Previous studies had found that caffeinated coffee may disrupt function of blood vessels, in particular the inner lining, or endothelium. This primary disruption could potentially contribute to heart disease, high blood pressure, and atherosclerosis. So naturally more studies were warranted given the wide use of coffee.
The October issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition featured such an article.
Researchers at Harvard used a cohort of women from the Nurse's Health Study to analyze the relationship between coffee consumption and blood vessel dysfunction. They also wanted to look at inflammatory markers in the blood related to coffee consumption.
The study did not find the same results as the previous studies. In fact, it found that women who consumed coffee may incur some protection against blood vessel dysfunction. In this study the beneficial effect was observed with at least one cup a month.
Women also had lower levels of inflammatory markers in their blood if they drank coffee.
Posted by Dr. Christina Gutierrez on November 14, 2006 09:59 PM
