Korean Journal of Family Practice 2019;9(1):64-70

doi:10.21215/kjfp.2019.9.1.64

The Relationship between Serum C-Reactive Protein and the Coffee Consumption in the Korean Adult Men and Women

Yeon Jung KIM 1 ; Keun Mi LEE ; Seung Pil JUNG

Affiliations

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Keywords

Caffeine; Coffee; C-Reactive Protein; Alcohols

Country

Republic of Korea

Language

Korean

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Coffee is a rich source of dietary antioxidants and is one of the most popular beverages worldwide. In recent times, substantial research has been published on its anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effect in addition to its effect as a stimulant. Chronic low-grade inflammation is known to affect the pathogenesis of diverse diseases such as cerebrovascular and cardiovascular disease, cancer, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and obesity. Serum C-reactive protein (CRP) is a good marker of chronic inflammation in the body. Therefore, we examined the relationship between coffee consumption and serum CRP.METHODS: Participants were 759 men and 1,003 women, aged 20–64 years, who participated in the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2015. We categorized coffee consumption as follows: less than one cup a day, two to four cups a day, and five or more cups a day. Additionally, we classified women into pre- and post-menopausal women. Multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to evaluate the relationship between coffee consumption and serum CRP.RESULTS: Coffee consumption showed no measurable relationship with serum CRP in men and in pre- and post-menopausal women. However, serum CRP increased progressively with increase in coffee consumption in men reported high-risk alcohol use (P=0.005).CONCLUSION: Except for high-risk male drinkers, there is no association between coffee consumption and serum CRP.