Coffee News

Via ABC:  Up to 5 Cups of Coffee a Day OK, Gov’t Advisory Committee Says

You can consume up to 5 cups of coffee a day, or up to 400 milligrams of caffeine, without detrimental effects, according to a new report that will help shape the official government dietary guidelines due out later this year.

This is the first time caffeine has been mentioned in the advisory report, which is submitted by a panel of experts to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services every five years. The 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans will be finalized by the end of the year.

The advisory committee determined moderate coffee consumption was not associated with health risks, including cardiovascular disease and cancer. In fact, the committee noted that there’s evidence coffee has some health benefits, including reducing the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. There’s also some evidence caffeine offers protection against Parkinson’s disease, the committee wrote.

This is really only of interest to those of us who remember that coffee was once thought to contribute to cardiovascular and other health problems.

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Steven L. Taylor
About Steven L. Taylor
Steven L. Taylor is a retired Professor of Political Science and former College of Arts and Sciences Dean. His main areas of expertise include parties, elections, and the institutional design of democracies. His most recent book is the co-authored A Different Democracy: American Government in a 31-Country Perspective. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Texas and his BA from the University of California, Irvine. He has been blogging since 2003 (originally at the now defunct Poliblog). Follow Steven on Twitter

Comments

  1. michael reynolds says:

    So that sixth cup kills you?

  2. @michael reynolds: If so, I am the walking dead.

  3. ernieyeball says:
  4. Liberal Capitalist says:

    I’ve stopped most of the vices, the last remaining ones being caffeine, sugar and carbs/fats.

    I’ve got a Delonghi Magnifica that preps my coffee, and using Starbucks French Roast, I think that I’m past the equivalent of five cups when I’m done with my second cup in the morning.

    … and I’m just getting started.

    Eggs, caffeine, carbs… Limiting intake, ensuring that you have enough… reports like this… hilarious.

    First world problems.

  5. DrDaveT says:

    Clinical studies have now shown that following advice based on more than two clinical studies leads to severe adverse health effects.

  6. al-Ameda says:

    These findings are nothing new. Over 40 years ago The Juan Valdez Institute recommended 100% Colombian coffee, and in following up on that, Mrs. Olson recommended Folgers Coffee, saying that, “it’s the richest kind.”

  7. rodney dill says:

    five cups is about right. For me that is one pot from the Cuisinart coffee maker. The coffee maker says that that is 10 cups, but it only fills up 5 mugs of coffee.

    2 cups before I leave the house in the morning, and 3 from my thermos through out the day, If I don’t get too distracted and leave some.

    @Liberal Capitalist: I read somewhere that the darker roasts usually have less caffeine than the lighter. I usually use any of the Starbucks dark roasts, Right now their Gold Coast blend.

  8. Grewgills says:

    @rodney dill:
    The darker the roast the lower the caffeine and generally the stronger the flavor.
    Most coffee for sale in America is poorly stored leading to rancid oils and a bitter taste. If you see the beans you are planning to buy in an open bin, stop. It makes a nice display and makes the store smell nice, but is horrible for the beans. Once coffee is roasted it should be vacuum sealed and ground to brew. Storing it in the freezer helps. My dad refuses to give his coffee* to anyone that won’t store it properly. They might as well drink Starbucks if they’re going to leave it out.

    Sun dried, estate grown, Kona

  9. CSK says:

    @rodney dill:

    A cup, in terms of coffeemakers, is six ounces. The article doesn’t say what the Dept. of Agriculture and the DHHS consider to be a cup. So, going by the coffeemaker standard, you can have a minimum of 30 ounces of coffee per day. So that’s two 12-ounce mugs plus one six-ounce cup.

    Columbian coffee is my default coffee. It’s sort of like red Zinfandel (the white is an abomination)–hard to screw up.