Instant coffee warning as scientists discover it could cause disease that destroys your eye sight
Read on for telltale signs of the common eye disease that affects over-50s
WAKE UP CALL Instant coffee warning as scientists discover it could cause disease that destroys your eye sight
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
DRINKING instant coffee could increase the risk of a sight-robbing eye condition, research suggests.
People at high risk of the disease should avoid instant brews, scientists from the Hubei University of Medicine in China said.
Sign up for Scottish Sun
newsletter
Sign up
1
Chemicals in instant coffee may increase the risk of AMD, scientists have suggested
Credit: Getty
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a common eye condition that first affects people in their 50s.
While it won't cause total blindness, it can make things like reading and recognising faces difficult, and symptoms get worse without treatment.
A study used genetic data from more than 500,000 people found a statistically significant link between instant coffee intake and the risk of dry AMD - one of the forms of the sight-robbing disease.
In contrast, ground coffee and decaffeinated brews bore no links to AMD.
"Our results revealed a genetic correlation between instant coffee consumption and dry AMD," wrote corresponding author Siwei Liu, from the Department of Ophthalmology in Shiyan Taihe Hospital at the Hubei University of Medicine.
"Instant coffee may increase the risk of AMD, and reducing its intake could help prevent dry AMD.
"People at high-risk for AMD should avoid instant coffee."
AMD is a common eye disease and "one of the leading causes of irreversible blindness", researchers said.
There are two types of it, wet AMD and dry AMD.
Dry AMD is the most common form and it doesn't mean a person has dry eyes. It refers to damage to the macula - an area of the retina that allows you to see figures, shapes and details right in front of you - from abnormal protein deposits.
Three signs your dry eyes could be signalling a killer disease - when to see your GP
Wet AMD is less common but more severe, developing more quickly.
"Epidemiological studies indicate that AMD affects nearly 200 million people worldwide, with the number expected to reach 290 million by 2040," the study authors wrote in Food Science and Nutrition.
"Research has shown that genetic factors play a major role in the development of AMD.
"However, given the unclear disease mechanisms and the complexity of treatment, slowing disease progression and timely prevention are particularly important."
Previous research has suggested that drinking coffee may help lower the risk of AMD
"In contrast, our study provided a more detailed stratification of coffee types and yielded different results, indicating potential biases in previous research," the study authors stated.
Their results showed "a potential genetic correlation between instant coffee consumption and both dry and wet AMD".
"We found that instant coffee significantly increases the risk of AMD," researchers said.
Symptoms of age-related macular degeneration (AMD)
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) affects the middle part of your vision, not the edges (peripheral vision).
You can get it in one eye or both.
The first symptom is often a blurred or distorted area in the centre of your vision.
If it gets worse, you might struggle to see anything in the middle of your vision.
AMD can make things like reading, watching TV, driving or recognising faces difficult.
Other symptoms include: Seeing straight lines as wavy or crooked
Being sensitive to bright light
Seeing flickering or flashing lights
Seeing things that are not there (hallucinations)
Source: NHS
But the analysis couldn't show that coffee consumption can directly cause AMD, they noted.
To conduct their study, the Chinese researchers used data from the UK Biobank that included details on people's coffee consumption - including how much coffee they drank in total and whether it was instant, ground or decaffeinated.
They also obtained health data, including diagnoses of AMD.
The study authors conducted a genetic analysis, to find out if genetic variants associated with coffee preferences also are also linked to AMD risk.
They also looked at whether there were any shared genetic variants between intake of ground, decaffeinated or instant coffee and AMD risk.
Researchers found a significant overlap between the genetic predisposition to instant coffee intake and the risk of dry AMD, suggesting shared DNA signals between the two traits across the human genome.
There was no such link for other types of coffee.
There was also no link between coffee intake and the risk of wet AMD.
But researchers did find that drinking instant coffee was linked to increased risk of the sight-robbing disease. The risk increased along with instant coffee consumption.
These findings suggest that processing byproducts, additives, or chemicals found only in instant coffee may contribute to the risk of dry AMD.
The paper suggests that instant coffee can contain acrylamide, oxidised lipids, and other compounds not present in fresh brews.
Researchers said people with early-stage AMD and patients with a genetic predisposition to AMD should consider reducing their intake of instant coffee, opting for ground beans instead.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
4 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Suicide pod inventor ‘vows to bring device to UK' after assisted dying vote despite mystery over ‘murder' of woman
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE inventor of the controversial Sacro "suicide pod" has vowed to bring the death device to the UK - despite it facing scrutiny over the alleged murder of a woman. It comes as MPs on Friday passed a landmark assisted dying bill in a knife-edge final vote. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 The Sarco pod on 23 September at the location where it was allegedly used Credit: AFP 4 The Sarco's inventor Philip Nitschke enters the pod in a demonstration Credit: AP 4 MPs have voted in favour of legalising assisted dying by 314-291 votes 4 Campaigners in favour of the assisted dying bill gathered outside the Houses of Parliament today to celebrate the result Credit: AFP Terminally ill adults are set to be given the legal right to end their lives. The decision paves the way for the biggest shake-up in end-of-life care in decades after weeks of furious lobbying on both sides. The Bill now moves to the House of Lords for further scrutiny before it can become law. If passed, it would mean adults in England and Wales with fewer than six months to live will be allowed to apply for a medically assisted death, under strict safeguards. Dr Philip Nitschke, who invented the bizarre-looking Sacro pod used in assisted dying, said he hoped to use the device in the UK. It is a human-sized pod which replaces the oxygen inside it with nitrogen, causing death by hypoxia. Dubbed the "Tesla of euthanasia", it is self-operated by a button on the inside, providing death without medical supervision. A camera inside records their final moments, and the video is handed to a coroner. Dr Nitschke said: 'As soon as we know that the final legislation is in place, we'll start enthusiastically pursuing the option of using the device in the UK. 'We'll be looking to find UK-registered doctors to assist, and of course, someone who wants to use it and satisfies all of the requirements under the law. First woman to die in 'suicide pod' may have been strangled, prosecutor claims "The doctors involved would know that this would attract attention and possible close scrutiny, which by and large most doctors aren't enthusiastic about, so we'd have to find someone who's a little crusading.' Dr Nitschke invented the Sarco in 2012. Last year, he developed a double pod that could be used by a couple who wish to die together, The Times reports. He said: 'If we were able to make use of the device available in the UK, there would be quite a few more applications, I imagine, because people want to die in their own home, or more importantly, be able to take the Sarco to some nice place in the UK rather than having to try and go to some strange country.' The suicide pod activist started the process of assisted dying using the pod last year with The Last Resort organisation - an assisted dying group based in Switzerland. However, the pod became the centre of an alleged murder investigation after the first woman to die inside it was allegedly found with strangulation marks on her neck. The anonymous woman, 64 and identified as an American citizen, died last year inside the controversial capsule set up in a forest in Switzerland. The woman is said to have initiated the dying process herself by pressing a button while lying in the pod in the middle of the forest. What measures are included in the bill? THE Assisted Dying Bill is one step closer to becoming law, meaning terminally ill adults are set to be given the legal right to end their lives. But the Bill - which has undergone significant changes at each stage - doesn't come without strict safeguards. Many things have been stripped out, so what remains? APPROVAL FROM DOCTORS AND AN EXPERT PANEL When the Bill was originally proposed, it was planned that a High Court judge would have the final say in each and every case. It comes after Labour's Kim Leadbeater had dismissed warnings that judges couldn't handle the cases due to scarce capacity, insisting her Bill would be the 'most robust' in the world. But Ms Leadbeater amended her legislation. The last-minute tweak, proposed just hours before MPs began debating the Bill in February, sparked a backlash — throwing its future into doubt and turning former supporters cold. However, applications will now need the approval of two doctors and a new expert panel. This will be made up of a legal figure, psychiatrist and social worker — a key change from the original plan. EATING DISORDERS MPs accepted an amendment ruling out eligibility for anyone seeking to die solely due to stopping eating or drinking. Ms Leadbeater stressed the Bill would exclude those with eating disorders. It followed concern over the wording of the potential law would provide a loophole for those with anorexia to end their own lives. The Liberal Democrat MP Sarah Olne tabled the amendment. The Royal College of Psychiatrists also expressed concern over any people with mental disorders such as anxiety or depression using the Bill in a similar way. END-OF-LIFE CARE Another amendment requiring ministers to assess the impact on palliative care within a year also passed. Charity Marie Curie warning this alone would not "make the improvements needed" in end-of-life care. REFLECTION PERIOD Some parts of the Bill have stayed the same, however. Two doctors must be independently satisfied a person is eligible for assisted dying. The medics must do their assessments at least seven days apart. There must be a 14-day "reflection period" if the High Court decides the patient can undergo assisted dying. If the two doctors are still satisfied once the period has been completed, the patients will be prescribed lethal drugs. THE PAPERWORK Brits who want to end their lives early must show have the mental capacity to make a choice about ending their life. They must also be deemed to have expressed a clear, settled and informed wish, free from coercion or pressure. If the patient can prove this, they will then have to make two separate declarations, witnessed and signed, saying they want to die. WHAT IS IN THE BILL? The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill applies to those over 18, who are living in England or Wales, and have been registered with a GP for at least 12 months. They must have the mental capacity to make the choice. They must be informed and free from coercion or pressure before making the choice. According to the Bill, they must have a terminal illness and be expected to die within six months. It requires them to declare their wish twice, both witnessed and signed. Two doctors must be satisfied that these requirements are met before the application is approved. A doctor would prepare the substance being used to end the patient's life, but the person would take it themselves. Coercing someone into declaring they want to end their life will be illegal, with a possible 14-year prison sentence. However, a forensic expert who checked her body shortly after she died found injuries near her neck that appeared similar to strangulation marks. The American woman was reportedly terminally ill and had been dying for two years. She was diagnosed with Osteomyelitis - a disease that could have manifested the alleged injury marks on her neck - according to Dutch media. But her death raised a host of legal and ethical questions in Switzerland, where active euthanasia is banned but assisted dying has been legal for decades. Cops took several people into custody, including Dr Florian Willet, the president of The Last Resort organisation. The right-to-die activist, 47, suffered a mental breakdown after being arrested by Swiss Police last year, according to Dr Nitschke. As part of the probe, prosecutors investigated whether he strangled the woman, but that was ruled out. Willet was released in December after being held in pre-trial detention for 70 days. He reportedly died in Germany with the help of a specialist organisation, though it is not known exactly how he died.
Scottish Sun
9 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
‘Disc-shaped' UFO spotted by US military in eerie footage newly released to public – ‘It has implications that are huge'
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) EERIE new footage taken by the US military has captured a never-before-seen disc-shaped UFO mysteriously darting through the air. Independent journalist Jeremy Corbell leaked the video and said he was stunned by the "implications" of the jaw-dropping sight. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 5 A 'disc-shaped' UFO has been captured in video taken by US military Credit: X/Jeremy Kenyon Lockyer Corbell 5 Independent journalist Jeremy Corbell released the footage Credit: KCAL 5 The object appears to zoom through the clouds before abruptly going the opposite direction Credit: X/Jeremy Kenyon Lockyer Corbell He published the video on his social media on Tuesday, which captures the unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) soaring through the clouds. Corbell said the clip has made history because of the object's shape. Most UFOs caught on camera have a sort of pill shape, but this one looks straight out of a science-fiction movie. The video was taken by the military on November 23, 2020, and it was released after Corbell spent years verifying the footage with inside sources. He said that US officials themselves admitted the UAP was a "disc" with an unknown origin. They said the craft "displayed abrupt movement and intelligent control" as it can be seen flying to the right before suddenly changing directions. The UFO also noticeably doesn't give off any heat signatures or signs of thermal propulsion like a normal aircraft would. Between the never-before-seen shape and the bizarre movement, Corbell said the sighting "has implications that are huge," he told the Daily Mail. "This is the first time in history that military filmed footage of a disc-shaped UAP, designated as such by the military, has been captured on camera and released to the public," he said. Corbell explained that it was "astonishing" that a UFO of that shape could nimbly dart through the air without emitting heat signatures. UFO zooms past cruise ship at 'almost imperceptible speed' in eerie video as onlookers gasp 'what was that-!' "It's a perfect-looking disc, maybe it's an orb," he told NBC News. The object is believed to be between 200 and 400 meters in diameter, but Corbell said that the size is debated. It was captured flying around the border region of Afghanistan and Pakistan, according to coordinates seen in the corner of the video. The military still considers the object a UAP and continues to investigate the sighting, according to Corbell. 5 Corbell said that the object of the UAP is a first of its kind Credit: X/Jeremy Kenyon Lockyer Corbell 5 US military enhanced the video quality using artificial intelligence Credit: X/Jeremy Kenyon Lockyer Corbell CORBELL'S CALL The journalist claims that he's spoken with service members who had first-hand experience witnessing the footage. He called for Congress to respond to the video and said that military whistleblowers are ready to testify and describe what they saw. Corbell hopes that releasing this footage will encourage transparency from officials who witness UAPs. "The source is legit. We know it's real," Corbell's cohost George Knapp said in their podcast Weaponized. "It was not supposed to be made public. But it should've been." Corbell previously told The Sun that UFOs have been kept a secret so that militaries can adapt their technology for warfare. And he released disturbing details about a "huge alien aircraft" that was caught hovering over a US military base.
Scottish Sun
9 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Kate breaks silence after pulling out of Ascot to share poignant message about kids with ‘serious health conditions'
KATE SPEAKS OUT Kate breaks silence after pulling out of Ascot to share poignant message about kids with 'serious health conditions' Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) PRINCESS Kate has spoken out in celebration of the "life-changing work" of children's hospice staff. The Princess of Wales, 43, pulled out of her only appearance at Royal Ascot on Wednesday as aides balance her return to full time duty after her cancer diagnosis. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 6 Kate was spotted alongside the family attending Trooping the Colour earlier this week Credit: Getty 6 The princess has slowly been returning to royal duties after going into remission in January Credit: Getty But she returned to work writing a personal message to mark the end of Children's Hospice Week. Kate is Royal Patron of East Anglia Children's Hospices (EACH), and in January this year became the Royal Patron of Tŷ Hafan Children's Hospice in South Wales. In a letter shared in social media she wrote: "No parent expects to hear that their child has a serious health condition that could shorten their life. "Sadly, this is the reality faced by thousands of families across the country, leaving them heart-broken, fearful of the future and often desperately isolated. Royals news PECKING ORDER Sweet moment King Charles kisses Sarah Ferguson's hand at Royal Ascot "Being able to access the support of one of the UK's 54 children's hospices means they don't have to face that future alone. "As Patron of East Anglia's Children's Hospices and Tŷ Hafan Children's Hospice in South Wales, I have the immense privilege of seeing for myself the extraordinary work of our children's hospices. "Lifting spirits through laughter, fun and play, as well as listening, holding, caring and sharing, they support children and families through life, death and beyond. "This Children's Hospice Week, I hope you will join me in celebrating the life-changing work they do and thanking them for the vital care they provide to children and families experiencing the most challenging times." 6 Her Royal Highness wrote the heartfelt message to mark Children's Hospice Week Credit: Instagram 6 The princess has been Royal Patron of East Anglia's Children's Hospices since 2012 Credit: Instagram This comes after Kate pulled out of her Royal Ascot appearance last Wednesday. She was listed as arriving in the carriage procession with Prince William, however, moments later, the palace revealed that the mother-of-three had to drop out last minute to continue with her recovery. It is understood that Kate was "disappointed" not to go but has "to find the right balance" on returning to full time duty. Since announcing in January she is in remission, the princess has been gradually returning to public duties. Recent days have seen her attend Trooping the Colour and Order of the Garter, as well as making a visit to V&A East Storehouse last week. However, it is understood that Kate is trying to find the balance as she fully returns to public-facing engagements that have featured an element of flexibility since her cancer diagnosis in March 2024. Prince William was spotted putting on a brave face in his wife's absence, as he drank beer and joked with fellow royals. He was seen greeting others in the grandstand and cheering on horses and jockeys during a sunny day two of racing. Other royals in attendance at this year's Ascot include King Charles and Queen Camilla, who were spotted cheering on from the Royal Box, and Sarah Ferguson, alongside her daughter Princess Beatrice. The national Children's Hospice Week is led by children's palliative care charity Together for Short Lives and the event is dedicated to raising awareness of children's hospice services. Nick Carroll, CEO of Together for Short Lives, said about Kate: "Her ongoing support for Children's Hospice Week over many years has helped to raise much-needed awareness of the life-changing work children's hospices do, every day of the year. "Their extraordinary lifeline care for children with life-limiting and life-threatening illnesses enables families to make the most of their lives together, whether that's for years, months or only hours." 6 Kate stunned at Trooping the Colour this week as her and Charlotte wore matching teal dresses Credit: PA
