Do Caffeine Pills Have Health Benefits?

Q. You’ve written about the health benefits of coffee. I don’t like the taste, so I get my caffeine from tablets (NoDoz). Am I getting the same benefits as those who drink coffee?
A. Coffee is much more than a caffeine delivery vehicle. There are at least 1,000 different compounds in a cup of brewed coffee and it’s hard to tease out the effects of caffeine from all the other chemicals.
Epidemiological studies have shown that coffee consumption is linked to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, April, 2010) and heart failure (Circulation: Heart Failure, online June 26, 2012).
Regular coffee can delay Alzheimer’s disease progression (Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, online June 5, 2012). Other chemicals in coffee may enhance the effects of caffeine on the brain (Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, July, 2011).
A recent study found serendipitously that regular coffee reduced neck and shoulder pain triggered by computer work (BMC Research Notes, online Sept. 3, 2012). Whether the subjects would have gotten the same results from a caffeine tablet is unknown.