Regular Or Decaf? Both May Be Healthy

Two new studies give coffee drinkers a reason to smile, whether you drink your brew with caffeine or without. Both may have health benefits.

Researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine have discovered that decaffeinated coffee may improve brain energy metabolism associated with type 2 diabetes. Why is this important?

This brain dysfunction is a known risk factor for dementia and other cognitive disorders like Alzheimer’s disease. The research is published online in Nutritional Neuroscience.

“Impaired energy metabolism in the brain is known to be tightly correlated with cognitive decline during aging and in subjects at high risk for developing neurodegenerative disorders,” said Dr. Giulio Maria Pasinetti, the research leader.

“This is the first evidence showing the potential benefits of decaffeinated coffee preparations for both preventing and treating cognitive decline caused by type 2 diabetes, aging, and/or neurodegenerative disorders.”

Coffee intake is not recommended for everybody due to the fact that it is associated with cardiovascular health risks such as elevated blood cholesterol and blood pressure, both of which lead to an increased risk for heart disease, stroke, and premature death.

Caffeine's benefits

But for those without heart risks, researchers at Brooke Army Medical Center say coffee consumption may reduce fibrosis risk in those with fatty liver disease.

Findings published in the February issue of Hepatology, a journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, show that increased coffee intake, specifically among patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), decreases risk of hepatic fibrosis.

The steady increase in rates of diabetes, obesity, and metabolic syndrome over the past 20 years has given rise to greater prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). In fact, experts now believe NAFLD is the leading cause of chronic liver disease in the U.S., surpassing both hepatitis B and C.

The study found a negative correlation between coffee consumption and the the prevalence and severity of NAFLD.