A morning coffee might seem the perfect kick-start to your day – yet new research shows it could worsen symptoms of chronic pain.
Drinking a lot of coffee is likely to lead to heightened pain ordeals for the elderly, the study reveals.
Conversely, those who eat a lot of oily fish can ease their pain.
Those with a fish-heavy diet saw a drop in pain levels of up to 44 per cent over two years, compared to those who cut their consumption.
Researchers say compounds in fish lower inflammation, while higher levels of coffee may make nerve cells more sensitive to pain.
‘Our findings have substantial implications for public health, particularly in managing chronic pain among older people,’ said the report by Nicolaus Copernicus university in Torun, Poland.
Scientists tracked 205 healthy people aged over 60 for two years, measuring pain level and comparing coffee and fish consumption.
Pain was recorded on a ten-point scale, from zero for no pain to ten for suffering in agony.
Men and women who ate more fish had a drop in pain intensity of 4.45 points, compared to those who cut the amount they ate.
An increase in coffee drinking, compared to a decrease, was linked to a 6.56 surge in pain intensity.
The team added: ‘The association between increased coffee consumption and heightened pain suggests a role for caffeine in exacerbating pain perception.
‘While low doses of caffeine may enhance analgesia in acute pain, chronic high intake, as likely reflected in our participants, may heighten pain sensitivity by sensitising neurons.’
