Mental Abilities: Caffeine Helps Women, but Not Men, Stay Sharp





By NICHOLAS BAKALAR


The caffeine in three cups of coffee or tea a day may help maintain mental sharpness in older women, but caffeine consumption appears to have no effect in men.
Stuart Goldenberg





The Neuroprotective Effects of Caffeine (Neurology)




French researchers studied more than 7,000 men and women with an average age of 74, following them over four years. They determined coffee and tea intake by interview, and they measured mental acuity with widely accepted tests of visual skills and verbal recall. They also recorded information on education, income, depression, and alcohol and tobacco use, among other factors. The study appears in the August 7 issue of Neurology.
After controlling for other variables, the scientists found that women at age 65 who drank three or more cups of coffee or tea a day were about one-third less likely to have a significant decline in verbal skills than those who drank a cup or less. By age 85, they were 70 percent less likely to suffer those deficits compared with women who drank less than a cup of coffee or tea. There were not enough cases to detect an effect on Alzheimer’s disease.
Karen Ritchie, the lead author and a research director with the French National Institute for Health and Medical Research, said it was unclear why caffeine had no effect in men. “It may be that men and women metabolize caffeine differently or that there is a hormonal interaction.
“In any case,” she continued, “please don’t rush out and start drinking coffee. To suddenly start drinking large quantities of coffee is still really premature as a preventive measure.”

^^^nytimes.com

Sorting Out Coffee’s Contradictions

By JANE E. BRODY

When Howard D. Schultz in 1985 founded the company that would become the wildly successful Starbucks chain, no financial adviser had to tell him that coffee was America’s leading beverage and caffeine its most widely used drug. The millions of customers who flock to Starbucks to order a double espresso, latte or coffee grande attest daily to his assessment of American passions.




Coffee and TeaCaffeine Decaffeinated coffee or tea, 8 oz. 2 mgs Black tea, brewed, 8 oz. 47 Green tea, brewed, 8 oz. 30 to 50 Plain coffee, brewed, 8 oz. 95 Starbucks Coffee Grande, 16 oz. 330 Soft drinks and energy drinks Coca-Cola Classic, 12 oz. 35 Diet Coke, 12 oz. 47 Mountain Dew, 12 oz. 54 Red Bull, 8.3 oz. 76 Monster Energy, 16 oz. 160 SoBe No Fear, 16 oz. 174 Foods and other products Hershey’s chocolate milk, 8 oz. 5 Hershey’s milk chocolate, 1.5 oz. 10 Dannon coffee yogurt, 6 oz. 30 NoDoz Maximum Strength, 1 tablet 200



Although the company might have overestimated consumer willingness to spend up to $4 for a cup of coffee — it recently announced that it would close hundreds of underperforming stores — scores of imitators that now sell coffee, tea and other products laced with caffeine reflect a society determined to run hard on as little sleep as possible.
But as with any product used to excess, consumers often wonder about the health consequences. And researchers readily oblige. Hardly a month goes by without a report that hails coffee, tea or caffeine as healthful or damns them as potential killers.
Can all these often contradictory reports be right? Yes. Coffee and tea, after all, are complex mixtures of chemicals, several of which may independently affect health.
Caffeine Myths
Through the years, the public has been buffeted by much misguided information about caffeine and its most common source, coffee. In March the Center for Science in the Public Interest published a comprehensive appraisal of scientific reports in its Nutrition Action Healthletter. Its findings and those of other research reports follow.
Hydration. It was long thought that caffeinated beverages were diuretics, but studies reviewed last year found that people who consumed drinks with up to 550 milligrams of caffeine produced no more urine than when drinking fluids free of caffeine. Above 575 milligrams, the drug was a diuretic.
So even a Starbucks grande, with 330 milligrams of caffeine, will not send you to a bathroom any sooner than if you drank 16 ounces of pure water. Drinks containing usual doses of caffeine are hydrating and, like water, contribute to the body’s daily water needs.
Heart disease. Heart patients, especially those with high blood pressure, are often told to avoid caffeine, a known stimulant. But an analysis of 10 studies of more than 400,000 people found no increase in heart disease among daily coffee drinkers, whether their coffee came with caffeine or not.
“Contrary to common belief,” concluded cardiologists at the University of California, San Francisco, there is “little evidence that coffee and/or caffeine in typical dosages increases the risk” of heart attack, sudden death or abnormal heart rhythms.
In fact, among 27,000 women followed for 15 years in the Iowa Women’s Health Study, those who drank one to three cups a day reduced their risk of cardiovascular disease by 24 percent, although this benefit diminished as the quantity of coffee rose.
Hypertension. Caffeine induces a small, temporary rise in blood pressure. But in a study of 155,000 nurses, women who drank coffee with or without caffeine for a decade were no more likely to develop hypertension than noncoffee drinkers. However, a higher risk of hypertension was found from drinking colas. A Johns Hopkins study that followed more than 1,000 men for 33 years found that coffee drinking played little overall role in the development of hypertension.
Cancer. Panic swept this coffee-dependent nation in 1981 when a Harvard study tied the drink to a higher risk of pancreatic cancer. Coffee consumption temporarily plummeted, and the researchers later concluded that perhaps smoking, not coffee, was the culprit.
In an international review of 66 studies last year, scientists found coffee drinking had little if any effect on the risk of developing pancreatic or kidney cancer. In fact, another review suggested that compared with people who do not drink coffee, those who do have half the risk of developing liver cancer.
And a study of 59,000 women in Sweden found no connection between coffee, tea or caffeine consumption and breast cancer.
Bone loss. Though some observational studies have linked caffeinated beverages to bone loss and fractures, human physiological studies have found only a slight reduction in calcium absorption and no effect on calcium excretion, suggesting the observations may reflect a diminished intake of milk-based beverages among coffee and tea drinkers.
Dr. Robert Heaney of Creighton University says that caffeine’s negative effect on calcium can be offset by as little as one or two tablespoons of milk. He advised that coffee and tea drinkers who consume the currently recommended amount of calcium need not worry about caffeine’s effect on their bones.
Weight loss. Here’s a bummer. Although caffeine speeds up metabolism, with 100 milligrams burning an extra 75 to 100 calories a day, no long-term benefit to weight control has been demonstrated. In fact, in a study of more than 58,000 health professionals followed for 12 years, both men and women who increased their caffeine consumption gained more weight than those who didn’t.
Health Benefits
Probably the most important effects of caffeine are its ability to enhance mood and mental and physical performance. At consumption levels up to 200 milligrams (the amount in about 16 ounces of ordinary brewed coffee), consumers report an improved sense of well-being, happiness, energy, alertness and sociability, Roland Griffiths of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine reported, although higher amounts sometimes cause anxiety and stomach upset.
Millions of sleep-deprived Americans depend on caffeine to help them make it through their day and drive safely. The drug improves alertness and reaction time. In the sleep-deprived, it improves memory and the ability to perform complex tasks.
For the active, caffeine enhances endurance in aerobic activities and performance in anaerobic ones, perhaps because it blunts the perception of pain and aids the ability to burn fat for fuel instead of its carbohydrates.
Recent disease-related findings can only add to coffee’s popularity. A review of 13 studies found that people who drank caffeinated coffee, but not decaf, had a 30 percent lower risk of Parkinson’s disease.
Another review found that compared with noncoffee drinkers, people who drank four to six cups of coffee a day, with or without caffeine, had a 28 percent lower risk of Type 2 diabetes. This benefit probably comes from coffee’s antioxidants and chlorogenic acid.

^^^nytimes.com

A cuppa Joe is good for more than a quick pick-me-up.

By Dan Fields

Move over, green tea? Recent studies indicate that coffee drinkers are less likely to develop Alzheimer's, colon cancer, and diabetes compared to non-drinkers, and they're also less apt to die from heart disease. To be sure, coffee isn't for everyone: It can cause insomnia, anxiety, and irregular heartbeat in some people, and too much caffeine during pregnancy can increase miscarriage risk. Plus, specialty coffee drinks (like Starbucks Frappuccinos) can be high in calories. But if coffee's your drink of choice, let's look at the many ways that coffee can boost your health.
^^^beliefnet.com/health

DRINKING COFFEE CUTS ALCOHOL HARMFUL EFFECTS

source: msnbc.msn.com

CHICAGO - Coffee may counteract alcohol’s poisonous effects on the liver and help prevent cirrhosis, researchers say.
In a study of more than 125,000 people, one cup of coffee per day cut the risk of alcoholic cirrhosis by 20 percent. Four cups per day reduced the risk by 80 percent. The coffee effect held true for women and men of various ethnic backgrounds.
It is unclear whether it is the caffeine or some other ingredient in coffee that provides the protection, said study co-author Dr. Arthur Klatsky of the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in Oakland, Calif. Of course, there is a better way to avoid alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver, Klatsky said.



WILL THE COFFEE EFFECT CHANGE YOUR DRINKING HABIT?
“The way to avoid getting ill is not to drink a lot of coffee, but to cut down on the drinking” of alcohol, he said.
The participants ranged from teetotalers, who made up 12 percent of the total, to heavy drinkers, who made up 8 percent. The researchers calculated the risk reductions rate for the whole group, not just the drinkers.
Not all heavy drinkers develop cirrhosis, an irreversible scarring of the liver that hurts the organ’s ability to filter toxins from the blood. Klatsky said the new findings may help explain why some people’s livers survive heavy alcohol use.
Hepatitis C and some inherited diseases can also cause cirrhosis. But the study found coffee did not protect the liver against those other causes of scarring.
Improved liver function
The same study found coffee drinkers had healthier results on blood tests used to measure liver function, whether or not they were heavy alcohol users. Coffee’s effect on reducing liver enzymes in the blood was more apparent among the heavy drinkers in the study.
Cirrhosis from all causes kills more than 27,000 Americans a year and sends nearly 400,000 to the hospital.
The findings, published in Monday’s Archives of Internal Medicine, build on reports that coffee also may reduce the risk of liver cancer.
The data came from members of a Northern California health plan. Their coffee consumption was noted only at the beginning of the study, which the researchers admitted was a limitation. They were followed for an average of 14 years.
The researchers found no reduced risk of cirrhosis for tea drinkers. Tea has less caffeine than coffee and there were fewer heavy tea drinkers in the study, so if caffeine is the protective ingredient, an effect may not have shown up for tea in the study, Klatsky said.

WHY IS COFFEE SO ADDICTIVE?
Millions around the world consume coffee. It has been well documented that coffee also helps you to stay awake. Is there an addiction to coffee that we are not aware of? Well, if you are dependant on a chemical then you will become sick from not being able to take it. This sickness I am referring to is called with drawls. A recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows that when some regular coffee drinkers are suddenly deprived of their morning coffee, they usually get headaches. Fatigue and depression are usually associated with coffee with drawls, and many people are unable to function at their usual level of efficiency. Students have trouble learning and writers may have trouble concentrating. An article in the Journal of the American Medical Association described one worker who made errors that cost thousands and another who kept her head on the desk trying to catch a nap. Most of the people withdrawing from coffee went to bed early as if they just ran out of gas.

Is it really the coffee that keeps them going? Well, that all depends on many factors, and the main factor is the amount of coffee consumed. Most people who drink a cup or two in the morning are less likely to feel drained if they miss their fix the next day. Those who drink 4 to 10 cups a day may crash and burn (figuratively speaking) without their coffee. Why is that? Is the reason caffeine consumption? Coffee contains a large amount of caffeine. The more coffee you drink the more antsy you will become. You may have the shakes, irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, or insomnia from consuming to much caffeine. What is it about coffee that makes people over consume it? It may be the stimulation one receives you know that burst of fast energy that coffee gives you after you wake up. After all a cup of coffee has been called a cup of ambition. It seems to motivate people to start their day. Can this be a mental addiction?

Mental addiction is defined as if one believes that he or she is addicted to something with no real basis, so they become mentally addicted. If you switch your coffee to decaf and do not tell anyone you did it then if they say "this coffee taste different" you say, "it is a new brand of coffee" they may function just as well as if they had the real thing. A study in a college in Pennsylvania showed that students at a party who thought they were drinking alcoholic beverages were just as drunk as those who really were. Why? The students were stimulated with the thought of getting drunk. This profound experiment proved that the mind is fully capable of fooling itself into believing something that is not true. If you see it then it is real. If you smell it then it is real. If you taste it then it is real. Non-alcoholic beer looks, smells, and tastes just like regular alcoholic beer. This same theory can also be applied to caffeine drinks. Right? Decaffeinated soft drinks taste horrible, but decaf coffee tastes close enough to the real thing. Take the test and see if your coffee is truly addictive, or is it mental. You may be surprised at the results.

^^^streetdirectory.com

The beneficial effects of coffee

Coffee has prooven beneficial effects over persons suffering from astma. 2 to 4 small cups of coffee through-out the day will help them reduce the recurency of astma-attacks and moderate their intensity.

Coffee contains natural antioxidants called 'flavonoids' that are wide known as disease protectors.

The beneficial effects of moderate caffeine consumption are wide recognised: caffeine works on alertness, mood, sensorial activity and memory. Of course, you may choose to take your daily caffeine intake from other foods and beverages: chocolate, carbonated drinks based on coca-nuts extract, tea.

Beside these effects, somewhat prooven by the medical society, I would mention one more: the pure pleasure of sipping a good cup of coffee. If every person on this planet would do this every day, I believe there would be less wars, suicides, health problems, people suffering from depression etc. etc. But I could be wrong.

By: Iulia Pascanu-streetdirectory.com

Specialty Coffee Can Enhance the Coffee Experience

Do you remember a time when coffee was served black with sugar on the side, no cream, flavors or any other such fancy alterations. Coffee was meant to give you with a good dose of energy and nothing else therefore it was served in tiny little cup which still exist today. Those small cups are still used to serve black coffee which is called espresso.

Over the years a desire to enjoy the magic drink of coffee evolved into a desire for more than just the small espresso cup. People began to use larger cups and mugs to desire the quantity they desired.
Well, that was not the only thing that changed. In order to add color to that magic cup of coffee in our lives people started experimenting with different ingredients. This was the beginning of the specialty coffee.

What is specialty coffee? At first it was flavored coffee. The flavor was added to the grounds and brewed to create a flavored coffee. Coffee evolved even more though.

Cappuccino, cafe latte, mochas, machiatto and all other coffee drinks that are different than the original clack coffee are specialty coffee types. There are many different types of coffee creations like cinnamon, chocolate, hazelnut, caramel and vanilla flavored coffee to name only a few. Only your imagination limits what you can invent as your own specialty coffee. You can put in anything you desire your coffee to taste like.

The most common specialty coffees however remain cafe latte, cappuccino and cafe mocha. It is these coffee drinks that have been practiced and passed on from country to country. Today they are so famous that anywhere you go you will be safe to order a cafe latte and not worry that the coffee shop will not understand your order.

Does the experience of specialty coffee diminish over time? Not at all and if anything, it enhances the coffee experience by adding the extra spice or flavor for your enjoyment. Many people simply cannot have coffee just by itself. They find it too strong and overpowering thus, a bit of flavor helps them to enjoy a cup of coffee as well.

The advent of specialty coffee has opened the doors to many other possibilities as far as drinking coffee is concerned. Yet those who prefer to have black coffee can still do so by ordering the famous coffee espresso.

Regardless of how you take your coffee, rather it be black or with cream, flavored or plain, a cappuccino or a cafe latte, you have to admit that this wonderful drink has only improved our lives with its rich aromas and taste morning, evening and night,whenever you desire. You do not have to have a day without coffee.

^^^streetdirectory.com

Coffee pods

Is there anyone that dares say he or she hasn't ever enjoyed a cup of coffee? Be that as it may; the hypnotizing aroma of that mystique steaming dark fluid can draw you like a magnet would do to iron filings. It is not for nothing that coffee is the most famous beverage apart from chocolate and tea. Being known as king of all beverages, coffee is known to almost everyone in the world. Coffee plantations spread around the world are well known for their exotic and flowery aroma, while the coffee pods that are grown there are cherished by millions of people around the globe.

Coffee pods are the essential ingredients that are used in the making of coffee powder. There are several types of coffee pods that grown around the world. Coffee pods are also known as coffee beans and these pods are freshly roasted, ground fine and tempered to the right air pressure and then encapsulated in a piece of paper. Pods are usually made to a size of around 44m sieve with almost 7 gm of coffee per pod. Also known as espresso pods, these fine smelling pods are a simple method to make a fine cup of espresso that too with an amazing taste.

Several sizes of coffee pods are now sold in coffee shops, however, mainly the two sizes are being used by many coffee making machines. The 44mm pod is used mainly in espresso pump machines, and the 62mm pod used in Philips Senseo and black & decker home cafe machines. An excellent coffee brew is prepared by using pure blends of either Arabica or Robusta coffee pods.

^^^streetdirectory.com

The Best Cup of Drip Coffee Possible

With a “good" cup of coffee costing almost as much as a good sandwich these days, more and more people are taking to making their coffee at home from an “old fashioned" drip coffee machine. With the influence of Starbucks and the others out there, people are demanding a better cup of coffee all of the time. This article should help you make the best cup of drip coffee possible.

Coffee from a can just doesn’t work for the general public anymore. You know what I’m talking about and it sounds as lousy to you as it does to me. The good news is that great coffee beans can be obtained at pretty much any grocery store. If you use coupons (and if you don’t, shame on you), you should do quite well if you aren’t too worried about the brand name. My tip for you – worry about quality more than anything else. The big stores like Sams Club and Costco offer big bags of coffee beans at some very good prices. Your author’s favorite, in case you’re interested, is Kirkland brand (two pound) of Espresso Roast (Starbucks) that you can find at Costco.

Be willing to experiment with different bean types to find the kind of coffee you like best. For what it is worth, more times than not, I’ve found that a good espresso roast makes a great cup of drip coffee as well. Do experiment though, you just might be surprised at what you find.

Good beans deserve a good grind. You’d be surprised at the difference between a good grind and a bad one. If you don’t have a good grinder at home, consider grinding the beans at the store where they were purchased as the grinders there often do a great job. Burr grinders are the best, and the most expensive.

It is probably obvious but good water makes a difference as well. The more things you take out of the water, the better your coffee will taste.

A good drip machine is also a must. More than anything else, the warming element is what you need to worry about. If you find that your coffee often has that scalded burned taste, the warmer might be too hot. And, of course, there is seldom a way to change that so, … you’ll need a new machine.

Consider the French Press alternative. French presses are dirt cheap, make an incredible cup of coffee, and never leave you worrying about overactive warmers, water tube build-up and the like. Remember that the grind for French Press is different than normal drip coffee so grind accordingly.

What about people stuck in a bad coffee situation in the office or somewhere else? Here’s a trick that can help with some issues: Bring in a cinnamon shaker and dash a little on the grinds before starting the machine. This will give the coffee a bit more taste, hide some of the bad taste and help with the aroma. Grab the coffee as soon as is brewed and, most of all, lobby for better coffee.

You’re worth it.

^^^streetdirectory.com

Children should be given vitamin D drops daily, Scotland's health chief

The chief medical officer of Scotland, Sir Harry Burns has sad that all the children aged between six months and five years must be given vitamin D drops on a daily basis.

Sir Harry also said that pregnant women should take the vitamin daily to protect themselves from bone disease and other illnesses. He has written to the health professionals outlining the risks of vitamin D deficiency among children and women.

He wrote in the letter that all pregnant and breastfeeding women should intake a 10 micrograms dose everyday. It also said that the people aged 65 and over who do not get much direct sunlight should also take a dose of 10 micrograms daily.

The Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to high rates of multiple sclerosis in Scotland by several health studies. The main reasons for lower Vitamin D among people in Scotland include lack of sunshine and a diet low in oily fish. Sir Harry also said that the daily dose would allow children to meet the requirement of 7 to 8.5 micrograms of vitamin D per day.

“My colleagues and I are writing a joint letter to health professionals to increase awareness of this important issue, highlighting the fact there are steps that people who may be at risk of vitamin D deficiency, such as pregnant women, infants and young children, can take to avoid low levels,” said Sir Harry.


http://www.topnews.in/children-should-be-given-vitamin-d-drops-daily-scotlands-health-chief-2356614

Exercise is really good for the body...

Hi and thanks...

LOL...I said a bit, right? anyway nice meeting you here, help me out, am a newbie! God bless you SanneHan

There are times when two people need to step apart from one another, but there is no rule that says they have to turn and fire.
~Robert Brault, www.robertbrault.com

There's one sad truth in life I've found
While journeying east and west -
The only folks we really wound
Are those we love the best.
We flatter those we scarcely know,
We please the fleeting guest,
And deal full many a thoughtless blow
To those who love us best.

~Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Having someone wonder where you are when you don't come home at night is a very old human need.
Margaret Mead

http://www.lexiyoga.com/relationship-quotes

“We are all here for some special reason. Stop being a prisoner of your past. Become the architect of your future.” – Robin Sharma

“Don’t let the past steal your present” – Cherralea Morgen

“In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on.”
― Robert Frost

I just love reading quotes...they make me happy, sad and strong (LOL)

try to post here too guys, God bless everyone

Here's a start...

“You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.”
― Mae West