For some of us, getting through the day, or even a couple of hours, without a cup of coffee can be hard work.
But despite the ubiquity of coffee drinking – some estimates suggest that up to 40 per cent of the world’s population consumes the beverage every day – it has been uncertain whether it confers health benefits.
While many studies have suggested that coffee can be good for the heart and the liver, there have also been scares over potential harms, including possible cancer risks.
Among the researchers currently interested in the effect of coffee on our health is Dr Jonathan Fallowfield, a medical doctor and senior clinical fellow at the University of Edinburgh in the UK.
Coffee drinkers less prone to liver disease
Dr Fallowfield and other researchers at Edinburgh and the UK's University of Southampton found in a study published last year that drinking coffee could reduce the risk of chronic liver disease by a fifth, with coffee drinkers about half as likely to die from the condition.
All types of coffee were found to be protective against chronic liver disease.
“We did a series of studies looking at epidemiological data showing increased coffee consumption seemed to be associated with lower risk of liver cirrhosis and liver cancer. We even showed it might protect the kidney,” Dr Fallowfield said.
But he said the research he and his colleagues carried out was based on observational data, which meant it could have overestimated any protective effects.
People who don’t like coffee are very slow metabolisers. People, like me, who like it tend to be very rapid metabolisers
Dr Jonathan Fallowfield,
University of Edinburgh
The 2021 paper, as well as other studies that looked at coffee’s health effects, did not involve a randomised controlled trial in which one group was given a certain coffee regime and compared to another that was kept away from coffee.
Such an RCT would provide more definitive evidence of coffee’s benefits or otherwise, and would eliminate the risk that the results were skewed by factors such as coffee drinkers having a different socio-economic status, or people with liver disease going off coffee and drinking less.
Some observational studies on coffee drinking have been shown to be flawed because of these types of effects.
For example, in an online briefing paper, the American Cancer Society says that research once indicated that coffee could be linked to an increased risk of bladder cancer.
It says that further analysis indicated that this was incorrect. The real reason for a higher rate of bladder cancer among coffee drinkers was not the drink itself, but because coffee drinkers were more likely to be smokers.
Despite the caveats associated with observational studies, Dr Fallowfield believes enough data has accumulated for people to be confident that there are health benefits associated with drinking coffee.
“I’m reassured by the scale and reproducibility of the effects across different studies and populations. There’s definitely something in it,” he said.
Health benefits clear, experts say
While the scale of the effect remains uncertain, it is legitimate to suggest coffee drinking to people as good lifestyle advice, he said.
Aside from protecting the liver, other health benefits have also been associated with coffee drinking, but these may depend on the type of coffee consumed.
“There is strong evidence that coffee can modestly reduce risk of diabetes, heart disease and total mortality,” said Walter Willett, a professor of epidemiology and nutrition at Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health in the US.
“However, this evidence refers to filtered coffee, and the same benefits may not be seen for unfiltered coffee because it contains some components that raise blood cholesterol levels."
This year, researchers at Semmelweis University in Budapest, Hungary, and Queen Mary University of London found that drinking moderate amounts of ground coffee reduces the overall mortality rate and the risk of strokes.
This effect was not reported among people who drank instant coffee, which the researchers suggested was because of the production processes and additives involved.
What is the magic ingredient?
Teasing out what it is in coffee that confers health benefits is not easy, because the drink contains many hundreds of substances that are “bioactive”, which means they have some biological effect.
“It’s a real mass of things that could be helpful. People have tried to identify the magic ingredient," Dr Fallowfield said.
Caffeine is, perhaps unsurprisingly, the best studied of coffee’s many bioactive compounds. It is known to block a particular receptor on cells that form scar tissue in the liver and, in doing so, protects against fibrosis, the scarring associated with cirrhosis of the liver.
While earlier studies raised fears of cancer risks associated with coffee, more evidence has accumulated that shows it can lower the risk of the disease.
Nevertheless, in its online briefing document, the American Cancer Society states that “associations with cancer overall or with specific types of cancer are unclear”.
The organisation reports the findings of a 2016 paper that reviewed a vast array of studies and found that drinking coffee did not cause pancreatic, prostate or female breast cancers. The risk of liver and uterine endometrium cancers may also be cut by drinking coffee.
When and how much to drink
So, how much coffee should a person drink a day to maximise the health benefits? Prof Willett suggests that three to five cups a day is sensible.
Dr Fallowfield recommends about three to four cups a day, because the largest reductions in health risks appear to be associated with this amount.
However, he said he “wouldn’t be too prescriptive”.
“People know how much coffee they drink or like to drink,” he said.
Much of this comes down to tolerance of caffeine, which varies considerably between different people.
Dr Fallowfield can happily drink a cup of coffee at 10pm without any ill effects, such as difficulty sleeping, but other people find that they are much more sensitive to the drink.
Genes that influence coffee metabolism play an important role in this variation.
“People who don’t like coffee are very slow metabolisers. People, like me, who like it tend to be very rapid metabolisers,” he said.
While the general advice may be to drink between three and five cups a day, this does not apply to pregnant women.
“Pregnant women should keep intake low or not drink coffee at all because this may lead to low birth weight,” Prof Willett said.
The UK’s National Health Service recommends that pregnant women consume no more than about 200 milligrams of caffeine a day, which is equal to about two cups of instant coffee a day.
For the rest of us, a few cups a day are likely to offer some benefit, especially if we are drinking filtered coffee. So next time you reach for your cafetiere to get a caffeine fix, you do not need to feel guilty.
Ways to control drones
Countries have been coming up with ways to restrict and monitor the use of non-commercial drones to keep them from trespassing on controlled areas such as airports.
"Drones vary in size and some can be as big as a small city car - so imagine the impact of one hitting an airplane. It's a huge risk, especially when commercial airliners are not designed to make or take sudden evasive manoeuvres like drones can" says Saj Ahmed, chief analyst at London-based StrategicAero Research.
New measures have now been taken to monitor drone activity, Geo-fencing technology is one.
It's a method designed to prevent drones from drifting into banned areas. The technology uses GPS location signals to stop its machines flying close to airports and other restricted zones.
The European commission has recently announced a blueprint to make drone use in low-level airspace safe, secure and environmentally friendly. This process is called “U-Space” – it covers altitudes of up to 150 metres. It is also noteworthy that that UK Civil Aviation Authority recommends drones to be flown at no higher than 400ft. “U-Space” technology will be governed by a system similar to air traffic control management, which will be automated using tools like geo-fencing.
The UAE has drawn serious measures to ensure users register their devices under strict new laws. Authorities have urged that users must obtain approval in advance before flying the drones, non registered drone use in Dubai will result in a fine of up to twenty thousand dirhams under a new resolution approved by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai.
Mr Ahmad suggest that "Hefty fines running into hundreds of thousands of dollars need to compensate for the cost of airport disruption and flight diversions to lengthy jail spells, confiscation of travel rights and use of drones for a lengthy period" must be enforced in order to reduce airport intrusion.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
About Takalam
Date started: early 2020
Founders: Khawla Hammad and Inas Abu Shashieh
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: HealthTech and wellness
Number of staff: 4
Funding to date: Bootstrapped
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Haltia.ai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202023%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECo-founders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Arto%20Bendiken%20and%20Talal%20Thabet%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20AI%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2041%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20About%20%241.7%20million%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Self%2C%20family%20and%20friends%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ovasave%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20November%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Majd%20Abu%20Zant%20and%20Torkia%20Mahloul%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Abu%20Dhabi%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Healthtech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Three%20employees%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Pre-seed%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%24400%2C000%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
PROFILE OF STARZPLAY
Date started: 2014
Founders: Maaz Sheikh, Danny Bates
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment/Streaming Video On Demand
Number of employees: 125
Investors/Investment amount: $125 million. Major investors include Starz/Lionsgate, State Street, SEQ and Delta Partners
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
Visit Abu Dhabi culinary team's top Emirati restaurants in Abu Dhabi
Yadoo’s House Restaurant & Cafe
For the karak and Yoodo's house platter with includes eggs, balaleet, khamir and chebab bread.
Golden Dallah
For the cappuccino, luqaimat and aseeda.
Al Mrzab Restaurant
For the shrimp murabian and Kuwaiti options including Kuwaiti machboos with kebab and spicy sauce.
Al Derwaza
For the fish hubul, regag bread, biryani and special seafood soup.
Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill
Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.
Why does a queen bee feast only on royal jelly?
Some facts about bees:
The queen bee eats only royal jelly, an extraordinary food created by worker bees so she lives much longer
The life cycle of a worker bee is from 40-60 days
A queen bee lives for 3-5 years
This allows her to lay millions of eggs and allows the continuity of the bee colony
About 20,000 honey bees and one queen populate each hive
Honey is packed with vital vitamins, minerals, enzymes, water and anti-oxidants.
Apart from honey, five other products are royal jelly, the special food bees feed their queen
Pollen is their protein source, a super food that is nutritious, rich in amino acids
Beewax is used to construct the combs. Due to its anti-fungal, anti-bacterial elements, it is used in skin treatments
Propolis, a resin-like material produced by bees is used to make hives. It has natural antibiotic qualities so works to sterilize hive, protects from disease, keeps their home free from germs. Also used to treat sores, infection, warts
Bee venom is used by bees to protect themselves. Has anti-inflammatory properties, sometimes used to relieve conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, nerve and muscle pain
Honey, royal jelly, pollen have health enhancing qualities
The other three products are used for therapeutic purposes
Is beekeeping dangerous?
As long as you deal with bees gently, you will be safe, says Mohammed Al Najeh, who has worked with bees since he was a boy.
“The biggest mistake people make is they panic when they see a bee. They are small but smart creatures. If you move your hand quickly to hit the bees, this is an aggressive action and bees will defend themselves. They can sense the adrenalin in our body. But if we are calm, they are move away.”
THE DEALS
Hamilton $60m x 2 = $120m
Vettel $45m x 2 = $90m
Ricciardo $35m x 2 = $70m
Verstappen $55m x 3 = $165m
Leclerc $20m x 2 = $40m
TOTAL $485m
The biog
Name: Atheja Ali Busaibah
Date of birth: 15 November, 1951
Favourite books: Ihsan Abdel Quddous books, such as “The Sun will Never Set”
Hobbies: Reading and writing poetry
