Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/709470
healthy living By Laura G. Owens Rock Body YOUR W orried your java habit might be harmful? No need for coffee jitters about that. Researchers at Ulster University reviewed studies from 1970 to the present and found that moderate coffee consumption (three to four cups daily) has a neutral or even slightly benefi cial effect on health. The review by the Institute of Food Technologists helped scientists create a list of potential health benefi ts and risks of coffee on the following health outcomes: total mortality, cardiovascular disease, cancer, metabolic health, neurological disorders, gastrointestinal conditions and other miscellaneous health outcomes. Authors caution that the fi ndings aren't defi nitive because previous research was largely based on observational data. More studies need to be done to determine the risks vs. benefi ts of coffee, and to identify which active ingredients or combination affect health. The Institute previously listed coffee as a "possible carcinogen" but recently determined there is "no conclusive evidence for a carcinogenic effect." It did, however, note that "very hot drinks," including coffee when drunk piping hot, are "probably carcinogenic." YOUR COFFEE HABIT MAY BE JUST FINE DON'T SHORTCHANGE YOUR VITAMIN D T he sunshine vitamin is in the spotlight once again. Researchers from the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute found that low levels of vitamin D may help predict risk for major cardiovascular events, such as stroke, heart failure, heart attack or death. "Our study found that low levels of both total vitamin D and bioavailable vitamin D (the amount that enters circulation in the body and so has an active effect) appear to be associated with poor cardiovascular outcomes," said lead author Dr. Heidi May, PhD, MSPH. F ew common ailments are more mystifying than migraines, or more diffi cult to treat. In a study conducted by Dr. Suzanne Hagler, MD and colleagues at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, researchers found that a high percentage of children, teens and young adults who get migraines are mildly defi cient in vitamin D, ribofl avin, folate and coenzyme Q10, a substance in every cell that produces energy for cell growth and maintenance. Girls and women were more likely to have a coenzyme 10 defi ciency, while boys and men were more likely to be low in vitamin D. Patients with chronic migraines were more likely to be low in coenzyme Q10 and ribofl avin than those with sporadic attacks. WHAT CAUSES MIGRAINES? 14 wholelifetimes.com