Coffee wench

Coffee, the black morning gold! The smell of freshly ground beans or freshly brewed coffee is just fantastic. Whether it comes in a thermos, a cup or in a glass of steamed milk, coffee is definitely an important part of the morning ritual. Enjoying a cup of coffee while staring blankly out the window, or deep into a crackling fire is just lovely. But more often it's consumed while choking a yawn and rubbing your eyes by the coffee machine at work. When I tried to get pregnant last year, I cut out coffee, and the morning was not quite the same with decaffeinated alternatives. Not mye head either for that matter, the caffeine abstinence felt quite loud until I got used to it. When the pregnancy plans were put on hold, it did not take long before I was back on the coffee and I easily drink 3-4 cups before lunch. After lunch, my inner coffeewench is usually satisfied. But if it's a special occasion she can handle a cup or two in the afternoon. 

One might think that coffee and caffeine were something to avoid when you have lupus, but a study indicates that coffee can actually have a positive effect on lupus. It may not be based on as many patients (89), but patients with low caffeine intake had more frequent manifestations and were more often treated with cortisone. Those with high caffeine intake also had lower levels of cytokines. Cytokines are involved in the regulation of the inflammatory response. There are several types of cytokines, some of which are associated with increased disease activity in lupus. Those who had high coffee intake had lower levels of these cytokines. Now, I don't have access to the study itself, only the abstract and the conclusion, so I did not see what was defined as high and low intake. Something similar has been seen when it comes to cardiovascular disease. Compared with those who drank 0 cups a day, those who drank 3.5 cups daily had a 15% lower risk of cardiovascular events. Those who drank 5 cups had 5% less risk. So I really see no reason to cut that delicious, black, morning gold just yet.

Kilder:
https://www.lhl.no/sunnere-liv/ernaring-mat-og-helse/kaffe-hjertehelse-og-kolesterol/
​www.lupus.org/news/first-study-to-assess-the-impact-of-caffeine-on-lupus-disease-activity-steroid-use-and-other
journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0961203320941920?journalCode=lupa
arthritis-research.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/ar3349
https://www.emjreviews.com/rheumatology/article/cytokines-and-inflammatory-mediators-in-systemic-lupus-erythematosus/