Well, it can’t all be sunshine and roses. The huge majority of health research on coffee brings positive associations. But not all of them. So, to prove that we are an impartial representative of the coffee community who does not choose stories to fit the narrative, we present the following information: morning coffee can lead to chronic pain, especially in older people.
As reported IndependentAND new study conducted by scientists from the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Poland sought to discover the relationship between coffee consumption and pain levels in older adults. To do this, they followed more than 200 participants aged 60 to 88 for two years in studies of older adults’ cognition, education, recreational activities, nutrition, comorbidities and functional abilities (or COPERNICUS, even though that’s not how the acronyms work). Participants were asked to track not only their coffee consumption, but also their fish consumption, as well as their pain level on a scale of 1 to 10. Each week during the study, they recorded the frequency of three variables and categorized them as decreased, unchanged, or increased.
They found that participants who increased their coffee intake were associated with a 6.56-point augment in pain intensity compared to those who decreased the amount of coffee they consumed. It was also associated with an augment of 2.83 points compared to no change in coffee consumption.
Meanwhile, increasing fish oil consumption was associated with a 4.45 point reduction in pain intensity. Scientists speculate that this may be due to the anti-inflammatory properties of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids found in fish. Although coffee has been regularly shown to have anti-inflammatory properties due to its high levels of polyphenols.
The researchers note that no firm conclusions can be drawn from the study and further research will be needed to establish further links. Still, the findings are worth considering if you’re an older person with chronic pain. Maybe morning coffee isn’t the best idea. Eat breakfast first. See how it works.
