3 benefits of coffee

Moderate coffee drinking is safe, and three to four cups a day may have some health benefits, according to a large review of studies, in the BMJ.

It found a lower risk of liver disease and some cancers in coffee drinkers, and a lower risk of dying from stroke - but researchers could not prove coffee was the cause.

Too much coffee during pregnancy could be harmful, the review confirmed.

Experts said people should not start drinking coffee for health reasons.

The University of Southampton researchers collected data on the impact of coffee on all aspects of the human body, taking into account more than 200 studies - most of which were observational.
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Compared with non-coffee drinkers, those who drank about three cups of coffee a day appeared to reduce their risk of getting heart problems or dying from them.

The strongest benefits of coffee consumption were seen in reduced risks of liver disease, including cancer.

But Prof Paul Roderick, co-author of the study, from the faculty of medicine at University of Southampton, said the review could not say if coffee intake had made the difference.

"Factors such as age, whether people smoked or not and how much exercise they took could all have had an effect," he said.
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Image caption Everything in moderation, including coffee

The findings back up other recent reviews and studies of coffee drinking so, overall, his message on coffee was reassuring.

"There is a balance of risks in life, and the benefits of moderate consumption of coffee seem to outweigh the risks," he said.

The NHS recommends pregnant women have no more than 200mg of caffeine a day - two mugs of instant coffee - because too much can increase the risk of miscarriage.

This review suggests women at risk of fractures should also cut back on coffee.

For other adults, moderate caffeine intake equates to 400mg or less per day - or three to four cups of coffee - but that isn't the only drink (or food) to bear in mind.
How much caffeine in my drink?

    one mug of filter coffee: 140mg
    one mug of instant coffee: 100mg
    one mug of tea: 75mg
    one can of cola: 40mg
    one 250ml can of energy drink: up to 80mg
    bar of plain chocolate: less than 25mg
    bar of milk chocolate: less than 10mg

The researchers say coffee drinkers should stick to "healthy coffees" - which avoid extra sugar, milk or cream, or a fatty snack on the side.

And they are calling for rigorous clinical trials on coffee intake to find out more about the potential benefits to health.

The Nigerian Medical Association, Lagos State Chapter on Thursday said the exodus of doctors from Nigeria had reached an alarming proportion and called for improved health sector funding to discourage it.

The Nigerian Medical Association, Lagos State Chapter on Thursday said the exodus of doctors from Nigeria had reached an alarming proportion and called for improved health sector funding to discourage it.

The Chairman, Dr Olumuyiwa Odusote, said in Lagos that more than 40,000 of the 75,000 registered Nigerian doctors, were practising abroad while 70 per cent in the country were thinking of picking jobs outside.
The Chairman, Dr Olumuyiwa Odusote, said in Lagos that more than 40,000 of the 75,000 registered Nigerian doctors, were practising abroad while 70 per cent in the country were thinking of picking jobs outside.

According to him, over 100 doctors resigned from the University College Hospital, Ibadan, in 2017 while about 800 doctors resigned from Lagos State hospitals in the last two years.

Odusote described the situation as worrisome.

“The health crisis in Nigeria is unprecedented as the mass exodus hits an alarming proportion.

“Already, it takes a new patient two to three hours to see a doctor.

“Over 100 doctors have resigned from the University College Hospital, Ibadan, this year; about 800 doctors resigned from Lagos State hospitals in the last two years, and over 50 in November alone.

“Kebbi State has been unable to employ a single doctor in two years despite multiple adverts for employment; over 200 doctors and nurses have resigned from Ladoke Akintola Teaching Hospital this year.

“Seventy per cent of Nigerian doctors are making plans to leave for foreign lands and are taking exams to that effect,” he said.

The chairman said that 236 doctors wrote primaries for West Africa College of Physicians in 2017 to gain admission into Nigerian teaching hospitals.

He said that in 2012, more than 1,000 doctors had written the same exams and 660 of them had written the Professional and Linguistic Assessment Board Examination (PLAB) to practise in the UK over those primaries.

“Our healthcare system has been neglected for an extended period, evidenced by lack of funding, under-supply, inefficiency, decrepit equipment, poor quality, needless deaths and unhappy workforce.

“Today, many of the country’s general hospitals, with the exception of those in Lagos, are not in good condition and are breeding grounds for infectious diseases.

“Many also do not have sufficient beds; so, corridors are turned to sleeping wards,” he said.

He said that there was the need for increased number of public health centres fully equipped with adequate drugs and modern facilities and manned by specialists.