Coffee a Miracle Drink? Not So Fast…
By
Dr. Scott Olson, ND
Posted October 25, 2017
Dear Living Well Daily Reader,
I swear, you’d think Maxwell House and Folger’s had started their own research institute.
It seems like every day there’s a new study on how chugging down coffee will save your life.
Case in point? A new study from the European Society of Cardiology is now claiming that drinking coffee reduces your risk of death by as much as 65 percent.
Hey, I love coffee… but it’s time to pump the brakes a little.
Because there are a few things about all this coffee research that you haven’t been told.
And it’s time to throw a little cold water on all this “miracle drink” nonsense.
There are lots of problems with the studies showing that coffee will reduce your risk of cancer and diabetes… and even help you live longer.
The main problem is how the studies are conducted.
Most of these studies are so-called “population” or “epidemiological studies.”
Here’s what that means…
Researchers have a bunch of people fill out questionnaires at the beginning of the study, and then follow them for 10 or 20 years to see what happens to them.
That’s a big problem, because researchers just assume you maintain the same exact habits you did at the start of the study.
If you were drinking three cups of coffee a day when the study started, they assume you still are 10 years later.
If you weren’t drinking any coffee at all, they assume you’re still not touching the stuff.
You can see the problem here… just consider how your own coffee habits have evolved throughout the years.
But these studies assume the exact opposite – that nothing changes. That makes these studies unreliable.
Here is the biggest problem with the recent study out of Europe: A 65 percent decrease in death (particularly in people aged 45 years and above) cannot be explained by anything we know about coffee.
Sure, coffee has some health benefits, but not enough to pull people out of the grave.
Coffee is the second most consumed drink in the world – do you think that someone might have a stake is presenting coffee in a good light?
My guess is that someone was paying for good study results. Drug companies do it all the time.
In truth, I do think coffee has health benefits, and it contains antioxidants and polyphenols.
But here is the thing: There are much better places to get polyphenols than a cup of coffee.
Try this:
- Eat as many vegetables and fruits as you can. Find the ones with the most colors.
- Find a concentrated source of polyphenols: I prefer a powdered super food blend that also has probiotics and mix it into my yogurt every day.
Don’t think you have to drop your cup of coffee — there are some health benefits to it.
Just make sure you are getting enough good polyphenols in your diet (from other sources) if you want to live a long and healthy life.
Health and Happiness,
Dr. Scott Olson, ND
Ed. Note: Please send your feedback: feedback@livingwelldaily.com – and click here to like us on Facebook.
Written By Dr. Scott Olson, ND
Nearly 25 years ago, failed mainstream medical treatments left Dr. Olson in constant pain – and his health in ruins. And that’s when he did something REVOLUTIONARY. He began his career in medicine – and dedicated his life to uncovering the true, underlying causes of disease.
Through his innovative medical practices in Tennessee and Colorado, Dr. Olson has helped cure countless seniors from across America of arthritis… heart disease… diabetes… and even cancer. All without risky prescription drugs or painful surgeries.
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