflammatory processes that naturally come with age.”
The scientists said that this study showed that by reducing chronic inflammation in the elderly may help to deter age related diseases such as hypertension, stiff arteries and heart problems. However more research is required in other to determine this. The researchers also want to create better drugs that could eliminate the cells responsible for inflammation.
Other studies in 2014 and 2015 discovered that coffee is beneficial for your liver, may reduce the risk of cardiovascular problems and could help to decrease the risk of colon cancer. A report in the journal Circulation showed that when people consumed between one and five cups a day they could lower their possibility of an early death. A different study in 2016 showed that coffee consumption may eliminate the risk of multiple sclerosis.
A different study by Dr Guallar and his colleagues at the Kanbuk Samsung Hospital in Seoul, South Korea conducted routine examinations on over 25,000 people. These people had no cardiovascular problems and their average age was 41. The participants were given a questionnaire regarding their eating and drinking habits and received a CT scan to investigate their levels of coronary artery calcium. The results showed that people who drank between three to five cups of coffee per say had approximately 40 percent less calcium in their arteries than non- coffee drinkers. Participants who consumed one to three cups daily had a 35 percent less calcium, and those who drank just one cup a day had 23 percent less calcium in their arteries than non-coffee drinkers.
Dr. Guallar said “CAC is a sign of coronary artery disease, or atherosclerosis, which increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, especially heart attacks. You can have the disease for many years without symptoms. Now with this technique, we can know if people have the disease before they have symptoms.” The scientists aren’t certain about why coffee decreases the risk of heart disease but they think it is due to the drinks antioxidants.
