Coffee, one of the great pleasures of Italians, could be even more loved considering that it would have a beneficial effect against the so-called Metabolic Syndrome: a condition that groups together several cardiovascular risk factors such as hypertension, insulin resistance and obesity. And what emerges from the new report of the Institute for Scientific Information on Coffee (ISIC) “Coffee and Metabolic Syndrome: A review of the latest research”, which includes several Italian studies, and highlights the association between moderate coffee consumption and a reduced risk of metabolic syndrome. Coffee and the metabolic syndrome
The ISIC report highlights how coffee and its
consumption have a potential role in preventing the syndrome
metabolic. The condition is believed to affect more than 1 billion
people worldwide [1], and can increase the risk of cardiovascular problems, including
coronary heart disease and stroke [1]. Metabolic syndrome: a complex clinical picture
The metabolic syndrome is a complex clinical picture, determined by the simultaneous presence of three conditions: diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity. Each of these conditions, considered individually, is a recognized risk factor for heart and blood vessels; their combination significantly increases the probability of being affected by heart problems, strokes and other vascular disorders (https://www.issalute.it/). Coffee consumption and metabolic syndrome
The report, titled Coffee and Metabolic Syndrome: A
review of the latest research, summarizes the evidence from the research discussed
at an ISIC satellite symposium during the 13th European Nutrition Conference
organized by the Federation of European Nutrition Societies (FENS)
in Dublin, Ireland. During the symposium, Professor Giuseppe Grosso of the University
of Catania illustrated his scientific research on the association between
coffee consumption and metabolic syndrome in two cohorts of Polish and
Italian subjects. His research suggests that the polyphenols contained in coffee (in
particular phenolic acids) [2,3] may be involved in an association
inverse with the development of the pathology. He also discussed research
suggesting that moderate coffee consumption is associated with a reduction in
all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease and cancer, as well as a
reduction in the risk of hypertension and type diabetes [24,5,8,9, 10]. Health benefits of moderate coffee consumption
«There is a lot of evidence that suggests the possibility
of numerous health benefits associated with moderate coffee consumption – underlines
prof. Large – However, further studies should be conducted
to better customize the ideal consumption of coffee (the “slow metabolizers” of
caffeine enjoy these benefits to a lesser extent) and the real effects of the various
types of coffee (most of the research is conducted on “traditional” coffee,
not on espresso or mocha, which are the most commonly consumed in
Italy) ».
In addition, Prof. Estefania Toledo of the University of Navarra presented
further evidence from studies conducted on a Spanish population showing the association
between coffee consumption and metabolic syndrome. Her research on the
SUN cohort (Universita Seguimiento of Navarra) involved 22 thousand people and took
into consideration, in particular, coffee with caffeine and decaffeinated [6]. The
study concluded that, for both types of coffee [6], moderate consumption
(1-4 cups per day) and associated with a reduced risk of the disease. The main research findings presented in the Report include
– Consumption of 1 to 4 cups of coffee per day is associated
with a reduced risk of metabolic syndrome in observational studies [2,3].
– Research suggests that disease-specific
conditions, such as type 2 diabetes and hypertension, are inversely associated
with coffee consumption [5,6,8,9,10]. The association with obesity is less clear [11].
– The inverse association between coffee consumption and
metabolic syndrome has been demonstrated in both men and women [5,7,10].
– More research is needed to better understand
the mechanisms involved in the association.
Up to now, the role of polyphenols and hydroxycinnamic acids has been considered of importance [2,3].
Finally, a very recent joint document by the Ministry
of Health, scientific societies and associations, drawn up by
the Italian Alliance for Cardio-Cerebrovascular Diseases, reported how coffee
in the long term seems to have protective effects, including
metabolic ones, as indicated – both albeit controversially – several
epidemiological and clinical studies on the subject [13]. For further information:
To learn more about the report, you can download the final document.
To learn more about coffee and health, visit the Coffe and Health website.Notes
A moderate consumption of coffee can be defined as 3-5 cups a day, based on the scientific opinion on the safety of caffeine by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) [12]. The review concluded that moderate caffeine consumption, equivalent to about 400 mg of caffeine per day, can be consumed as part of a healthy, balanced diet and active lifestyle.
To learn more about coffee and type 2 diabetes, click here. References
1. Saklaven MG (2018) The Global Epidemic of the Metabolic Syndrome. Curr Hypertens Rep, 20 (2): 12.
2. Grosso G. et al. (2015) Association of daily coffee and tea consumption and metabolic syndrome: results from the Polish arm of the HAPIEE study. Eur J Nutr, 54 (7): 1129-37.
3. Grosso G. et al. (2014) Factors associated with metabolic syndrome in a mediterranean population: role of caffeinated beverages. J Epidemiol, 24(4):327-33.
4. Grosso G. et al. (2016) Coffee consumption and risk of all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality in smokers and non-smokers: a dose-response meta-analysis. Eur J Epidemiol, 31(12):1191-1205.
5. Carlstom M., Larsson S.C. (2018) Coffee consumption and reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Nutr Rev, 76(6):395-417.
6. Navarro A.M. et al. (2019) Coffee consumption and risk of hypertension in the SUN Project. Clin Nutr, 38(1):389-397.
7. Grosso G. et al (2017) Long-Term Coffee Consumption Is Associated with Decreased Incidence of New-Onset Hypertension: A Dose-Response Meta-Analysis. Nutrients, 9(8). pii: E890.
8. Marventano S. et al. (2016) Coffee and tea consumption in relation with non-alcoholic fatty liver and metabolic syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. Clin Nutr, 35(6):1269-1281.
9. Shang F., Li X., Jiang X. (2016) Coffee consumption and risk of the metabolic syndrome: A meta-analysis. Diabetes Metab, 42(2):80-7.
10. Wilsgaard T., Jacobsen K. (2011) Lifestyle factors and incident metabolic syndrome: The Tromso Study 1979–2001. Diab Res & Clin Prac, 78(2):217-224.
11. Lee A. et al. (2019) Coffee Intake and Obesity: A
Meta-Analysis. Nutrients, 11 (6). p ii: E1274.
12. EFSA (2015) Scientific Opinion on the Safety of
Caffeine, EFSA Journal, 13 (5): 4102.
13. Ministry of Health, DG Health Prevention; Italian Alliance for Cardio-Cerebrovascular Diseases “Prevention of cerebrovascular diseases along the course of life” (2019), http://www.quotidianosanita.it/allegati/allegato9328732.pdf
See also: Coffee Is Good Or It Hurts
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