The Good And Bad About Coffee

By Carol Chuang 

Coffee is one of the most popular drinks in the world - it is also mega business. Coffee plants are cultivated in more than 70 countries. It is an important export commodity for Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Africa. Half the population in America drinks coffee on a daily basis. Starbucks, founded in 1971, is now the world's biggest coffeehouse chain with over 20,000 stores in more than 60 countries. In the last five years (2009-2013) alone, Starbucks' share price has risen more than seven-fold.

Given this widespread popularity, it is no surprise that many people have wondered if drinking coffee is an unhealthy habit. Caffeine, after all, is a stimulant drug and is addictive. For decades, medical advice from organizations like the American Heart Association has indicated that coffee may lead to high blood pressure and is bad for your heart. You may even have been told that coffee will give you an ulcer. However, in recent years, there has been an enormous amount of new research that has just pretty much exonerated coffee.

Is coffee good or bad for you? The following summarizes the latest findings on coffee and how it may actually benefits your health. Further, if you are a regular coffee drinker, there are certain things about coffee that you should also be aware of. Lastly, know that coffee may not be appropriate for everyone, if you have certain conditions, you should not be drinking coffee at all.

Latest Research On The Health Perks Of Coffee

Although not every single study shows coffee to have health-promoting properties, the majority is rather positive.

Apart from caffeine, coffee contains a natural blend of polyphenol antioxidants, bioflavonoids, B vitamins, and minerals such as magnesium, potassium, and chromium. Research shows that not only are the non-caffeine components of coffee anti-inflammatory, they work together synergistically to help neutralize the harsher effects of the caffeine. In addition, coffee may actually activate beneficial pathways in our bodies at the DNA level.

These studies show that moderate coffee consumption on a regular basis reverses cognitive impairment, cuts cancer risk, stabilizes blood sugar, and benefits the heart. In other words, coffee helps reduce the risk of many diseases:

·       Alzheimer's disease

·       Cancer (including breast, colon, endometrial, kidney, liver, and oral)

·       Diabetes (type 2)

·       Heart disease (including heart rhythm problems and stroke)

·       Parkinson's disease

·       Prostate cancer

Important Facts For Coffee Drinkers

Even though coffee may have all the amazing health benefits, not all coffee is the same. Besides, how and when you drink it makes a difference too.

Always choose organic. Coffee is a crop that is heavily sprayed with pesticides, therefore, you should select only coffee beans that are certified organic. Whenever possible, purchase sustainable "shade-grown" coffee to help prevent the continued destruction of the tropical rain forests and the birds that inhabit them.

Always buy whole bean. Only purchase whole beans that smell and taste fresh, not stale.

You do not want to buy pre-ground coffee because you never know whether it is already rancid by the time you get it.

Darker roast is superior to light roast. The darker roasts, such as French, Italian, or those used to make expresso and Turkish coffee, are higher in neuroprotective agents than the lighter roasts. Dark roast coffee restores blood levels of the antioxidants vitamin E and glutathione more effectively than light roast coffee. Dark roast coffee is also easier on your stomach as it contains a chemical that prevents your stomach from producing excess acid.

Best time to drink coffee is in the morning. According to some research, coffee may increase your metabolism by up to 20 percent. Therefore, having a cup of organic coffee or one shot of espresso in the morning is ideal. If you exercise in the morning, have your coffee before workout as studies show that coffee boosts athletic performance, not after as the caffeine may interfere with your body's muscle-building mechanism. However, do not go overboard, one or two cups in the morning should be the maximum for the day.

Drink your coffee without sugar, artificial sweetener, or commercial creamers. Otherwise, you are undoing all the health benefits of coffee. Excess sugar intake increases the risk of insulin resistance, suppresses the immune system, and perpetuates addictive food behavior. If you like dairy and can tolerate it, you may add organic or preferably grass-fed whole milk or cream to your coffee. Skim or non-fat milk often has more sugar than whole milk, while commercial creamers tend to have unsavory ingredients.

Avoid flavored and novelty coffees. These products usually contain a myriad of chemical additives.

Use non-bleached filters. If you use a drip coffee maker, avoid using the bright white chlorine-bleached filters. Some of the chlorine may leach into the coffee during the brewing process. The bleached filters may also contain dangerous disinfection byproducts such as dioxin.

Avoid plastic cups. Be careful about the container you drink your coffee from. Plastic cups may leach BPA and Styrofoam cups may leach polystyrene molecules. Your best bets are glass, ceramic, or stainless steel coffee mugs.

When Coffee Is Not Right For you?

If you are pregnant, you should completely avoid using caffeine.

If you have an issue with decreased adrenal function or adrenal fatigue, caffeine can actually create more stress on your adrenal glands. In this day and age, many people are constantly stressed and fatigued, and rely on caffeine for sustained energy to get through the day. If this is the case, it is a tell-tale sign that your body is not functioning properly and you need to address the underlying problems.

Adrenal fatigue can wreak havoc on your health. The adrenal glands affect every organ and system in the body - from metabolism of carbohydrate, protein, and fat, to fluid and electrolyte balance, cardiovascular system, immune system, hormonal system, and even your sex drive. Therefore, if you have adrenal fatigue, pumping your system with caffeine is merely going to aggravate your problem in the long run.

Coffee has a diuretic effect. If you have problems with electrolyte balance, you may want to avoid it too.

If you drink coffee and have problems falling asleep or tend to wake up in the night, you may be caffeine sensitive. Caffeine levels vary depending on the type of roast, grind, and brewing method. Darker roasts contain less caffeine than lighter roasts. The finer the grind, the higher the caffeine in the coffee. Drip coffee has more caffeine than espresso because the brew time is much longer. If you experience sleep issues from the caffeine, you may want to vary your type of roast, grind, or brewing method or cut down on the amount you drink every day and make sure you only have coffee early in the morning.

If you experience stomach cramping, heart palpitations, or other symptoms after drinking coffee, you may actually have a food intolerance. There is also the possibility of mold (coffee is a dried food and may contain mold) or other contaminants in the coffee that trigger a physical reaction.

What About Decaffeinated Coffee?

To date, there is yet conclusive evidence showing whether decaf coffee holds up to the benefits of caffeinated coffee. Limited studies were conducted using decaf coffee but the ones that do seem to be promising. However, since caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant and can result in dependence and withdrawal symptoms, decaf coffee is probably the way to go if you like the taste of coffee.

When you buy decaf coffee, always choose organic and Swiss Water Process, which is a chemical-free method to extract caffeine. Beware that almost all decaf coffee found in coffeehouses and grocery stores is processed with the chemical solvent ethyl acetate. You want to avoid this type of decaf coffee as traces of chemical solvent still remain in the coffee.

Decaf coffee by law has to have at least 97 percent of the caffeine removed. For reference, a shot of espresso at Starbucks has 75 mg of caffeine, a short (8-oz) brewed coffee has 175 mg, a tall (12 oz) 260 mg, and a grande (16 oz) 330 mg. As you can see, if you have several cups a day, the caffeine can add up rather quickly.

In conclusion, coffee is loaded with antioxidants and beneficial nutrients that benefit your health. However, be cautious with the stimulant effect of caffeine as it can become extremely addictive. Caffeine is also a source of stress for your adrenal glands. Therefore, drinker be aware! If you like the taste of coffee, mixing regular with decaf may be a good way to gradually cut down on your dependence of caffeine.

Carol Chuang is a Certified Nutrition Specialist and a Metabolic Typing Advisor. She has a Masters degree in Nutrition and is the founder of CC Health Counseling, LLC. Her passion in life is to stay healthy and to help others become healthy. She believes that a key ingredient to optimal health is to eat a diet that is right for one's specific body type. Eating organic or eating healthy is not enough to guarantee good health. The truth is that there is no one diet that is right for everyone. Our metabolisms are different, so should our diets. Carol specializes in Metabolic Typing, helping her clients find the right diet for their Metabolic Type. To learn more about Metabolic Typing, her nutrition counseling practice, and how to get a complimentary phone consultation, please go to http://cchealthcounseling.com/

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Vitamin D: Why It's Easy to Be Deficient

By Dr. Zen-Jay Chuang

Have you ever seen pictures of children with extremely bowed legs? It is a condition called rickets and it's from low levels of vitamin D, causing the bones to become soft and weak.

Vitamin D is crucial for bone health. It helps your body keep a good balance of calcium and phosphate in the blood. With low vitamin D levels, children can develop rickets and adults can develop osteomalacia, a condition in which weak bones cause bone pain, fractures, and muscle weakness.

Vitamin D also has many other functions in the body. It helps control the growth of your cells, improves your immunity, provides nerve and muscle strength, and reduces disease-causing inflammation in your body.

Some studies suggest it may help with type 2 diabetes, weight loss, multiple sclerosis, high blood pressure, depression, heart disease, colon cancer, and other types of cancer.

Nursing home residents seem to have significantly fewer falls when they start a daily vitamin D supplement.

While the jury is still out on all of the studies related to vitamin D, we know it is essential that you have enough but not too much so that it becomes harmful. Simply put, you need to have optimal levels of vitamin D.

How Do You Get Enough Vitamin D?

There are 3 ways for you to get vitamin D:

1. Your skin makes vitamin D through sunlight

2. You can get vitamin D from food

3. You can take a vitamin D supplement

Let's start with the sun on your skin.

As a general rule, exposure of the face, hands, arms, and legs to sunlight 2 to 3 times a week may produce enough vitamin D to stay healthy. Exposure should be about 1/4 of the amount of time it takes for you to get a mild sunburn. Depending on your skin color, this can mean from 5 to 30 minutes of sun exposure between 10 am and 3pm.

It is the ultraviolet B radiation in sunlight that helps your skin make vitamin D. Complete cloud cover reduces this radiation by about 50%. Shade, including the shade from severe pollution, reduces this ultraviolet B radiation about 60%.

How about food?

Surprisingly, there are not too many foods that are naturally high in vitamin D. The following list includes the foods highest in vitamin D:

Vitamin D Measured in IUs:

Cod liver oil, 1 tbsp, 1,360

Swordfish, cooked, 3 oz., 566

Sockeye Salmon, cooked 3, oz., 447

Mackerel, canned, 3 oz., 214

Sardines, canned, 3 oz., 197

Tuna Fish, canned in water, drained, 3 oz., 154

Orange juice Vitamin D-fortified, 1 cup, 137

Milk, Vitamin D-fortified, 1 cup, nonfat, reduced fat, & whole, 115-124

The abbreviation IU stands for "international unit" and is what you will find on food and supplement labels.

The third source of vitamin D is from supplements.

In general, there are two different forms of vitamin D on the market: ergocalciferol (also known as vitamin D2) and cholecalciferol (also known as D3). I will discuss their effectiveness in the following section.

How Much Vitamin D Do You Need?

Well, if you can get enough sun on your skin as described above, you really do not have to worry about getting more vitamin D from food and supplements.

On the other hand, food and supplements can provide a healthy dose of vitamin D if you have any (or a combination) of the following risk factors for low vitamin D:

·       You do not spend enough time outdoors, especially in the sun.

·       You live in a northern latitude, especially north of the Philadelphia-San Francisco line. For example, in Boston, there is not enough sunlight to make vitamin D in your skin for about 4 months of the year. If you go further north to Edmonton, Canada, your skin cannot make vitamin D for 5 months of the year.

·       You have been following your dermatologist's suggestion of liberally using sunscreen to protect yourself from the sun's radiation.

·       You have darker skin. Skin pigment reduces the skin's ability to absorb the ultraviolet radiation in the sun. In a bathing suit, a light-skinned person spending 10-12 minutes under peak July sun in Boston can make 10,000 to 20,000 international units of vitamin D. It will take an Asian Indian person, who has darker skin, about 30 minutes to make as much vitamin D. It will take an African American with very dark skin about 120 minutes to make the same amount of vitamin D.

·       You are obese. Fat cells hoard vitamin D. This reduces the circulating vitamin in your blood.

·       Your have a medical condition such as Crohn's disease, celiac disease, and cystic fibrosis that impairs your gut's absorption of vitamin D.

·       You are a strict vegetarian.

·       Your kidneys are impaired so they cannot activate the vitamin D you have.

·       You are older than 65. This means your skin makes less vitamin D, your gut may not absorb nutrients as efficiently, and your kidneys may not activate vitamin D as effectively. Even in sunny South Florida, as many as 40% of older people have low vitamin D levels.

If you have any of these risk factors, how many international units of vitamin D should you aim for a day?

This depends on whom you talk to. In recent years, various scientific authorities came up with different amounts of vitamin D that they consider good for your daily intake through food and supplements.

To spare you the confusing numbers and arguments, here is the bottom line.

If you are an adult, aim for 600 to 2000 IUs of vitamin D a day from your food and supplements.

And if you get vitamin D from supplements, keep in mind that unit for unit, cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) is better used by your body than ergocalciferol (vitamin D2).

In general, vitamin D3 is about 3 times more powerful than vitamin D2.

How Do You Know if You are Vitamin D Deficient?

If you are low on vitamin D, you may have bone pain and muscle weakness. But, often the symptoms of low vitamin D are very subtle. And even without any clear symptoms, low vitamin D can badly affect your health in different ways.

Your doctor can order a simple blood test, 25-hydroxy vitamin D, for you. Again, the normal range for vitamin D also varies according to different authorities. But here is what you need to know: a level of 30 to 50 ng/mL is considered optimal for bone health and overall health.

If your blood test suggests that you are very low on circulating vitamin D, your doctor may give you a prescription for high-dose treatment for a period of time. Make sure you follow his or her directions.

Can You Get Sick From Too Much Vitamin D?

Yes you can!

Too much vitamin D in your body can make you not want to eat, lose weight, urinate excessively, and have abnormal heartbeats. Even more seriously, it can make your blood calcium level too high, resulting in damage to your heart, blood vessels, and kidneys.

Unless you are under close monitoring by you doctor, do not take over 4000 international units of vitamin D from food and supplements a day. Exceeding this dose will increase your risk for having a toxic overload of vitamin D.

On the other hand, your skin will not make too much vitamin D from sunshine. Your body is such a marvelous creation that when you get too much sun, your skin actually rids itself of the extra vitamin D automatically.

Keep reading to discover the keys for defusing ticking health bombs that could be lurking in your body. Click here to discover the medical secrets necessary to know so you can live a better, longer, healthier life.

Don't miss your opportunity to discover the secrets to defusing ticking health bombs that could be lurking in your body. It is possible to live longer & better. Discover what you need to do NOW to keep you & your family disease-free.

Zen-Jay Chuang, MD, is a primary care physician and Chairman of the Whole Health Alerts advisory board. Click here to find out how Dr. Zen-Jay's biodynamic, cutting edge approach to ancient and modern medicine can help you achieve the best health of your life.

RE Health, Inc. 781-878-7114. 100 Weymouth St, Bldg D, Rockland, MA 02370

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Diet for High Blood Pressure

By Ms H  Judit Hadnagy

Your diet has a great effect on your body functions example -heart and blood pressure. If you have a high blood pressure a “healthy blood pressure diet “ is very essential. This blood pressure friendly eating habits can reduce the number (this is your aim) and further on may help to avoid medicine altogether.

Eating less salt: The healthy daily amount of salt is 6g/day. Salt makes your body retain water. If you eat too much, the extra water stored in your body raises your blood pressure. Most of the salt we eat is hidden in processed food like bread, cereals and biscuits. Don’t add salt when cooking use herbs for extra flavour. Instead of sodium salt use “lo salt”. Avoid processed foods like ketchup, mustard. Smoked fish example contains high level of salt. Always read the label!

Eat more fruits and vegetables – 7 portions /day- Fruit and vegetables are full of vitamins, minerals and fibre to keep your body in good condition. They also contain potassium, which helps to balance out the negative effects of salt. Try to eat fresh raw fruits and vegetables.

Avoid eating too much saturated fat, as this will raise your cholesterol. It is usually found in red meats, butter, palm oil or ghee. In contrast, polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats will help to lower your cholesterol level. They can be found in olive oil, rapeseed oil or sunflower oil. Avoid eating sugar and sugary food. 

Alcohol is not good for high blood pressure. Keep to the recommended limits this will helpto keep your blood pressure down. The current recommended limits are 21 units of alcohol a week for men, and 14 units a week for women.

Drink	Units of Alcohol
Single measure of spirits (25ml)	1 unit of alcohol
Pint of normal-strength beer	2 units of alcohol
Medium glass of wine (175ml)	2 units of alcohol
Large glass of wine (250ml)	3 units of alcohol
Pint of strong beer	4 units of alcohol