Decaffeinated doesn’t always mean caffeine-free

Did you know you can get withdrawal symptoms like headache and sluggishness from just 100mg of

caffeine? That’s why many people choose to reduce their caffeine intake for their health’s sake and switch to decaffeinated coffee for at least part of their daily consumption. They do this on the confident belief that when they see the words ‘caffeine-free’ that meant that the product contained no caffeine or at least only very tiny amounts. However, that is not the case as the people from the Consumer Reports organisation recently found out.

They sent out a team of ‘secret shoppers’ with the arduous task of buying cups of decaffeinated and ‘normal’ coffee from six major US concerns: Starbucks, Dunkin’ Donuts, Seattle’s Best, 7-11, McDonald’s and Burger King. At least four of those brands are available in the UK and Europe and the results were not impressive when the different coffees were analysed for their caffeine content.

If you drink a can of coca cola or pepsi – the regular kind – you are getting around 30mgs of caffeine, but you get over that (32mg) if you got a decaf from Dunkin’ Donuts. Containing a third less caffeine, but still weighing in at a whopping 20mg was Starbucks. If you want to get coffee with the lowest caffeine levels (in a decaffeinated blend) then McDonalds came out best with less than 5 mgs.

If you like your caffeine content to be high, then again the amount varies wildly. In a 120z cup the levels ranged from 58-281 mgs – and at that highest level it’s practically giving your nervous system the equivalent of an electric shock.

What’s the answer? Don’t worry so much about the levels, but monitor the effect on your nervous system – if the coffee revs you up and boosts your adrenalin levels so you feel an increased heart rate, or perhaps jumpy and nervous, then you know you are getting a caffeine hit – whatever the label says. Herb tea anyone?

Think Z’s for winter protection

I am not talking about catching up on your sleep, though winter is the time for slowing down and even hibernating if you are a bear! Z is for zinc and although perhaps it’s best known, and most popular effect is on the sex drive, it is also essential for supporting the immune system.

Many people get shots for flu or pneumonia with the onset of winter, but their effectiveness is reduced if you don’t have a strong immune system to help support their benefits. It’s a bit like swallowing vitamins to help your health,but not eating regularly or well – they will not do the job on their own. The truth is that once you get over the age of 55, you are likely to have a zinc deficiency and this leads to a greater susceptibility to infections, and increased oxidative stress. The good news is that this is easily reversed by taking a zinc supplement for just one year. The suggested dose is 45mg daily and a US study that showed that just that amount reduced the incidence of infections and inflammation. Speaking specifically about pneumonia, there is a new study from the Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in the US that looked at residents in Nursing homes in Boston. Half the residents were given a placebo, and half given daily supplements of vitamins, including zinc. The trial lasted a year and at the end of it everyone was given a blood test to check their zinc levels. Interestingly the trial only gave people half the recommended dietary allowance, and yet those who received the supplements and had nearly normal zinc levels had less incidence and duration of pneumonia, together with less use of antibiotics. Of those who were given antibiotics, the patients with low blood levels of zinc needed greater amounts than those with reasonable zinc levels.

The researchers were very clear that taking zinc supplements could help the over 55′s to reduce the frequency and serious effects of attacks of pneumonia – which can be fatal in vulnerable patients.

Although the US study suggested 45mg a day for supplementation, the RDA (recommended daily allowance) is just 11 mg for men and 8 mg for women. Many nutritionists consider the RDA to be far too low but you might want to start with that and gradually increase the amount – or talk it over with your doctor if you are concerned.

Need more reasons to up your zinc levels? As well as helping protect your immune system zinc is an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, protects your eyes from age-related macular degeneration and it inhibits the abnormal blood clotting that contributes to heart disease. Don’t like supplements? Make a point of adding zinc-rich foods to your daily diet such as red meat, poultry, beans, nuts, whole grains, and dairy products. Two of the best sources are oysters and cabbage, though not at the same time if you have any respect for your taste buds!

Is organic always worth it?

The sales of organic food has rocketed with our increasing concern about the effects of herbicides, pesticides and pollution. However, it can be an expensive alternative and recent research has shown that for some foods it is worth paying the difference, but not for others. Here’s how it checks out:

- Organic whole milk was shown to contain 68% more beneficial omega 3 fatty acids in one UK study

- Potatoes and Green Beans both have a much higher vitamin C content than their non-organic equivalent

- Peaches contain more nutrients in terms of their vitamin content when organically grown

- Kiwi fruit studied by the University of California scientists were revealed to have 17% more cancer-busting polyphenols and 14% more vitamin C than non-organic fruit

BUT if bananas are your favourite fruit, don’t waste your money buying organic as one study found that the fruit was so well protected by its thick skin from the 50 or more chemicals routinely used during growing and storage that virtually no trace was found of them in the fruit itself.

Natural remedy for cold sores

Lemon Balm is best known for its calming properties, and has been used for centuries as a mild form of tranquilliser, (a sort of medieval form of Valium if you like), and it has properties that inhibit bacteria and viruses. It now appears that it can also help you with one of winter’s biggest bugbears, cold sores. A study carried out in Germany at the University of Heidelberg has found that the plant contains a naturally occurring ingredient that actually stops the herpes virus from getting into the skin cells. If you are prone to this unpleasant and unsightly condition, then get a natural lip balm from the health store that contains the herb, or make a daily cup of lemon balm tea part of your winter regime – it makes a very refreshing herbal tea and would be a very calming start, or end, to the day – certainly a bit healthier than coffee!

Tangerines may tackle cancer

One of the delights of the winter period for me as a child was the appearance of tangerines. Oranges were just too much trouble to tackle, but those small, sweet tangerines were just right for small fingers. Now it appears that new research by the Leicester School of Pharmacy has revealed that tangerine peel can kill certain human cancer cells. They found that salvestrol, which is a chemical produced by plants to repel attackers such as insects or fungi, was also able to kill cancer cells. Salvestrol is converted into a toxic compound by a particular enzyme which is found in much higher levels in cancer cells. It was found to be 20 times more toxic to cancer cells than to healthy cells. Eating tangerine peel doesn’t seem like much of an appetiser, but if you want to protect against cancer than salvestrol is found in other fruit and vegetables including those other winter favourites broccoli and Brussels sprouts.

Probiotics strengthen immune system

Probiotics are living microorganisms, usually lactic acid bacteria, that help maintain the natural balance of the intestines especially after a period of taking antibiotics which can seriously disrupt that balance. Now it appears they can also help to strengthen the immune system and reduce the effect of allergies. A quick look in the chiller cabinet in the supermarket will show you that ‘probiotics’ are listed on the labels of products like drinks and yoghurts, though as these often contain sugar it might be better to take a plain acidopholus supplement or add in foods that contain probiotics such as plain, live, yoghurt and aged cheeses.

Natural tips for weight loss

Quick fix diets are just that – quick, but not necessarily healthy. Do you think eating salad will help? Well, it could but you would do better apparently by switching it for a nutritious soup before your main course. Medical researchers in Texas found that by giving their volunteers a bowl of a high-fat soup then sending them off to a pizza buffet – only in America would that be in a diet trial – the participants followed it by eating considerably smaller portions, and fewer calories from the buffet table. Apparently the reason it works is that when the small intestine absorbs fat it releases hormones that make you feel full, if you then wait 20 minutes before your second course – just keep talking, or read a book – then you will definitely eat less of a second course and so lose weight. Of course anyone on a limited budget discovered this all on their own without the benefit of a research grant. When I was at university, I made pots of homemade soup, which was cheap, so I wouldn’t need so much of the more expensive protein main meal that usually followed. I wasn’t trying to lose weight, but the end result was that I felt full by eating less. Ahead of my time, as usual.

Oh and the second tip? It’s often suggested you drink a glass of water before you eat, again to fool the stomach into thinking you are full before you start eating, but a more pleasant way to do it is include lots of water-rich foods in your diet and that means plenty of fruit and vegetables. Researchers from Penn State University found that those who did so on average ate 25% more food by weight but still lost more pounds than the control group. Again, it’s because you can eat lots of fruit and vegetables so you get the feeling of richness from the quantity, and the fibre fills you up but gives you far fewer calories.

Prostate Cancer and Diet

There has been recent research reporting that advanced cases of prostate cancer have been helped by lycopene (a phyto-chemical and a member of the carotenoid family) which is found in high amounts in tomatoes and watermelon. But it is not just those two fruits that can have an impact, as the latest findings into the disease have revealed that eating a low-fat and plant-based diet could reduce the risk of prostate cancer or slow the onset of the disease. It is obviously important that anyone at risk pays real attention to their diet and eats as naturally as possible. Not wishing to state the obvious, but the benefits of such a diet which is high in fibre, vitamins and minerals and low in fat and saturated fat will not only help the health of prostate cancer patients but anyone who has a conventional western diet.

Sadly, the highest incidences of the disease do occur in the West, particularly in the USA and Sweden, while the eastern countries like China and India have the lowest. We might be complacent in the UK as our figures for prostate cancer show we have half the number of cases reported in the USA, but that may be because they have much higher rates of testing for the disease.

Almonds in your tea?

If you are trying to cut down on dairy and have been buying substitute milks from the supermarket such as soya, rice, oat or almond milks then I thought you might like to try making your own almond milk as it is a great health treat. Almonds are a good source of calcium, protein, vitamins D and E, and is cholesterol-free and packed with omega-3 fatty acids.You can buy the milk ready-made, but it often contains a lot of sugar, so this way you can make it to your own taste. It is very simple to do and it can be used in place of milk in hot drinks as well as in desserts.

Almond milk is not new, it has been in use since medieval times as it is simple to make and keeps without the need for any refrigeration. It is still a popular drink on its own, and in Spain is widely available in cafes, just ask for horchata.

It could not be simpler, you just need 4 cups of filtered or bottled water, 1 cup of almonds (raw, not blanched) and any sweetener of your choice such as vanilla, honey or nutmeg.

Method:

1. Soak almonds 4 hours, strain off water and discard.

2. Place filtered water and soaked almonds in a blender.

3. Blend on high speed for 1 minute.

4. Pour contents from blender through a fine mesh stainless steel strainer or cheesecloth or similar straining bag.

5. Use a wooden spoon to mash the contents in the sieve to get more liquid out, or if using a bag close it and strain almond milk by squeezing milk through it.

6. Add any sweetener you might want to use to taste.

Although it keeps a couple of days without refrigeration, it is more refreshing to drink cold.

Keeping it raw

There are several reasons we are usually healthier in the summer, but one of the prime ones is that we tend to eat more raw food. Salads are easy when the weather is warm, but it could help your health enormously if you carried that habit through to the winter months. The reason? Cooked food weakens your immune system, and this was discovered in 1930 when Dr Paul Kouchakoff observed that after eating a cooked meal, a person’s white blood cells (leukocytes) would increase.

An increase in white blood cell count usually indicates a stress reaction by the body, which means basically that your immune system is finishing your digestion process for you, which is a function that it is not meant to do, and that puts a strain on it. Eating a raw meal does not produce this immune suppressing effect, so with every cooked meal you have try to include some fresh, raw vegetables to go with it and try to maintain that healthy salad habit through the winter.

Cooking also can take away the antioxidants, and reduce the amount of bio available vitamins, so you are doubling your benefits when you eat raw – although there are a few vegetables that are more difficult for some to digest raw, such as broccoli so you may need to experiment to see what suits you. If you want to know a whole lot more, then visit http://www.totalrawfood.com/

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