Drop the Vitamins and Eat a Fish

It’s the beginning of a new year, and many of us are still optimistically clinging to our New Year's resolutions. But beware…. If any part of your resolution includes taking daily vitamin and mineral supplements, scientists now think that you may be doing more harm than good.

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Is coffee bad for your health?

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Not according to researchers at the University of Valencia and Castellón General Hospital who reviewed over 300 studies that investigated the health effects of coffee and caffeine. What they found was that, more often than not, coffee imparted measurable benefits to regular drinkers.

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Regular coffee consumption has traditionally been regarded as harmful, but the evidence is stacking up for the other side. Science no longer supports the role of coffee in a variety of conditions, such as a contributor to hypertension, osteoporosis, or cardiovascular disease. The confusion has likely arisen due to the complex effects of caffeine and the myriad of other compounds found in the typical cup of joe.

Caffeine works by binding to chemical receptors in the brain and preventing them from interacting with adenosine, which normally induces drowsiness. However, adenosine receptors are also found in most other tissues in the body, including the heart, liver, and body fat, so it is easy to see how things could get complicated.

Food as medicine. What does it mean?

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Eating well isn’t just about keeping the tank full. It can also be about treating and preventing disease.

We all know that we should stay away from fatty foods or too much sugar, and that we should add more fruits and vegetables to our diets. But other than fiber and “nutrients”, how many of us really understand the chemistry of our food or how it might affect us?

Most cultures have traditionally used plants for therapeutic purposes, and even today, most modern medicines are still derived from plants. However, our society has become so far removed from both food and medicine that few people realize the value of fresh, whole foods or how they affect our bodies. The widespread use of processed ingredients, artificial colors and flavors, and other unpronounceable additives also means that most of us aren’t even ingesting the good stuff without knowing about it.

Starting today, I’ll be making periodic posts about a variety of beneficial foods. I’ll discuss the important compounds they contain and how they could influence your health. My first post will look at the effects of coffee and caffeine. Keep an eye out for it later today...

“Let food be your medicine, and your medicine be your food.” – Hippocrates