By Etre Vous
Along with the sun, the weather, stress and spicy food, hot beverages are a commonly reported rosacea trigger. But the impact of drinking coffee—which is often served hot—on the condition has been unclear.However, a recent study suggests that caffeinated coffee consumption is inversely associated with rosacea. The findings support the hypothesis that the blood vessel-constricting effect of the caffeine in coffee counteracts the blood vessel-dilating effect associated with hot beverages, thereby being protective against the chronic inflammatory skin condition.
Using a large database from the UK, the researchers looked at over 490,000 caffeinated coffee and tea drinkers to determine if there was any correlation between their caffeinated drinking status and rosacea diagnosis, in comparison to decaffeinated and non-coffee or tea drinkers.
They discovered that caffeinated coffee drinkers had lower odds for rosacea diagnosis compared to non-coffee drinkers. As little as 100mg of caffeine a day—or about the amount in an average 8oz cup of coffee—resulted in a 4 percent lower risk of rosacea, compared with those who drank less than a cup a month. Moreover, those who drank four or more cups of coffee a day had a 23 per cent lower risk of developing the disorder.
Surprisingly, patients who drank decaffeinated coffee were not found to have a significantly altered risk for rosacea diagnosis. And while overall caffeine intake was found to be associated with decreased risk of rosacea, there was no significant correlation found between the consumption of other caffeinated substances like tea, soda or chocolate and rosacea risk.
There was no significant difference in rosacea diagnoses between non-coffee drinkers, nor between tea drinkers and non-tea drinkers.
While more research into the impact of caffeine on rosacea is needed, the study reinforces past research finding that coffee may reduce the risk for rosacea, and further debunks the myth that caffeine is the driving force behind rosacea flare-ups.
Coffee lovers, rejoice!
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