PEN® eNews 15(3) March 2025 - All About Coffee
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® eNews is a monthly e-newsletter shared with the global PEN Community and created to help dietitians position themselves as leaders in evidence-based nutrition practice. In addition, users of the PEN System will find articles on the new evidence, resources and features available and how to maximize one's use of PEN.
What Can Nutritional Genomics Tell Us About Our Own Coffee Intake?
Much of the evidence surrounding coffee and caffeine intake suggests that coffee may affect different people differently. Our practice question "What is the scientific validity of nutrigenetic interactions related to caffeine intake?" provides details about how nutritional genomics can be used to identify your caffeine-related health risk.
The Question
What is the scientific validity of nutrigenetic interactions related to caffeine intake?
Recommendation
Identifying slow caffeine metabolizers (e.g. based on CYP1A2 polymorphisms) and reducing caffeine intake may reduce markers associated with the risk of hypertension, prediabetes and kidney disease.
Remarks
Individuals with AC and CC genotypes of CYP1A2 (rs762551) are considered slow caffeine metabolizers, and individuals with the AA genotype are considered fast metabolizers. In the included study, slow caffeine metabolizers represented more than half of the study sample.
To see the full practice question, including the Evidence Statements, Remarks and References, click here.
How Does Coffee Affect Symptoms For Individuals With IBS?
We know that having to follow a restrictive diet can negatively impact quality of life - and this is especially true for coffee! If we counsel clients to decrease their coffee intake, we had better make sure that this advice is evidence-based. Our PEN question "What effect does caffeine, coffee or tea have on irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms?" gives you the latest evidence to inform this decision for individuals with IBS.
The Question
What effect does caffeine, coffee or tea have on irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms?
Recommendation
Coffee consumption may decrease the odds of developing IBS. Coffee or caffeine consumption may worsen IBS symptoms, and NICE guidelines recommend limiting coffee and tea consumption to <3 cups daily as a precautionary measure.
Remarks
It should be noted that caffeine content and other physiological properties vary between and within caffeinated beverages.
To see the full practice question, including the Evidence Statements, Remarks and References, click here.
Caffeine and Diabetes
Did you know that we have an entire knowledge pathway examining the effect of caffeine in people with diabetes? Whether you’re wondering about the effect of caffeine on your risk of developing diabetes, the effect of caffeine on blood glucose and insulin, or the effect of caffeine on long-term complications of diabetes, this pathway has the answers to your questions.
Find our Diabetes - Caffeine Knowledge Pathway here.
ICYMI: PEN Nutrition Month Webinar Recording is Available!
On March 5, 2025, our PEN Nutrition Month Webinar highlighted some lesser-known topics relating to Coffee and Cardiovascular Health. In case you missed it, the recording is available for you to view with your PEN membership. You'll learn about the evidence surrounding the oils in coffee (cafestol and kahweol) and the optimal timing of your daily cup(s)!
The recording can be found here.
Did You Know?
Have you ever looked at the PEN website and wondered what some of the buttons were for? Well, we can teach you! Before you ask PEN your next question, check out our 60-second interactive tour of the PEN system to help you maximize your search.
If you scroll down on the PEN main webpage, you’ll see a section labelled “Intro to PEN”.
Click it, and you’ll see a section called “PEN Tours”. Click “Take the Tour”.
This will take you to the “PEN Tours” section. You’ll see a link called “Dashboard Tour”.
Click the link and browse through the prompts. It will take you less than 60 seconds to scroll through, and you’ll end with a better idea of how to find the information in PEN and which type of information you might be looking for.
Happy learning!
PEN eNews
March 2025 Volume
15 (3)
A Publication of the PEN® System Global Partners,
a collaborative partnership between International Dietetic Associations.
Learn more about PEN.
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