Jul 22 2010 --- Drinking several cups of coffee each day does not pose a greater risk for cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer's disease, and may even provide some protection against those illnesses, according to an expert panel at the 2010 Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Annual Meeting & Food Expo.

Researchers presented data from several studies that all point to the benefits of drinking coffee. One study of Dutch coffee-drinkers found a 50 percent lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes in adults who consume seven or more cups per day, said Frank B. Hu, MD, PhD, professor of nutrition, epidemiology and medicine in the Department of Nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health. He noted that the study was adjusted for lifestyle factors that are more prevalent in that group, such as smoking, consuming red meat and higher body mass index.

YiFang Chu, PhD, who leads the global coffee health and wellness research group at Kraft Foods Global Inc., pointed to an April 2010 study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that found coffee may modulate inflammation, oxidative stress and body fat, all of which can contribute to disease if left unchecked.

Besides heart disease and diabetes, research also has linked coffee with a decreased risk in Alzheimer's disease, particularly in people who drink coffee in midlife, said Joan Lindsay, PhD, an epidemiologist consultant who has worked with Health Canada and the University of Ottawa. A Finnish study that followed up 21 years later with midlife coffee-drinkers found a 65 percent reduction in Alzheimer's disease, she said.

Researchers agreed more study is needed before specific recommendations can be made. But they agree caffeine probably is not the only reason for the potential benefits, given that those same benefits are not present in people who drink other caffeinated beverages. In addition, decaffeinated coffee appears to offer health benefits as well.