Coffee And Bacon: The Math Mistake That Makes Health Studies So Misleading
Anything found to reduce the risk of death by 15% seems like something doctors ought to be imploring us to do. And yet, when a study out of Harvard led to headlines promising exactly this benefit from three cups a day of coffee, the researchers did not suggest anyone pick up the habit.
Here’s the New York Times on the alleged coffee advantage:
Compared with abstainers, nonsmokers who drank a cup of coffee a day had a 6 percent reduced risk of death, one to three cups an 8 percent reduced risk, three to five cups a 15 percent reduced risk, and more than five cups a 12 percent reduced risk.
Here’s the New York Times on the alleged coffee advantage:
Compared with abstainers, nonsmokers who drank a cup of coffee a day had a 6 percent reduced risk of death, one to three cups an 8 percent reduced risk, three to five cups a 15 percent reduced risk, and more than five cups a 12 percent reduced risk.