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Science Weekly: Coffee drinkers, rejoice!

(Scott Stevens / The Signpost)
Those with ‘coffee genes’ are likely to drink more coffee in their lifetime than those without. (Scott Stevens / The Signpost)

Whether it’s a fresh brewed pot at home or an iced treat from Starbucks, statistics show that hundreds of millions of Americans love their coffee. However, the constant debate of whether drinking coffee is a do or don’t in terms of health can cast a cloud of worry and doubt over even the most fervent espresso fiends.

But coffee drinkers may be able to breathe a sigh of relief. The University of Copenhagen and the Herlev and Gentofte Hospital have just released a study detailing the effects of coffee consumption on lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, particularly type two, and obesity.

The study, published in the International Journal of Epidemiology, found that high coffee consumption neither increases or decreases the likelihood that these lifestyle diseases will develop.

Researchers were able to come to this conclusion by using information gathered from about 93,000 people in Denmark, collected and compiled for the Copenhagen General Population Study.

Researchers looked at genes that determine how much coffee a person is likely to drink. Those with the “coffee genes” present are likely to drink more coffee in their lifetime than someone who doesn’t have those genes.

The “coffee genes” are not only related to whether a person likes coffee or not but also how much coffee a person will likely consume. The researchers focused on those coffee drinkers who consumed higher amounts of the beverage.

Tybjaeg Nordestgaard, a medical student from Herlev and Gentofte Hospital, described himself and the research team as the first group in the world to investigate a possible correlation between high coffee consumption and lifestyle diseases by using genes.

Coffee drinkers can now enjoy their morning cup and spend less time worrying about the effects of coffee on their health.

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