Coffee's health benefits (?)

[DaveW]

I heard about this on the radio this morning, so I went and Googled. It appears that there are actually a few seperate studies, and they all sound like pretty crappy conjecture blown out of proportion by the media. I haven't read the actual reports, and doubt I have the knowledge to interpret it properly, anyway, so what are the opinions of everyone here?

What I have so far:

A report from Japan that was reported in January (this is a fairly typical news story of this report) : Japanese Study - Liver Cancer

Two studies in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, summarized in a news article here. The first one is another Japanese study, and reports a link to liver cancer like the first, but appears to be a seperate study. The second doesn't find a link between caffeine drinks and colorectal cancer, but reports a link between rectal cancer and decaffeinated coffee, supposedly.

Thoughts?

 

[Rolfe]

I take it this is something different from Prince Charles' advocacy of coffee enemas as a cure for cancer?

Rolfe.

 

[IIRichard]

Well, it seems to be much ado about very little. Sometimes these studies get done to see if a much bigger, and therefore more statisicly meaningful trial isworth doing.

Pardon while I get another cup of coffee.

 

[rppa]

The definitive answer, from my my favorite coffee-related page.

Basic postulate: Coffee is nectar of the gods. Coffee is inherently good. Therefore it follows that all medical studies will either show coffee is good or they are flawed.

 

[Ashles]

The coffee house owner's high and only mission is to restore the thirsty to sated, to satisfy, as it is termed.
1) His mission is not, however, to construct so-called systems, by interweaving empty speculations and hypotheses concerning the internal essential nature of the coffee bean and the mode in which caffeine originates in the interior of the bean, (whereon so many tea-shoppe, pubs and bar owners have hitherto ambitiously wasted their tal-ents and their time); nor is it to attempt to give countless explanations regarding the energy jolt, taste and bitter strength in the brew and their proximate cause (which must ever remain concealed), (……) it is now high time that all who call themselves refreshment providers should at length cease to deceive suffering mankind with mere talk, and begin now, instead, for once to act, that is, really to help and to provide delicious caffeinated beverages.