Coffee is one of those “vices” (like chocolate and wine) that supposedly comes with a slew of health benefits. But when we read stories that say downing six cups per day can lower your risk of type 2 diabetes, we’re understandably skeptical. Our BS receptors shot sky high while watching the video “This Is Your Body on Coffee” (check it out below), which claims that drinking four or more cups of coffee per day can improve your overall health.
Yes, the video cites real scientific studies, but before you fill up a celebratory mug, check out these four disclaimers:
1. Studies and recommendations aren't the same thing.
Findings from one-off studies aren’t the same as doctors’ orders. Even the meta-analysis that looked at 28 studies and found people could drink up to six cups of joe per day without increasing their risk of type 2 diabetes wasn’t meant to be prescriptive, says Jessica Yeh, Ph.D., an epidemiology researcher at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. (Yeh worked on one of the studies included in the meta-analysis.1
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“The implication of this study is that if you’re drinking a lot of coffee, maybe it’s not such a bad thing,” she says. “If you’re not already drinking coffee, there’s no reason for you to start to prevent type 2 diabetes.” Not to mention, many of the studies i…