Black Coffee in Bed-with Steak and Eggs

I know when I get up in the morning, particularly after a long night, I need my morning coffee. Cocoa may be the Food of The Gods, but this little magic bean is what keeps them, and me, going. Back in the day I had done some research with caffeine basically demonstrating a very negligible effect on heart muscle with the exception of some impaired relaxation at very high doses. The results were so unimpressive it was never published anywhere. But deep down, I knew that cup of Java woke up my neurons so they could get me through the day. Some studies have suggested that coffee drinkers actually learn better, absorbing and maintaining more material than those that don’t partake. Now there’s evidence that coffee will help your noggin long term. Two studies, one from Finland looking at over 26,000 male smokers (a high risk group) found that coffee consumption lowered the stroke risk by 23%, among those that drank 8 or more cups per day. Another study out of UCLA and USC looking at over 9,000 people found the lowest risk for stroke was among those that drank the most coffee; the highest among those that drank none. Women who drank 2 to four cups per day had about a 20% risk reduction according to the Harvard Nurse’s Health Study, which looked at over 83,000 women. A similar sized study looking at 81,000 men and women out of Japan found a likewise 23% risk reduction for 1-2 cups per day.

If you’re going to get that coffee in bed based on the above, you might as well have some grass fed free range beef and cage free vegetarian fed hen produced eggs. Why, you might ask? Because a recent study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry suggested that “some vegetarians may be increasing their risk of heart problems from nutritional deficiencies in their diets… (they) found that vegetarian diets are often lacking in some key nutrients. These include vitamin B12 and omega-3 fatty acids.”  Both of those nutrients are found in abundance in the aforementioned steak and eggs. And the implication here that a vegan or vegetarian diet leads to increased risk is just a hypothesis. But who wants to take the risk when the prevention is just so darn tasty?

A Cup o’ Joe Can Save Your Brain

Sometimes the best part of waking up is simply knowing you don’t have to; but for those days when the alarm clock rings (or the pager, or the phone…) that cup of java can do more than just transport you from the land of pillowy dreams back into reality. It may actually save your brain. A recent Swedish study examined almost 35,000 women who consumed at least 1 cup of coffee per day[i]. Over a ten year period, they found a 24% reduction in the incidence of stroke. This reduction was present even after adjustment for other risk factors like tobacco use (smoking), body mass index (BMI), diabetes, hypertension or use of alcohol. Although the weakness of the study was that it relied on self-reporting, the implications are interesting. This study is consistent with a previous study finding about a 30% stroke risk reduction for coffee drinkers[ii]. Other studies have had more mixed results. While the exact agent responsible for the benefit is unclear, coffee does contain beneficial compounds such as phenols. A clear exception of benefit would be those with tiger blood; it does not seem that even Juan Valdez and his burro load of coffee could return Sheen to Charlie’s rep.

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[i] (Larsson & Virtamo, 2011)

[ii] (Li & etal, 2010)

Grains of Truth

Fret not, fearless reader. Like Indiana Jones we’ve been digging up some interesting facts to share. Although we often speak to using less refined items like whole grain in place of refined all white flour and sugar, the data on the benefits from replacing these items with less adulterated products can be a bit tricky to find.

Previously we have spoken to the high risk type of fat deposition called VAT, or visceral adipose tissue. This is a preferential deposition of fat around the belly area, known as “belly fat.” This type of fat deposition is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular complications, diabetes and metabolic syndrome development. For those adults who regularly consume whole grain options as opposed to refined white flour choices, VAT was approximately 10% lower. Those who ate 3 or more whole grain servings and consumed 1 or less servings of refined grains per day achieved this benefit according to a recent study from Tufts University[i]. “For example, a slice of 100 percent whole-wheat bread or a half-cup of oatmeal constituted one serving of whole grains and a slice of white bread or a half-cup of white rice represented a serving of refined grains”, noted Nicola McKeowan, a co-author of the study. This study was published in The American Journal of Nutrition and examined over 2,800 men and women aged 32 to 83. The study looked at smoking history, alcohol consumption, fruit and vegetable intake, percentage of calories comprised of fat, and physical activity routines and found the whole grain consumption benefit independent of these other factors. Interestingly, the benefit was lost if more than several daily servings of refined choices was consumed-even with 3 or more whole grain choices.

And while eating a diet rich in fish has demonstrated multiple health benefits, a recent study found that omega-3 fatty acid supplements alone were ineffective in reducing the memory loss associated with Alzheimer’s disease. The study was published in the November issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association.[ii]A study of 402 patients showed no benefit in terms of memory decline between those taking supplements and those not. There were no adverse events in those taking supplements. Unlike a recent study looking at Vitamin E which suggested that taking Vitamin E not only did not reduce stroke risk, but may make it worse[iii]. The study published in The British Medical Journal failed to demonstrate any reduction in overall stroke risk for those taking Vitamin E. Those who suffered a stroke while taking Vitamin E had a 22% increased risk of a more severe type of stroke (hemorrhagic). There was a small (~10%) in non-hemorrhagic stroke. The authors conclude that “(g)iven the relatively small risk reduction of ischaemic stroke and the generally more severe outcome of haemorrhagic stroke, indiscriminate widespread use of vitamin E should be cautioned against.”

Eat simply and fresh, live well and simply.

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[i] (HealthDay, 2010)

[ii] (Quinn, et al., 2010)

[iii] (Schurks, Glynn, Rist, Tzourio, & Kurth, 2010)