More than four cups of coffee a day puts you at risk of early death, claim U.S. researchers

"the results did not demonstrate any association between coffee consumption and all-cause mortality in older men and women."  Not much to worry about, then, is there?   It's junk research generally, with lots of holes, some outlined below

The findings come from a large- scale American lifestyle study of 43,727 individuals aged 20 to 87.

The US researchers suspect excessive coffee consumption may adversely affect the body’s metabolism, outweighing some of the known health benefits.

Individuals with a ‘genetic coffee addiction’ may be prone to these harmful effects, they suggest.

But the latest study conflicts with a number of others, which have linked moderate coffee consumption with longevity.

Around 2,500 deaths were recorded over the course of the 16-year study. Just under a third of these were because of heart and artery disease.

Participants who drank more coffee were also more likely to smoke, and had less healthy hearts and lungs.

The risk of death from all causes rose by 56 per cent for men and women younger than 55 who drank more than 28 cups of coffee a week, said a report in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

Researcher Steven Blair, of the University of South Carolina, said: ‘Significantly the results did not demonstrate any association between coffee consumption and all-cause mortality in older men and women.’

But the researchers did not explain why coffee did not affect older people in the same way. Coffee contains thousands of  different chemicals, which can have both good and bad effects on health.

Recent research has shown that coffee is a major dietary source of antioxidant, and it may reduce inflammation and boost brain function.

At the same time, coffee stimulates the release of adrenaline, inhibits insulin activity, increases blood pressure, and raises levels of homocysteine, a harmful chemical linked to heart disease and dementia.

Co-author Dr Carl Lavie, from Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans, said: ‘There continues to be considerable debate about the health effects of caffeine, and coffee specifically, with some reports suggesting toxicity and some even suggesting beneficial effects.’

Dr Euan Paul, executive director of the British Coffee Association, said the study’s limitations may have skewed the findings.  The use of a questionnaire can result in recall bias, with people struggling to remember how many cups of coffee they have consumed in the past week, he said.

Other factors such as smoking and poor fitness could partly explain the link with premature death.

Previous studies have found either no link between coffee consumption and heart deaths, or a positive effect, he added.

He said: ‘There is a growing body of data which suggests that coffee is perfectly safe when consumed in moderation – four to five cups a day – and as part of a balanced diet.

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Could regular sex make you RICH? Study finds employees who have sex four times a week get paid more than those who don't  

Refreshing that this guy is not dogmatic about the direction of the causal arrow.  He allows that it may be higher incomes that get the guy more sex.  And there are plenty of third factors that could be involved  -- such as health and vigor

Researchers found that people who have sex at least four times a week get paid more than people who do not have as much sex – regardless of education or profession.

And a lack of physical intimacy can have a significant impact on a person’s state of mind, the researchers found.  ‘People need to love and be loved (sexually and non-sexually) by others.  'In the absence of these elements, many people become susceptible to loneliness, social anxiety, and depression that could affect their working life,’ study author Dr Nick Drydakis, an economics lecturer at Anglia Ruskin University, told CBSNews.

Dr Drydakis says he decided to study the topic because he believes that people have to meet their basic needs, such as eating, drinking, sleeping and having sex, before they will be able to have successes in other parts of their life.

He studied data from 7,500 people aged between 26 and 50.  The participants, who included both straight and gay couples, were asked about their health, sexual activity, employment status and earnings.

The findings revealed that people who have sex more than four times a week earn five per cent more than those who have sex less than four times a week.

The study also found that people who do not have sex at all earn three per cent less than people who do have sex.

The findings held even when factors such as education and profession were taken into account.

The study revealed that even people who have health problems earn more if they have regular sex.

Dr Drydakis, says that he does not know exactly why sex and earnings are linked but he believes that it could be because people who earn well have the disposable income to go on more dates.

Alternatively, it could be because people who earn well are more attractive to potential partners.

Dr Drydakis’ final theory is that the reason could be that people who have high wages are better able to buy their partner gifts and that they are rewarded with sex.

‘Sexual activity is a key aspect of personal health and social welfare that influences individuals across their life span,’ Dr Drydakis told CBSNews. ‘In terms of policy implications, access to effective, broadly-based sexual health education could be an important contributing factor to the health and well-being of people.’

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