Is coffee bad for you?
More or Less
BBC
4.6 • 3.7K Ratings
🗓️ 24 August 2013
⏱️ 10 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
People who drink more than 4 cups of coffee increase their chances of dying by 50%, it was reported recently. Given everyone’s chance of dying is already 100%, this seems a puzzle. What does the research really say, and how reliable are the findings? Plus, Ruth Alexander interviews economist and Expecting Better author Emily Oster, who used her statistical training to assess the evidence for herself on what effect coffee, alcohol and certain foods have on pregnant women. This programme was first broadcast on the BBC World Service.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Thank you for downloading from the BBC. |
| 0:03.0 | For details of our complete range of podcasts and our terms of use, |
| 0:07.0 | go to BBCWorldService.com slash podcasts. |
| 0:13.0 | This is the short edition of Morales, |
| 0:15.0 | first broadcast on the BBC World Service. |
| 0:18.0 | Hello and welcome to Morales on the BBC World Service. |
| 0:22.0 | I'm Ruth Alexander. The BBC News announced this recently. |
| 0:26.0 | People who drink more than four cups of coffee a day could be shortening their lives. |
| 0:31.0 | A study of more than 40,000 people suggests that at that level, |
| 0:34.0 | coffee can increase the risk of dying by more than 50%. |
| 0:38.0 | Eagle-eared listeners Stuart and Andrew were quick to e-mailers |
| 0:41.0 | at more or less at bbc.co.uk. |
| 0:44.0 | How does coffee raise a likelihood that I understand |
| 0:47.0 | to be already 100% by a further 50%. |
| 0:51.0 | Does this mean their chances of dying go from 100% |
| 0:55.0 | to 150%. I think we should be told. |
| 1:00.0 | Now what the research which was carried out on people in the United States |
| 1:03.0 | actually said was this, |
| 1:05.0 | men and women aged under 55 who drank 28 cups of coffee a week |
| 1:09.0 | had a greater than 50% increased mortality risk. |
| 1:13.0 | Now what that means is explained by Dr Vivek Mutu, |
| 1:16.0 | director of a health care at the Economist Intelligence Unit |
... |
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