Todays Health Article

December 14th, 2010

Has that daily buzz, gone too far? Now you  might say, I feel nothing. That might be the absolute truth! Many people  rely on this just to get them going in the morning, others rely on this to get them through the night. Now your thinking, ah ha, I am talking about that cup of coffee, that millions  consumed each and every day. But this is only the tip of the ice berg. It is… what is in Coffee that is so addictive to  its users.  

Now… most of us, by now know the answer to this very old question, Caffeine. But how has this ingredient made its way into the market place, you may not know nothing about, unless your one of the few who actually read the fine print on everything you buy.

 What is it?            

Caffeine (also caffein) is a… bitter white crystalline xanthine alkaloid, that is a psychoactive stimulant drug. Explanation of  psychoactive  drugs… they  have the capacity to become habit forming because of their influence on mood, behavior, or conscious thought; may be therapeutic or recreational.

It’s History

Caffeine was discovered by a German chemist, Friedlieb Ferdinand Runge  in 1820.Who used term kaffein, a chemical compound in coffee (the German word for which is Kaffee), which in English became caffeine (and changed to Koffein in German).

Caffeine… Where Found

 Caffeine can be found in various quantities in the beans, leaves, and fruit of some plants. It is most commonly extracted from the bean of the coffee plant, leaves of the tea bush, and from the kola nut. Other sources include yerba mate, guarana berries, and the Yaupon Holly.

 It’s No Surprise

It’s no Surprise that those marketing  geniuses found this key ingredient, Caffeine, to be useful to marketing such products as: Drip coffee, Espresso, Black tea, Green tea, Yerba mate, Coca Cola, Barq’s Root Beer,  Mountain Dew, Vault, Monster Energy Drink, Jolta Cola, and Red Bull, are just a few common examples. For a more complete list check here.http://www.energyfiend.com/the-caffeine-database

Caffeine used in Cold Remedies as well as Shampoo

Caffeine is also be found in cold remedies, diet pills, wake-up pills, chocolate, and pain killers. Over the counter and prescription pain killers will add to your caffeine quota: Excedrin, 65 mg; Midol, 32 mg; Anacin, 32 mg; Darvon Compound, 32 mg; and Fiorinal, 32 mg. Instead of healing the cold, caffeine slows down the elimination of mucus and destroys vitamin C.

“The caffeine complex was added to the product following extensive testing in our own laboratories,”said Dr. Adolf Klaenk, director of research and development at the Dr. Kurt Wolff research laboratories, part of Aplecin Cosmetic. “Since the product was launched we have been conducting more comprehensive studies with university of Jena, of which the full results are about to be published in dermatological specialist publications.”

Caffeine Alcoholic Beverages

This combination … Sparks drink became available in 2002 and since then, several of these drinks  have emerged on the stores shelf. They have become very popular with the young drinkers. They label this drink as the black out in the can drink. There is a dangerous risks with this combination and many states are now considering the ban of these products. Our state (WA) has followed the state of Michigan… banning such products, deaths were attributed to drinking such drinks.         http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/11/us/11drinks.html

Withdrawals and Addiction

The withdrawals become apparent when the absence of caffeine is no longer present. This  withdrawal duration is  typically  2 days to about a week. There are also who may expierence longer durations.

The official word from the ICD-10 of the World Health Organization and the DSM-IV American Psychiatric Association is that caffeine withdrawal is likely to cause “clinically significant distress or impairment in functioning”.

Health Benefits and  Risks of Caffeine

 Todays Health Article

`Yes, those health benefits acclaimed from some  beverages, if  you do drink too much,  their health benefits vanish!

Now, summer is coming, and some of you feel that these  beverages  are just part of your life. You  have  this  need to  satisfying  your ongoing thirst.

Can these drinks be actually healthy?

Oooops… I forgot to mentioned, the drinks we are discussing, because if you have had more than 1 or 2. by the time you finish reading this article. you will either not  be able to finish or the health benefits will no longer be of any benefit.Yes they will have vanished, and now become a health risk.

 OK, here it is… some will argue that these  beverages, drinks such as beer, wine, or your favorite margarita are  healthy if drank in moderation. This means, just because you may benefit from 1 or 2 drinks, DON’T  Get CONFUSED,  that more is better, because that is far from the truth, actually creating health risks if you do.

 With some research, a bottle of beer, glass of wine, or even a margarita all have about the same amount of alcohol. The kicker here is…despite wine’s popular image, experts say  they’re all probably equally good for your health when consumed in moderation.

“If you drink alcohol, beer, or wine in moderation, it probably does have a reasonably healthy effect,”

says Gerald Fuller, PhD, a biochemist at the University of Alabama, Birmingham.

Fuller says it’s the ethanol, a pure form of alcohol found in all types of alcoholic beverages, that makes the various libations good for you, but only in moderation. That means an average of no more than one drink a day for women or two drinks a day for men. More than that, and the benefits evaporate quicker than the frothy head of a freshly poured beer. ( Vanished)

Studies have shown that ethanol can have a variety of positive effects on heart health such as raising HDL (the “good” cholesterol) levels, preventing dangerous blood clots, and allowing the blood to flow more smoothly throughout the body, which reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Alcohol may also boost your health in several other ways as well. Studies have suggested that moderate alcohol consumption can increase insulin sensitivity, which can reduce the risk of diabetes, ward off some types of cancer, and prevent bone loss.

“We do know that ethanol itself has an effect, but there are lots of products in beer and wine such as hops and grape skins that may also have benefits,” Fuller tells WebMD. But he says researchers still haven’t exactly defined what those effects — both positive and negative — may be.

Alcohol Tips

* There is No Need To Start for its health benefits and some people such as pregnant women.people with liver disease, people on medications, and those recovering from alcohol addiction,the risks of drinking way outweigh the health benefits gained. There are other alternatives to receiving the same benefits without the use of alcohol/

*Drinking in moderation is the KEY Word if you do drink .(no more than one drink per day for women, and no more than two drinks per day for men).

*Asking for Help, if you think you have a problem. Talk to your Doctor or a health professional.

*People who drink may benefit from getting  multivitamin with folic acid, since alcohol  has a depletion effect on our body’s nutrients, and those nutrients need to be replaced by either a healthy diet or vitamins.

Todays Health Site is taking an open minded position with this article…

 The Key to drinking Alcohol, is Moderation, or simply all of the health benefits from drinking,  vanish. If you have drank more than the 1 or2 drinks, just like the magician who vanished from the crowd, the ill effects takes on another side which can lead to several illnesses. These drinks can wear many faces, good or bad, depending on the person drinking them and the amount drank. Drinking is a personal responsibility to our health as well to others well being. If others are not, reach out, you may save someones life. To a healthier Life. Do Not Drink and Drive!

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Todays Health… featured an article recently,

“Health drinks and Reading the Fine Print”, got me  going.

After I had recently purchased a fruit juice for my breakfast drink, to find out it had pear juice and apple juice as fillers of which I thought I had purchased as it stated, 100% cranberry fruit concentrates… take notice, the fruit concentrates.

Now I know I am not the only person being misled when we walk down the beverage aisle or buy at the fast food place, local watering hole, or where ever you might find the drinks I am about to talk about.

You may just find out that some of these favorite drinks are  only healthy to your waistline….guaranteed to do so. What did I just say…what you may be drinking, if your one who states ” I don’t eat that much and I am still not losing weight”,  it may be due to what you drink.

Americans, I think have a drinking problem, anything that taste good, they drink . Ok, here is some truth to swallow literally,  82 grams of added sugar, according to the FDA, every day. How much is that, 20 teaspoons.

Now if you just looking  to drop a few pounds, you have traded in your soda for diet, whole milk drinks for lowfat, and  rarely touch the hard stuff, you still may be taking in roughly 20% just from beverages
But do not miss this… You may be consuming one of these liquid disasters and be drinking up a couple days’ worth of calories in a few moments. 

I hope you are paying ATTENTION!

Not to sound like I am picking on any particular brand…I will not disclose , but look at this Vitamin water (any flavor; 20 oz bottle) 130 calories 33 grams sugar. Check yours out!

Now you already heard about my juice…but check this one out,  a real imposter (23.5 oz can) 360 calories ,84 g of sugar  (5 percent juice, 95 percent sugar water) and is sold at gas stations and convenience stores al across America .

Now that its approaching summer and your tempted by a Smoothie…
This ? Smoothie (30 oz) 1,170 calories, 169 g sugars, 30 g fat 

For Todays Health ask for the ingredients list or read the fine print before you drink up.
 
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