Earlier this year, I outlined some of the amazing health benefits associated with regular coffee consumption. These include a decrease risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, and endometrial cancer; pain reduction as among its benefits too.
Now, new research from the Mayo Clinic (1) makes us pause and reflect on how much is too much of a good thing. I often hammer that old adage, "all things in moderation;" in this case, moderation appears to be 4 cups of coffee per day. More than that raises the risk of death for people under age 55.
Researchers looked at data from the Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study, which examined dietary habits and health data from over 43,000 participants over the course of 31 years. For folks under the age of 55 who drank more than 28 cups of coffee per week, all-cause mortality risk increased by over 50% for men, and more than doubled for women. The direct cause of this association is unknown, but seems to be unrelated to coffees cardiovascular effects.
One of the important points to keep in mind is that a "cup" in this study is defined as 8 fluid ounces; the cutoff point therefore seems to be about 32 ounces per day. The "cup" markers on your coffee pot are 6 ounces each, so the limit would be about five of those cups. If you prefer to get your coffee on the go, this would translate into only two "grandes."
This study leaves a lot of questions, such as the association of caffeine on health (the study didn't differentiate between regular and decaf coffee), the actual biological mechanisms of coffee (it has hundreds of phytochemicals besides caffeine), and the confounding factor of smoking with coffee consumption. In the meantime... Come on, people, four cups per day should be plenty for anyone. In fact, beyond the first one or two cups of the day, why not explore the benefits of other healthful beverages such as green tea?
1. Liu J, Sui X, Lavie CJ, et al. Association of coffee consumption with all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality.Mayo Clin Proc 2013; DOI:10.1016/j.mayocp.2013.06.020.
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Amazing Breakthrough for Depression - You Won't Believe What It Is!
Depression is not just "feeling blue," but rather a significant mental health condition that can affect one's whole life. The CDC estimates that one in 10 American adults is depressed. Depression goes hand-in-hand with poor outcomes in chronic health conditions like cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity, in addition to the more obvious negatives social and behavioral effects.
For this reason, antidepressants have become one of the most widely prescribed classes of drugs in the US over the last 20 years. The most common of these are the SSRIs, such as Prozac (fluoxetine). While these medications can help people to live more normal and productive lives, they do come with significant side effects, such as sleep disturbances, loss of libido, weight gain, and even an increase in suicidal ideation.
There is good research about natural alternatives for mild to moderate depression, such as aerobic exercise and St. John's wort. Exciting new research out of India has highlighted a safe alternative for major depression: curcumin. Curcumin is the active compound in the herb turmeric. This was a relatively small study, involving 60 patients with major depressive disorder. They were divided into three groups: one group received fluoxetine, 20 mg daily; the second group received curcumin, 1000 mg daily; the third group received a combination of the two. Outcomes were measured using the Hamilton Depression rating scale. There was no statistical difference in the response rate among the three groups, and at the end of six weeks, the change in Hamilton score was comparable in all three groups.
This is big news. Depression is a serious health condition, but the side effects of SSRIs are further complicated by the difficulty that patients have in coming off these medications. On the contrary, the "side effects" of curcumin include:
One thing to keep in mind about curcumin, however, is that most standardized extracts are poorly absorbed from the intestinal tract. It is best to use curcumin that is complexed with phosphatidylcholine (such as Curamin [BCM-95--the type used in this study] or Meriva), or used in conjunction with black pepper (piperine).
A last note of caution: if you are currently taking antidepressant medications, do not discontinue them abruptly. Consult with your prescribing physician about weaning down gradually on the dosage, to avoid withdrawal effects. It is perfectly safe, however, to start taking curcumin while still on the pharmaceutical antidepressant.
1. Efficacy and Safety of Curcumin in Major Depressive Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Phytother Res. 2013 Jul 6. doi: 10.1002/ptr.5025. [Epub ahead of print]
For this reason, antidepressants have become one of the most widely prescribed classes of drugs in the US over the last 20 years. The most common of these are the SSRIs, such as Prozac (fluoxetine). While these medications can help people to live more normal and productive lives, they do come with significant side effects, such as sleep disturbances, loss of libido, weight gain, and even an increase in suicidal ideation.
There is good research about natural alternatives for mild to moderate depression, such as aerobic exercise and St. John's wort. Exciting new research out of India has highlighted a safe alternative for major depression: curcumin. Curcumin is the active compound in the herb turmeric. This was a relatively small study, involving 60 patients with major depressive disorder. They were divided into three groups: one group received fluoxetine, 20 mg daily; the second group received curcumin, 1000 mg daily; the third group received a combination of the two. Outcomes were measured using the Hamilton Depression rating scale. There was no statistical difference in the response rate among the three groups, and at the end of six weeks, the change in Hamilton score was comparable in all three groups.
This is big news. Depression is a serious health condition, but the side effects of SSRIs are further complicated by the difficulty that patients have in coming off these medications. On the contrary, the "side effects" of curcumin include:
- protection against neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's,
- enhanced gastrointestinal health,
- protection of the liver against toxins,
- anti-inflammatory effects from muscles and joints,
- and more.
One thing to keep in mind about curcumin, however, is that most standardized extracts are poorly absorbed from the intestinal tract. It is best to use curcumin that is complexed with phosphatidylcholine (such as Curamin [BCM-95--the type used in this study] or Meriva), or used in conjunction with black pepper (piperine).
A last note of caution: if you are currently taking antidepressant medications, do not discontinue them abruptly. Consult with your prescribing physician about weaning down gradually on the dosage, to avoid withdrawal effects. It is perfectly safe, however, to start taking curcumin while still on the pharmaceutical antidepressant.
1. Efficacy and Safety of Curcumin in Major Depressive Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Phytother Res. 2013 Jul 6. doi: 10.1002/ptr.5025. [Epub ahead of print]
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