It's surprising when something that was once considered questionable for your health turns out to have health benefits, usually with the proviso to use it "in moderation." That happened with chocolate and alcohol, and now it is coffee's turn, reports the February issue of the Harvard Health Letter.
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Reflecting on values promotes love, acceptance
No one enjoys being told that their behavior is harmful to themselves or others. In fact, most people respond defensively when confronted with evidence that their behavior is irrational, irresponsible, or unhealthy. Fortunately, research has shown that just a few minutes of writing about an important value can reduce defensiveness. Previous research by David Sherman at the University of California at Santa Barbara and his collaborators have shown that coffee drinkers are more willing to accept information that drinking coffee harms their health if they first write a few sentences about their most important value.
New study: Coffee drinkers have slightly lower death rates than people who do not drink coffee
A new study published today in
Annals of Internal Medicine has good news for coffee drinkers: Regular coffee drinking (up to 6 cups per day) is not associated with increased deaths in either men or women. In fact, both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee consumption is associated with a somewhat smaller rate of death from heart disease.
More on mate tea: lower cholesterol and an international agreement
When a study in her lab showed that mate (mah’ tā) tea drinkers had experienced a significant increase in the activity of an enzyme that promotes HDL (good) cholesterol while lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol, University of Illinois scientist Elvira de Mejia headed for Argentina where mate tea has been grown and taken medicinally for centuries.
In women, caffeine may protect memory
Caffeine may help older women protect their thinking skills, according to a study published in the August 7, 2007, issue of
Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Caffeine and exercise can team up to prevent skin cancer
Regular exercise and little or no caffeine has become a popular lifestyle choice for many Americans. But a new Rutgers study has found that it may not be the best formula for preventing sun-induced skin damage that could lead to cancer. Low to moderate amounts of caffeine, in fact, along with exercise can be good for your health.
Drinking 4 or more cups of coffee a day may help prevent gout
Long-term study links increased coffee consumption to decreased risk of gout in men over age 40
Coffee is a habit for more than 50 percent of Americans, who drink, on average, 2 cups per day. This widely consumed beverage is regularly investigated and debated for its impact on health conditions from breast cancer to heart disease. Among its complex effects on the body, coffee or its components have been linked to lower insulin and uric acid levels on a short-term basis or cross-sectionally. These and other mechanisms suggest that coffee consumption may affect the risk of gout, the most prevalent inflammatory arthritis in adult males.
You Snooze, You Lose? Not True
Tired after lunch or by mid-afternoon? You might think that you should go buy yourself some coffee. But according to UCSD researcher Sara Mednick, you’re better off taking a nap.
Coffee may cause a heart attack danger
U.S. scientists say they've determined a single cup of coffee might cause a heart attack in some people within an hour of drinking it.
