nds76
03-08-2006, 9:45am
With billions of cups of coffee consumed every year, many have asked whether so much caffeine could provide more than a morning jolt.
Now a new Canadian study is suggesting that how caffeine affects the body could depend on your genes.
Scientists at the University of Toronto have uncovered for the first time that there are two groups of people -- those whose bodies process caffeine rapidly, and those who detoxify it slowly.
In this study, those who had the slow gene and had two to three cups of coffee a day had a 36 per cent higher risk of a heart attack. That risk went up to 64 per cent with four or more cups of a coffee a day.
In comparison, people whose bodies got rid of caffeine quickly a 22 per cent lower risk of a heart attack.
"It's making us re-examine the one-size-fits-us all model and the advice we give to the population at large," Dr. Ahmed El-Sohemy, the author of the study, told CTV News.
The problem is there is no way of knowing which caffeine camp you are in without a genetic test. And it's just an experimental tool right now.
"There is no commercially available test, and because this is the first study of it's kind, I think it might be premature to begin offering this test," said El-Sohemy.
"What we hope to see is other studies reproducing this finding."
Studies have so far been contradictory on the benefits or health risks associated with caffeine.
Some reports suggest caffeine in coffee doesn't cause long-term high blood pressure in women, provides healthy antioxidants and may even reduce the risk of breast cancer in females with a particular type of gene mutation.
However, caffeine has been also been examined in terms of its impact on reproduction, bone density and childrens' behaviour. Studies looking at the association between coffee consumption and the risk of heart attack have been inconclusive.
Because of the uncertainty, Health Canada recommends drinking no more than 450 mg of coffee a day -- about three 8 oz cups of brewed coffee. It recommends pregnant women and children drink even fewer caffeine-laden beverages.
Dr. Massimo Marcone, a food scientists at the University of Guelph, says that if other studies confirm this genetic effect, governments may have to lower the overall recommended daily intake of caffeine for everyone.
"If we don't know who they are, we have to look at the lowest common denominator, those who are most susceptible, and make sure the limits we set are aimed at protecting the most vulnerable, those that don't have a gene that detoxifies caffeine at a lower level," said Marcone.
Based on this study, El-Sohemy suggests a very conservative daily intake of java.
"At least in terms of this study, consuming about a cup a day doesn't seem to be associated with any ill effect, regardless of what your genetic make up is."
The study is being published in the March 8 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060307/coffee_genes_060307/20060308?hub=TopStories
Now a new Canadian study is suggesting that how caffeine affects the body could depend on your genes.
Scientists at the University of Toronto have uncovered for the first time that there are two groups of people -- those whose bodies process caffeine rapidly, and those who detoxify it slowly.
In this study, those who had the slow gene and had two to three cups of coffee a day had a 36 per cent higher risk of a heart attack. That risk went up to 64 per cent with four or more cups of a coffee a day.
In comparison, people whose bodies got rid of caffeine quickly a 22 per cent lower risk of a heart attack.
"It's making us re-examine the one-size-fits-us all model and the advice we give to the population at large," Dr. Ahmed El-Sohemy, the author of the study, told CTV News.
The problem is there is no way of knowing which caffeine camp you are in without a genetic test. And it's just an experimental tool right now.
"There is no commercially available test, and because this is the first study of it's kind, I think it might be premature to begin offering this test," said El-Sohemy.
"What we hope to see is other studies reproducing this finding."
Studies have so far been contradictory on the benefits or health risks associated with caffeine.
Some reports suggest caffeine in coffee doesn't cause long-term high blood pressure in women, provides healthy antioxidants and may even reduce the risk of breast cancer in females with a particular type of gene mutation.
However, caffeine has been also been examined in terms of its impact on reproduction, bone density and childrens' behaviour. Studies looking at the association between coffee consumption and the risk of heart attack have been inconclusive.
Because of the uncertainty, Health Canada recommends drinking no more than 450 mg of coffee a day -- about three 8 oz cups of brewed coffee. It recommends pregnant women and children drink even fewer caffeine-laden beverages.
Dr. Massimo Marcone, a food scientists at the University of Guelph, says that if other studies confirm this genetic effect, governments may have to lower the overall recommended daily intake of caffeine for everyone.
"If we don't know who they are, we have to look at the lowest common denominator, those who are most susceptible, and make sure the limits we set are aimed at protecting the most vulnerable, those that don't have a gene that detoxifies caffeine at a lower level," said Marcone.
Based on this study, El-Sohemy suggests a very conservative daily intake of java.
"At least in terms of this study, consuming about a cup a day doesn't seem to be associated with any ill effect, regardless of what your genetic make up is."
The study is being published in the March 8 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060307/coffee_genes_060307/20060308?hub=TopStories