'67% of Europeans Can't Imagine Life Without Coffee', but Over a Third Don't Know Impact on Their Health

LONDON, January 13, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

 

New consumer research reveals healthy diet messages are not always understood 

Despite a cultural love of coffee, over a third (39%) of Europeans are uncertain about the potential health benefits of coffee. Coffee remains integrated into the European lifestyle: 40% of respondents said coffee gets their day off to a good start.

The consumer research, conducted by the Institute for Scientific Information on Coffee (ISIC), surveyed over 4,000 people across 10 European countries (including Greece and Poland), to understand their beliefs, behaviours, and knowledge regarding a healthy diet.

The results show that although 70% of Europeans believe they are healthy, many still don't know what lifestyle changes they can make to help reduce their risk of common, serious health conditions including type two diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, and cardiovascular disease.

Key findings: 

• 71% of Europeans believe that drinking coffee does not help to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes (75% of those aged 55+ held this belief). However, scientific research suggests that drinking 3-4 cups of coffee a day is associated with an approximate 25% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes
• 63% of Europeans believe that drinking coffee does not help to reduce the risk of mental decline in older people, for example Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease (64% of those aged 55+ who answered this question held this belief). Yet research suggests that moderate, life-long consumption of coffee is associated with a reduced risk of developing Alzheimer's
• 42% of Europeans believe that drinking coffee increases the risk of cardiovascular (heart) disease (54% of those aged 18-24 held this belief). But scientific studies have suggested an association between moderate coffee consumption and a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease

67% of Europeans stated that they could not imagine life without coffee. The health effects of coffee consumption have been extensively researched: moderate consumption of coffee at three to five cups per day has been associated with a range of desirable physiological effects and fits within a healthy diet and active lifestyle. Pregnant and breastfeeding women are advised by EFSA to consume no more than 200mg of caffeine, per day, from all sources. This is equivalent to no more than two cups per day.

To access the full press release, including scientific references and an infographic of the research results, please visit http://coffeeandhealth.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Coffee-and-a-Healthy-Diet-European-Infographic-FINAL-1.pdf / http://coffeeandhealth.org/2016/01/67-of-europeans-cant-imagine-life-without-coffee-but-over-a-third-dont-know-impact-on-their-health/  .