From the NYT Tuesday Science Section:

"The morning cup of coffee may be linked to a lower risk of dying, researchers from study published last week in The Annals of Internal Medicine concluded."

"Those who drank 1.5 to 3.5 cups of coffee per day, even with a teaspoon of sugar were up to 30% less likely to die during the study period than those who didn't drink coffee."*

Some coffee drinkers would say this is good news. But with the world going the way it is, I am wondering, "Why prolong the agony?"

Tough decision. I love coffee too much to give it up even if there is a risk of living to a ripe old age.

On the other hand, the article goes on to say, " Previous research has linked coffee consumption with a lower risk of Parkinson's disease, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, liver and prostate cancers and other health issues."

You can negate health effects of the coffee by drinking more than 4 1/2 cups it says, or adding a lot of sugar but I really don't like sugary coffee and 4 1/2 cups is too much for me. So we're back to living longer.

This is a lot of pros and cons to weigh.

One of the doctors seems to understand my dilemma and is quoted at the end of the article: "Moderation is good,"Dr Goldberg said, "But too much of a good thing isn't necessarily more of a good thing."

So it's important to have moderation with your moderation? Makes sense.

With this new information, I guess my only hope for enjoying coffee in my future is if humankind finally gets it together and living longer is finally a good thing after all. What are the chances of that, though?





*"This is an observational study, which means the data cannot conclusively prove that coffee itself lowers the risk of dying; there may be other lifestyle factors contributing to that lower mortality risk among people drink coffee, like a healthy diet or a consistent exercise routine."

Done & Done Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> With this new information, I guess my only hope
> for enjoying coffee in my future is if humankind
> finally gets it together and living longer is
> finally a good thing after all.

Who says "visions" are dead?

Ha!

You will rectally, I mean eventually have to give it up with everything else.

This is why I asked my coworkers to teach me to smoke.

Yes, Great idea. You can still have your coffee and not be stuck with longevity.

That's right, and then one can indulge in that attractive posture of slumped shoulders, left hand dangling at one's side, lift a coffee cup at a coworker and say, "Hey, babe," with a cigarette dangling from the lip.

And never live to be old.

How cool is that ?

People who drink coffee tend to hang out with other people who drink coffee, which means they spend less time with a certain class of nitwits, like those Mormons buying a quart cup of Dr Pepper spiked with half and half.

That's why they live longer. It is not the coffee per se. :)

    I have been drinking coffee for about two years now. I drink it black, because it sounded incredibly macho.  But I do infuse it with testosterone-building rhinoceros-horn powder that used to be imported by Toy-R-Us, and which I stocked up on before they went out of business...

    I have finally - FINALLY! - reached the point where on those rare mornings when I skip the coffee and just do heroin, that I notice that I'm edgy and jittery, jedgy and ittery, from when I leave the house until I can score some blow-fly. (I'm not sure of the code names, but so far I'm getting by.)

    I have definitely noted that I haven't died at any point during these last two years, and so I give thanks to Mother Earth and Juan Valdez.

Just last week you told me that the secret to your long and healthy life was pangolin bladders. Now it's rhino horns?

Make up your mind.

Okay, I'm kidding about the rhino-horn powder!  ...does Costco carry it?

No, but they do sell "coffee--rats."

I hope D&D gets royalties for the advertisement.

One study found that men getting supplemental testosterone became more conservative (politically) over time. Have you considered steroids?

Juan Valdez give thanks to Mother Earth for the coca leaves that help him keep up with America's insatiable demand for coffee beans.

I once saw in Texas. "The more you complain the longer God makes you live." The irony of OP's post is even if she/he gives up coffee it might not be a path to a shorter life.

I don't know if this is a serious issue or not!
I have only been drinking my morning coffee for 70 out of my 86 years on the planet.So should I be worrying?

For you it isn't. You want to keep drinking.

Haha. It is concerning but I think you will be all right.

We've got to get the word out, though, to new mothers that it's never too young to start. Right?

This study brought to you by the coffee industry. Ha! Ha!

My nephew had to be bagged at an amusement park because he drank so much iced coffee it dehydrated him. Not the best stuff to drink on a very hot day. Caffeine dehydrates you.

Coffee is very addicting. Watch what happens to people when morning coffee isn’t available. They lose it.

I have pretty much switched to tea but reduced acid coffee has been a game changer for me.

Now, D&D, be it far from me to dissuade you from an early demise, but have you tried G7 3-in-1 instant Vietnamese coffee ? You can get it at Asian markets or like me--buy it by the hundreds from Amazon. You may want to hang around.

If you are hell-bent (oops, sorry) on speeding up your mortality, I recommend smoking of course, and you can always ramp up your triglyceride by eating Gummy Worms. You could drive recklessly near bridge abutments.

But, please --NO VICTIMS! Others may like the idea of becoming decrepit.

A bit macabre today, Kathleen?

I'm thinking so.

Name for your new rock band: Kathleen and the Macabre Macaws.

Catchy !

With a good bass player, fortune awaits!

(And free coffee for our fans.)