From: Ellen K. 

Unless they controlled for everything else the people ate, as well as their
exercise levels, I wouldn't give much creedence to this.  It could well be
that the caffeine group felt more energetic and therefore exercised more,
or that the presence or absence of caffeine in the diet inclines a person
to consume different amounts of fat.

On Wed, 16 Nov 2005 20:55:03 -0500, "Rich Gauszka"
 wrote in message :

>Decaf only for the overweight?
>
>http://www.guardian.co.uk/frontpage/story/0,16518,1644391,00.html
>
>Decaffeinated coffee may cause heart problems, warns US study
>
>ù Researchers find link with cholesterol levels
>ù Survey of 187 drinkers based on 3-6 cups a day
>
>Drinking decaffeinated coffee may be bad for your heart - a finding that
>will come as a shock to those who think ridding the beverage of its powerful
>stimulant might make it better for them.
>A study comparing the cardiac health of 187 coffee drinkers yesterday
>suggested decaf versions of the world's most popular drink could help raise
>"bad" cholesterol, which at high levels can lead to disease
of the arteries.
>But overweight people may do better to stick with decaf since, among them,
>there were higher levels of "good" cholesterol, which has
been linked to
>improved prospects for avoiding heart disease.
>
>Researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health, the prime public
>health bodies in the US, reported their "very surprising"
findings by poster
>at the American Heart Association's scientific meetings in Dallas. They
>compared levels of caffeine in the blood and indicators of general heart
>health before and after three months of steady coffee drinking or
>abstinence. The coffee drinkers, who had three to six cups of home-brewed
>black coffee a day, were in two groups, one on a caffeinated brand, the
>other on decaf.
>
>The study found the decaf group experienced an average 18% rise in fat in
>the blood, the fuel that increases bad cholesterol, and had higher incidence
>of a protein called ApoB, which is associated with bad cholesterol. There
>was little overall difference generally in levels of a particular form of
>good cholesterol called HDL2, although within the decaf group there were
>significant differences depending on people's body fat. Among those who were
>overweight, HDL2 increased by about half, yet in those who were not
>overweight, levels fell by 30%.
>
>
>

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