Tag Archives: Harvard University

Is Caffeine Beneficial

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Everywhere you turn, people are giving up caffeine. While there are some who are honestly allergic to it, most people do it because of peer pressure. Everywhere you look there are articles about how terrible caffeine is. The very first thing a newly expectant woman is told to do is give up caffeine. The very first instruction given to an individual who wants to “get healthy” is to give up caffeine. The first sign that a person wants to get healthier is almost always the relinquishing of caffeine. The truth is that there are several benefits linked to caffeine too. Seriously! Here are a few of the key advantages of caffeine.

A research study executed by Harvard University confirmed that men who consume about four cups of caffeinated coffee each day are a lot less likely to be stricken by Parkinson’s disease. Its likely that this happens because caffeine helps your brain’s dopamine molecules stay active. They believe it’s also possible that, due to caffeine’s blocking of adenosine receptors, the brain become less likely to develop amyloid-beta. That could be the brain plaque that has been linked to Alzheimer’s disease. While there aren’t any studies about if caffeine will actually make you smarter (that we know of), being able to lower the risk of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases is pretty cool.

There is of research that attests that caffeine raises your body’s blood pressure. This means that increased caffeine consumption could put you at higher risk for heart disease and failure. There have been studies, however, that say the alternative. Brooklyn College commissioned research that showed men who absorbed a few cups of coffee each day would be less likely to develop heart issues. The basic idea is that, if you don’t already suffer from hypertension then caffeine should not cause the problem to happen. If you do currently suffer from problems with your heart, though, you should avoid taking in caffeine.

There are some who believe caffeine may also help when you work out. Muscle contraction is definitely reliant on your body’s release of calcium. Adenosine will help the body regulate that. Caffeine blocks the actual brain’s adenosine receptors. While that sounds counterproductive the fact remains that if the adenosine receptors are blocked, the brain sets off electrical impulses. Those desires cause bursts of calcium release throughout your body. Because your muscles require calcium for working out, the extra calcium that gets released can help make your workout more effective.

Obviously, the main element to getting caffeine to work for you is taking it in in moderation. While caffeine might be good for disease prevention and increasing health, that isn’t a good excuse to go over the top in your consumption of it. The critical truth is that taking in a lot of caffeine is actually quite bad for you. When ingested in moderation, however, caffeine can really increase your overall health. Who couldn’t want to stop heart disease? Who doesn’t prefer to avoid Parkinson’s disease? Who doesn’t really want his or her work out plans to be more effective? Caffeine can definitely assist with all that–just so long as you don’t go overboard.

Not All High Cholesterol Foods Are Created Equal

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Do you shudder at the thought of eating high cholesterol foods?

The idea of those thick greasy fried foods running through your bloodstream thickening your arteries can be anything short of repulsive. The media and advertisers are all on the same bandwagon to sell the consumer foods that are low in cholesterol and low in fat.

Even though its true that some high cholesterol foods may not be so good for you, please note that not all high cholesterol foods are created equal.

That means that there are some high cholesterol foods that may actually be good for your health and your heart as well.

I remember seeing many patients in my 28 years of practice who were trying to lose weight and went on a strictly low or no fat diet.

Sure they lost weight, but were they healthy?

Some showed signs of dry and scaly skin, some even had eczema, others complained of cycle irregularity (in women) and almost all had signs of fatigue.

When the cholesterol goes too low, the hormones become affected. The body needs healthy fats to maintain proper hormone levels, the nerves need fats for the myelin sheath (which covers the brain and spinal cord), and the body uses fat to metabolize the fat soluble vitamins A,D,E,and K.

Keeping this in mind, I still recommend staying away from the bad high cholesterol fats. For example, frying foods at 300 degrees Fahrenheit creates oxidation, damages the oils and depletes the vitamin content.
It is best to avoid fried foods altogether, but if you must eat fried, please follow these helpful tips:

1.Fry on a lower flame. It will take longer, but you will be doing less damage to the food.

2.Use oils such as olive oil and coconut oil. They tend to be more stable under high heat then corn oil or canola oil.

3.Sautee your foods. The added water helps prevent overheating of the oils.

On the other hand, foods that you always thought are bad for you may even be good. For example, eggs may not be so bad after all, including the yolks. Eggs are a complete food. In fact the whites are high in choline and lecithin which helps reduce homocysteine and break down cholesterol.

In 1999, JAMA reported a study done at Harvard University which concluded that eating 2 eggs a day does not cause a health concern. This is the conclusion of many other studies as well.
We tend to let ourselves get swept away with strong media advertising, and even health professionals tend to recommend low cholesterol diets. Heart Disease is the number one killer in the US today.
Anyone who wants to cure himself of heart disease goes on a low cholesterol diet, and yet the statistics have not changed in years. Look at the studies and you will see that heart disease is not caused by high cholesterol foods, but foods that cause inflammation in the blood vessels. Such foods are trans fats, such as margarine and hydrogenated oils. These are typically found in many cakes and crackers (even many whole wheat crackers), and cream cakes. Read the labels.
Low glycemic index foods such as sugar, and simple carbs and of course your junk foods such as donuts, muffins, fast foods, candy, and the list goes on.

Do your own research, but get many differing opinions. That way you can come up with your own conclusions and develop a diet that can lead you on the path to a healthy heart.