How's Life? It depends on the liver

I have already confessed . Now, since I have my a coffee machine on my desk a couple of cups a day is not uncommon. Coffee addition along with periodic depression and frustration are one of the occupational hazards of being a graduate student. In a recent trip to Pittsburgh, we wanting a quick caffeine fix so that we could stay awake during the talks. We stepped out in search of a coffee shop and I wondered, "How many minutes (seconds) does it take to wander in a college town without seeing a sign for a coffee shop?"
According to me - less than 100.
After obtaining our daily caffeine fix from the coffee machine, my labmate Tim and I often joculate (joke + speculate) if coffee drinkers will be in the position smokers find themselves today. In a few decades will studies show that excessive coffee drinking poses serious health risks? Will we ruefully say, while desperately trying to get rid of a serious coffee addiction -
"In our times everybody drank coffee. A pot of coffee a day was not uncommon. There were coffee shops on every corner and places like Starbucks were seen as cool places to hang out. Now they tell us that it is bad. Eat tofu instead."
So far, all research has shown that there are clear benefits to drinking coffee and the latest finding about coffee is even more encouraging Coffee & your Liver.

6 comments:

Wavefunction said...

The article says that coffee drinking may reduce the risk of alcohol related liver disease. Now isn't that provocative??

Anonymous said...

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-1986413,00.html

Paddy said...

There isnt such a thing as "too much coffee"

hirak said...

Ashutosh: The alcohol part was very welcome news.

@ Anon: Shit, dude!

Paddy: In light of Anon's link, I think you and I are ready for hell.

As usual, things are more complicated. I take comfort in the fact that,
"acrylamide levels peak in medium-roast coffee, are lower in the half-roast variety and drop off when beans become dark roast."

French Dark Roast, anyone?

Paddy said...

I'll take you up on the french roast...

I believe it was Paul Erdos who said Mathematicians are folks who turn coffee into theorems...Whatever happens to them should be good for the rest of us :)

hirak said...

Paddy: As far as coffee goes we can safely bank on academic collusion to justify it.