Posted: 4/4/07 Section: News

Media Credit: Nirupama Pradhan Mary Therese McDonnell, a junior in Applied Health Science, orders a coffee at the Espresso Royale located at the corner of Sixth and Daniel streets on Monday.

For Katie Wilkinson, junior in LAS, a daily trip to the local Espresso Royale is nothing out of the ordinary. Her daily latte keeps her awake for her 9 a.m. classes. But while one cup can keep her awake, another five could lower her chances of developing high blood pressure.

A study done at the University Medical Center in Utrecht, Netherlands, suggests that excess consumption of coffee may actually be beneficial for healthy women, while moderate consumption may not be as healthy as people may think. The study found that coffee abstainers have a lower risk of developing high blood pressure than people who drink zero to three cups of coffee a day, which is considered moderate or occasional consumption.

Researchers also found that healthy women who drank six cups of coffee a day had a lower risk of developing hypertension than those who consumed a moderate amount of coffee. For healthy men, the risk of hypertension does not increase or decrease, regardless of how much coffee they drink daily. But while Wilkinson said that she knows coffee does have some health benefits, like its antioxidant properties, she tries to drink moderately anyway.

"It's probably not awesome for you," Wilkinson said, "but it's better than doing crack or something."

Caffeine, naturally found in coffee beans, is a stimulant which can cause temporary spikes in blood pressure, The Mayo Clinic Web site said that two to three cups of coffee can increase a person's systolic and diastolic pressure by 3 to 14 millimeters of mercury.

But according to the American Heart Association Web site, coffee also contains beneficial compounds like antioxidants and phytochemicals. Antioxidants decrease the risks of getting heart disease and cancer, and also battle free radicals caused by oxidation. A 2005 study at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania found that coffee contains more antioxidants than any other drink, even tea. Phytochemicals reduce the risk of atherosclerosis, which is the buildup of fatty deposits in the arteries.

"You can lace it with extra sugar or calories, but you would still get the benefits," said food science instructor and dietician Lisa Burgoon.

However, Becky Roach, food science instructor, said that students should be cautious of their intake since a lot of people do not take their coffee black. She said coffee can be a source of excess calories due to added sugar syrups and dairy products.

"I think students tend to go off the deep end," she said.

Wilkinson said she recognized that though coffee does have its benefits, she tries to keep her coffee intake at a minimum.

"Pretty much everything can be good in moderation and bad in excess," she said.

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