Are coffee’s alleged health protective effects real or artifact? The enduring disjunction between relevant experimental and observational evidence

Abstract

Background: There is a large corpus of observational evidence claiming that coffee is health protective and a similarly large corpus of experimental psychopharmacological evidence to suggest that habitual caffeine consumption may be harmful to health. Aim: The purpose of this study was to examine the disjunction between observational and experimental findings with specific reference to the implications of coffee/caffeine consumption for elevated blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and neurodegenerative disease. Method: Illustrative recent major reviews alleging health protective effects from coffee consumption were examined in light of findings from relevant experimental studies of caffeine. Findings: Decades-long coffee consumption is but one of countless lifestyle variables that may benefit or harm health. Contradictions concerning the implications of coffee/caffeine consumption for health between observational and experimental research are attributable mostly to poor control over potential confounders in observational studies. Conclusion: When considered in the context of experimental evidence concerning caffeine’s known pharmacological actions, there is reason to be sceptical about observational findings alleging health-protective effects from coffee consumption. Long-term randomised trials are needed to end the enduring interpretative disjunction between observational and experimental evidence concerning coffee/caffeine consumption and health.