For years my motto has been “Who needs sleep when you’ve got coffee?” People warned me of the perils of caffeine. They told me my moods, my heart and my outlook on life would suffer from drinking the wicked brew. Guess what? Now doctors are saying that coffee is actually BENEFICIAL to our health! So “nyah na nyah” to all the naysayers over the years; If you wait long enough, some study will prove true what you’ve known all along!
Stanley Segall, Ph.D., professor emeritus of nutrition and food sciences at Drexel University in Philadelphia has revealed that caffeine provides “a number of beneficial effects on a laundry list of conditions”. Caffeine can increase both mental focus and alertness, and improve memory. It can cure a headache, and even help guard against diseases that cause cognitive decline.
The researchers have even found that a blast of caffeine can temporarily enhance athletic performance, especially when it comes to stamina and endurance by keeping muscle and heart rate-stimulating compounds active longer. Along with all of this, a 2007 University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign) study reported that caffeine can also reduce muscle pain.
Of course this doesn’t mean you can buzz through 2 or 3 pots on a daily basis. Stick with a limit of 300 milligrams of caffeine per day. An 8-ounce serving of coffee contains about 150 mg of caffeine, while the same size serving of tea has 40 to 120 mg. Cola has about 50 mg, and a 1 and 1/2-ounce serving of dark chocolate has 31 mg.
And while we’re discussing foods that were initially thought to be detrimental to our health, let’s talk about wine. Red wine, specifically. Studies supporting the benefits of red wine suggest antioxidants in red wine called polyphenols help protect the lining of blood vessels in your heart. Red wine has higher levels of these flavonoids and nonflavonoids and the antioxidants found in red wine appear to help prevent arteries from becoming clogged with fatty blockages.
The nonflavonoid that has received the most attention from researchers is Resveratol. The resveratrol in red wine comes from the skin of grapes used to make wine and because red wine is fermented with grape skins longer than is white wine, red wine contains more resveratrol.
In these studies they have also found that moderate amounts of alcohol raise HDL cholesterol (the "good" cholesterol), reduce the formation of blood clots, and help prevent artery damage caused by high levels of LDL cholesterol (the "bad" cholesterol). So, do as my friend Alan does; drink the Merlot for “medicinal purposes”!
Guess what else is good for us? All women who have ever had PMS, rejoice; it’s chocolate!! In support of chocolate’s health benefits, a study published in the March 2007 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that the women who consumed the most flavonoid-rich foods, (with chocolate being ranked as one of the top flavonoid-rich foods) had a 22 per cent lower risk of developing coronary heart disease.
In the July 4, 2007 edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers found that a little bit of dark chocolate helps lower blood pressure. Researchers followed two groups of people with untreated high blood pressure for 18 weeks. Half got a bit of dark chocolate every day while the other half received white chocolate. In the end, those eating the dark chocolate saw a drop in their blood pressure with no change for group that ate white chocolate.
So, Hershey Bars and Hershey's Kisses won’t cut it for health benefits, but a daily dark chocolate Dove candy might just help us live longer.
As researchers continue to discover the value of foods like nuts, olive oils, dairy and eggs, previously thought to be “bad” for us, we can only hope that the benefits of French Fries and donuts will soon be discovered.
So, down that Starbuck’s before your workout tomorrow and enjoy your favorite vintage with dinner. Toast to your good health and stash the chocolate in your dresser drawer for the additional benefits.
