The idea that coffee is bad for heart pops up periodically. It was found that regularly drinking
very strong coffee could sharply increase cholesterol levels. Researchers even isolated fat like
chemicals, cafestol and kahweol, responsible for the rise.
It turned out that the European brewing method—boiling water sits on the coffee grounds for
several minutes before straining—produces high concentrations of cafestol and kahweol. By
contrast, the filter and percolation methods remove all but a trace of these chemicals.
Moreover, the studies involved large amounts of coffee—five to six cups a day. Moderate
coffee drinkers drink only two cups.
Research has also shown that regular, moderate coffee drinking does not dangerously raise
blood pressure. And studies have failed to substantiate fears that coffee might trigger
abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias) in healthy people.
"For heart disease, I think the issue is closed," says Meir Stampfer, an epidemiologist at
Harvard who has studied many aspects of coffee and health. "Coffee drinking at reasonable
levels is unrelated to heart risk."
Evidence suggests that coffee may help fend off Parkinson's disease. A 30-year study of
8,000 Japanese-American men found that avid coffee drinkers had one-fifth the risk of those
who didn't drink the brew.
Scientists at Massachusetts General Hospital, USA, found indirect evidence that Caffeine the
habit forming stimulant in coffee—may actually combat Parkinson's. The caffeine seemed to
protect mice brain cells from depletion of the nerve chemical dopamine—the problem
underlying Parkinson's in humans. However, these are preliminary findings; human studies
have not consistently supported caffeine's protective role.
The studies on coffee and cancer have focussed on three organs—and are reassuring. You
may remember a brief coffee scare in the early 1980s when a single study linked coffee with
pancreatic cancer. A false alarm: Many studies since then have shown that the association is
either extremely weak or non-existent.
If there's a connection between coffee and bladder cancer, it possibly applies just to coffee
junkies. A re-analysis of ten European studies found an increased risk only among people
who drank ten or more cups a day. And studies show that coffee seems to have no adverse
influence on the risk of colon cancer.
Caffeine is such a powerful stimulant that the International Olympic Committee and the
National Collegiate Athletic Association set limits on how much can remain in the blood
during competition. In addition to boosting physical endurance, caffeine increases alertnessand improves mood. The buzz may come at a price, though people who drink more than
they're used to may become restless and unable to sleep. Moreover, it is possible to become
physically dependent on caffeine in days.
The question now arises: how much to drink? Those with heartburn and anxiety may want to
see if cutting back coffee improves their condition. For most people, however, there's
virtually no risk in consuming up to three normal cups a day. Harvard's Stampfer tries to keep
his coffee drinking irregular enough to avoid habituation: "That way, I can get a buzz when I
feel like it." —Reader's Digest (adapted)
A1. State whether the following statements are true or false. Also, correct the false
statements. (2 marks)
1. Scientists at Massachusetts General hospital, U.S.A., found direct evidence that
Caffeine actually combats Parkinson’s disease.
2. The association between coffee and cancer is either extremely weak or non-existent.
3. Moderate coffee drinkers drink five to six cups a day.
4. Caffeine not only boosts physical endurance but also increases alertness and improves
mood.
A2. Bring out the effect of caffeine on mice brain cells, as mentioned in the passage. Do these
studies present a conclusive evidence for treating Parkinsons in humans? (2 marks)
A3. Do you think that the advertisements of tea and coffee are often misleading and do not
give sufficient nutritional information about the product? How would you create an
advertisement for a new brand of coffee? (2 marks)Summary Writing: (4 marks)
Write a brief summary of the above extract with a suitable title. Take the help of the
following points.
Effects of drinking coffee-comparison between the brewing methods-coffee and cancer-
outcomes of various researches
Answers
Answer:
Coffee
Coffee likes around the world who reach for their favorite morning brew probably aren’t thinking about its health benefits or risks. And yet this beverage has been subject to a long history of debate. In 1991 coffee was included in a list of possible carcinogens by the World Health Organization. By 2016 it was exonerated, as research found that the beverage was not associated with an increased risk of cancer; on the contrary, there was a decreased risk of certain cancers among those who drink coffee regularly once smoking history was properly accounted for. Additional accumulating research suggests that when consumed in moderation, coffee can be considered a healthy beverage.
is this helpful for you
A1. State whether the following statements are true or false. Also, correct the false
- False -Scientists at Massachusetts General Hospital, USA, found indirect evidence that Caffeine actually combats Parkinson’s disease.
- true
- false - Moderate coffee drinkers drink only two cups.
- true
A2. Bring out the effect of caffeine on mice brain cells, as mentioned in the passage.
- The caffeine seemed to protect mice brain cells from the depletion of the nerve chemical dopamine
A3. create an advertisement for a new brand of coffee
feeling tired,
have some coffee!!
coffee increases alertness and improves mood
A4. Write a brief summary of the above extract with a suitable title
Coffee: a boon under control
Research has found that drinking strong coffee regularly increases the level of cholesterol. The European brewing method produces high concentrations of cafestol and kahweol whereas, the filter and percolation methods remove all but a trace of these chemicals. Meir Stampfer said that "Coffee drinking at reasonable levels is unrelated to heart risk". In a study, it was found that avid coffee drinkers had one-fifth the risk of those who didn't drink the brew. Scientists from the USA found that caffeine seemed to protect mice brain cells from the depletion of the nerve chemical dopamine. A brief coffee scare in the early 1980s was when a single study linked coffee with pancreatic cancer and studies show that coffee seems to have no adverse influence on the risk of colon cancer. Caffeine boosts physical endurance along with alertness and also improves mood. Moreover, it is possible to become physically dependent on caffeine for days. however, one can consume almost three cups of coffee a day without any harmful effects.
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