http://news.yahoo.com/video/brokennewsdaily-28854714/does-coffee-make-you-live-longer-29333070.html
Showing posts with label Coffee. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Coffee. Show all posts
Saturday, 19 May 2012
Wednesday, 16 May 2012
How to Pick Up The Pieces Of Your Life
Every so often, whether it’s after a long hard spate of work, finishing a big project, ending a relationship or recovering from a crisis (big or small) I find myself repeating the same rituals of recovery. If at any point in the process I feel lost or unbound and ungrounded, I just have to get back into the order of this list and all becomes well again. Last week I took some time off from work to recover from a busy few months and it worked again. Maybe it will work for you, too?
Wednesday, 28 March 2012
Coffee drinking not linked to chronic illness: study
A cafe employee poses for a picture as she drinks from a cup at the Kofein cafe
REUTERS - Coffee drinkers have no more risk of getting illnesses such as heart disease or cancer, and are less likely to develop type 2 diabetes, according to a German study involving more than 40,000 people over nearly a decade.
The findings, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, came in the wake of many previous studies that produced conflicting results, with some tying coffee drinking to an increase in heart disease, cancer, stroke and more.
"Our results suggest that coffee consumption is not harmful for healthy adults in respect of risk of major chronic disease," said Anna Floegel, lead author of the study and an epidemiologist at the German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke.
The researchers collected information at the beginning of the study on coffee drinking habits, diet, exercise and health from more than 42,000 German adults without any chronic conditions.
For the next nine years, the team followed up on the participants every two or three years to see whether they developed any health problems, particularly cardiovascular disease, stroke, heart attack, diabetes and cancer.
They found that coffee drinkers and non-drinkers were similarly likely to develop one of those illnesses.
For instance, 871 out of 8,689 non-drinkers developed a chronic disease, compared to 1,124 out of 12,137 people who drank more than four cups of caffeinated coffee a day -- about 10 percent in both groups.
On the other hand, the researchers found that coffee drinkers were less likely to develop type 2 diabetes, the form that does not need insulin and is linked with obesity, than those who didn't drink coffee.
Among those who drank four cups a day, 3.2 percent later reported that they had type 2 diabetes, compared to 3.6 percent of people who drank no coffee.
After taking into account factors that could influence diabetes, such as weight and smoking, the researchers determined that frequent coffee drinkers were 23 percent less likely to develop diabetes, a result that squares with other studies.
That doesn't mean that coffee is responsible for preventing type 2 diabetes, but experiments in animals have hinted that certain chemicals found within coffee could positively affect metabolism.
"We do not encourage people to start drinking coffee if they do not enjoy this, but the overall evidence on coffee and health suggests that there is no reason for persons without specific health conditions to reduce their coffee consumption in order to reduce their risk of chronic diseases," said Rob van Damn, a professor at National University of Singapore, who was not involved in the study. SOURCE: http://bit.ly/zbuAYd
(Reporting from New York by Kerry Grens at Reuters Health; Editing by Elaine Lies and Michael Perry)
Coffee culture carries caffeine risk
By Bae Ji-sook in Seoul/The Korea Herald | Asia News Network
Seoul (The Korea Herald/ANN) - Koreans are definitely caffeinated: They love coffee, cola and chocolate as well as foods that contain a large amount of the stimulant.
Though it has been less than two decades since global coffee shopfranchises were introduced to the country, industry insiders said about 37 million cups of coffee are sold every day, which means that 24 million economically active people drink more than one cup of coffee a day.
"I love coffee. I started with easy 'coffee mix,' powdered coffee extract with powdered cream and sugar. But now I am addicted to brewed coffee, which smells and tastes better. I drink about 4-5 cups a day," said Kim Seo-yeon, a 32-year-old office worker. "Right after I wake up in the morning, after I have my lunch, during an afternoon break and while I watch TV at night, I always sip coffee."
In addition to the frequent consumption of cola and chocolate, caffeinated energy drinks are gaining popularity among teenagers, who struggle to stay up at night to study.
However, experts warn that excessive caffeine intake could be harmful, especially since they are disguised with flavors, making easy to consume too much.
Caffeine is known for its short-term relief of fatigue or drowsiness since it stimulates the brain and nervous system. It is also known to speed up the dissolution of fat, which may lead to weight loss.
Usually, caffeine leaves the body through the urine system hours after it has been consumed, so there is not much to worry about in regards to intake. But if excessively consumed, it could lead to a fast heart rate, anxiety, depression, difficulty in sleeping, nausea, restlessness, tremors, frequent urinating or vomiting. It even has some reported withdrawal symptoms of drowsiness, headaches, irritability, nausea and vomiting.
"About 400 milligrams of caffeine is tolerable for adults, 300mg for pregnant women, or 2.5 milligrams per kilogram of weight," said Dr. Seo Jeong-wan of Ewha Womans University Medical Center. "It is equivalent to three-four cups of brewed coffee. But it could easily be filled by drinking 250 milliliters of cola, one canned coffee and 1 gram of chocolate, too. Therefore, people should watch what they are eating."
Seo said teenagers should be extra alert about caffeine intake since they are in a critical stage of bone formation.
"If you drink caffeinated drinks instead of dairy, the facilitation of urination will take away the essential calcium and curb the growth of bone. If you are an adult, osteoporosis could be forecasted, too," he added.
He advised teenagers to not rely on caffeine to overcome drowsiness.
"It could lead to insomnia if you take it for too long. Open the window, do stretching and eat food that are abundant in vitamin C such as citrons and other fresh fruits," he said.
Seoul (The Korea Herald/ANN) - Koreans are definitely caffeinated: They love coffee, cola and chocolate as well as foods that contain a large amount of the stimulant.
Though it has been less than two decades since global coffee shopfranchises were introduced to the country, industry insiders said about 37 million cups of coffee are sold every day, which means that 24 million economically active people drink more than one cup of coffee a day.
"I love coffee. I started with easy 'coffee mix,' powdered coffee extract with powdered cream and sugar. But now I am addicted to brewed coffee, which smells and tastes better. I drink about 4-5 cups a day," said Kim Seo-yeon, a 32-year-old office worker. "Right after I wake up in the morning, after I have my lunch, during an afternoon break and while I watch TV at night, I always sip coffee."
In addition to the frequent consumption of cola and chocolate, caffeinated energy drinks are gaining popularity among teenagers, who struggle to stay up at night to study.
However, experts warn that excessive caffeine intake could be harmful, especially since they are disguised with flavors, making easy to consume too much.
Caffeine is known for its short-term relief of fatigue or drowsiness since it stimulates the brain and nervous system. It is also known to speed up the dissolution of fat, which may lead to weight loss.
Usually, caffeine leaves the body through the urine system hours after it has been consumed, so there is not much to worry about in regards to intake. But if excessively consumed, it could lead to a fast heart rate, anxiety, depression, difficulty in sleeping, nausea, restlessness, tremors, frequent urinating or vomiting. It even has some reported withdrawal symptoms of drowsiness, headaches, irritability, nausea and vomiting.
"About 400 milligrams of caffeine is tolerable for adults, 300mg for pregnant women, or 2.5 milligrams per kilogram of weight," said Dr. Seo Jeong-wan of Ewha Womans University Medical Center. "It is equivalent to three-four cups of brewed coffee. But it could easily be filled by drinking 250 milliliters of cola, one canned coffee and 1 gram of chocolate, too. Therefore, people should watch what they are eating."
Seo said teenagers should be extra alert about caffeine intake since they are in a critical stage of bone formation.
"If you drink caffeinated drinks instead of dairy, the facilitation of urination will take away the essential calcium and curb the growth of bone. If you are an adult, osteoporosis could be forecasted, too," he added.
He advised teenagers to not rely on caffeine to overcome drowsiness.
"It could lead to insomnia if you take it for too long. Open the window, do stretching and eat food that are abundant in vitamin C such as citrons and other fresh fruits," he said.
Wednesday, 7 March 2012
5 Things You Didn't Know About Chocolate
By The Editors of WOMEN'S HEALTH | Vitality
If you're like most women, you're totally smitten with chocolate. People have been obsessing over this comfort food for thousands of years (the Mayans considered cocao a cure-all and the Aztecs used it as money). And all that obsessing has yielded some pretty surprising studies--and findings. Here, five things you need to know about your favorite indulgence.
1. It Can Boost Your Workout
Skip the expensive sports drinks and protein shakes. Research shows chocolate milk is just as effective a recovery aid.
A study published in the journal Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolismcompared the effects of a recovery drink and chocolate milk on endurance athletes' ability to recover after a series of bike sprints followed by an endurance ride the next day. They found that chocolate milk was just as effective at relieving muscle soreness after the sprints, and preparing the athletes to perform in the endurance test the next day. Better yet, everyone preferred the taste of chocolate milk.
2. Your Period Doesn't Make You Crave It
Half of American women experience chocolate cravings. Of those of who do, about half crave it right around "that" time of the month.
And while it's nice to have your menstrual cycle to blame when you find yourself noshing on half a package of chocolate chip cookies, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania found that menstrual hormones aren't the culprit. They compared the cravings of pre- and post-menopausal women and didn't find any change. They did, however, find a higher prevalence of cravings among women who suffer from PMS.
Why? Annmarie Kostyk, a chocolate expert who studied at the Professional School of Chocolate Arts, Ecole Chocolat, in Canada, says this has a lot to do with the psychology behind comfort foods. "Chocolate is sociologically considered a comfort food, and people crave comfort foods when they feel terrible," she says.
3. It Won't Wake You Up
It's a common misconception that chocolate is packed with caffeine, says Kostyk. In reality, the amount of caffeine in chocolate is miniscule compared to what's in your other daily pick-me-ups.
An ounce of dark chocolate contains about 20 milligrams of caffeine, while an ounce of milk chocolate contains about 5 milligrams--the same as an 8-ounce cup of decaf coffee. In comparison, a cup of coffee contains about 100 milligrams and a cup of tea contains about 50 milligrams of caffeine.
4. It Contains Flavonoids
Flavowhats? Flavonoids are a type of phytochemical, or plant chemical, that are found naturally in chocolate. Due to their unique chemical structures, flavonoids can exert antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and cell-protective effects, says Giana Angelo, Ph.D., a research associate who specializes in micronutrient research at the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University. Consuming foods rich in flavonoids has also been associated with a reduced risk of heart disease.
To reap the benefits, stick to dark chocolate. The average commercial dark chocolate contains about 60 percent cocao and has been found to contain 536 milligrams of flavonoids per 1.4-ounce serving. Research has shown that as few as 80 milligrams of flavonoids a day can lower blood pressure.
5. It's Not All Bad for Your Teeth
How could a food that's long been touted as a cavity-causer actually have teeth-protecting properties? It turns out that theobromine, an organic molecule that occurs naturally in cocoa, can help strengthen tooth enamel, according to research from Tulane University.
In fact, it takes 142 times less cocao extract to have about twice the protective benefits of fluoride, according to the American Dental Association. Unfortunately, theobromine isn't too beneficial in chocolate bars, where the sugar and milk counteract the dental benefits. Enter Theodent, a fluoride-free mint toothpaste that packs a punch of theobromine ($10, theodent.com).
TELL US: What's your favorite way to enjoy chocolate?
--By Kristen Domonell, Women's Health
http://shine.yahoo.com/vitality/5-things-didnt-know-chocolate-162200875.html;_ylt=AoGxcB6PrKYI.lQ_fxEZVaJabqU5;_ylu=X3oDMTNqOGxrOHA2BGNjb2RlA2N0LmMEcGtnA2UwMWVjM2U5LThkODMtM2FiMC1iZTk0LWY3OGY5ZmYxMDdjNQRwb3MDNQRzZWMDbW9zdF9wb3B1bGFyBHZlcgNjYzY1YmRiYS02NzA2LTExZTEtOWFkZS1iODYyODM0YjY4NTY-;_ylg=X3oDMTFrM25vcXFyBGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDBHBzdGNhdAMEcHQDc2VjdGlvbnMEdGVzdAM-;_ylv=3
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