A cup of coffee may help protect your brain

[Ice]

So who else is glad to hear that their morning cup of java is actually good for them?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7326839.stm

Daily caffeine 'protects brain'

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Coffee may cut the risk of dementia by blocking the damage cholesterol can inflict on the body, research suggests.

The drink has already been linked to a lower risk of Alzheimer's Disease, and a study by a US team for the Journal of Neuroinflammation may explain why.

A vital barrier between the brain and the main blood supply of rabbits fed a fat-rich diet was protected in those given a caffeine supplement.

UK experts said it was the "best evidence yet" of coffee's benefits.


Caffeine is a safe and readily available drug and its ability to stabilise the blood brain barrier means it could have an important part to play in therapies against neurological disorders
Dr Jonathan Geiger
University of North Dakota

The "blood brain barrier" is a filter which protects the central nervous system from potentially harmful chemicals carried around in the rest of the bloodstream.

Other studies have shown that high levels of cholesterol in the blood can make this barrier "leaky".

Alzheimer's researchers suggest this makes the brain vulnerable to damage which can trigger or contribute to the condition.

The University of North Dakota study used the equivalent to just one daily cup of coffee in their experiments on rabbits.

After 12 weeks of a high-cholesterol diet, the blood brain barrier in those given caffeine was far more intact than in those given no caffeine.

'Safe drug'

"Caffeine appears to block several of the disruptive effects of cholesterol that make the blood-brain barrier leaky," said Dr Jonathan Geiger, who led the study.

"High levels of cholesterol are a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease, perhaps by compromising the protective nature of the blood brain barrier.

"Caffeine is a safe and readily available drug and its ability to stabilise the blood brain barrier means it could have an important part to play in therapies against neurological disorders."

A spokesman for the Alzheimer's Society said that the barrier seemed to work less efficiently in people who went on to develop Alzheimer's or suffer strokes, and the cholesterol link might explain this.

"This is the best evidence yet that caffeine equivalent to one cup of coffee a day can help protect the brain against cholesterol.

"In addition to its effect on the vascular system, elevated cholesterol levels also cause problems with the blood brain barrier."

She called for more research into whether the same effect could be seen in humans.

I must admit I never would have expected this.

[seireikhaan]

So its not actually the coffee, but the caffeine?

Hmm. Time to get back on to my green tea regimen, I guess. I can't stand coffee.

[Reverend Joe]

Link?

I trust you, but I just wanna know where this came from.

[Ice]

Link?

I trust you, but I just wanna know where this came from.

Oh yeah, it came from the BBC. I have a nasty habit of not posting links.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7326839.stm

[LittleGrizzly]

Well not a fan of coffee im a Coca Cola man myself, so this is good news, i just need to start taking in too much cholesterol to make it worthwile...

[Xiahou]

As a moderate to heavy coffee drinker, I can tell you that there is a laundry list of alleged* benefits to drinking the stuff.

This ranges from what you just outlined to reduced risk of diabetes and colon cancer. I've also heard that coffee could inhibit the growth of bacteria that cause tooth decay. And, it's a good source of anti-oxidants.

Here's a blurb from Wikipedia on the subject of coffee and its health effects:

Coffee appears to reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, heart disease, diabetes mellitus type 2, cirrhosis of the liver,[69] and gout, but it increases the risk of acid reflux and associated diseases.

I'd also point out that I drink my coffee black and adding sugar and fat(via milk or cream) obviously makes it less healthy.

*I say "alleged" because I'm not really sure how thorough all of the studies suggesting these benefits are.

[BigTex]

As a moderate to heavy coffee drinker, I can tell you that there is a laundry list of alleged* benefits to drinking the stuff.

This ranges from what you just outlined to reduced risk of diabetes and colon cancer. I've also heard that coffee could inhibit the growth of bacteria that cause tooth decay. And, it's a good source of anti-oxidants.

Here's a blurb from Wikipedia on the subject of coffee and its health effects:
I'd also point out that I drink my coffee black and adding sugar and fat(via milk or cream) obviously makes it less healthy.

*I say "alleged" because I'm not really sure how thorough all of the studies suggesting these benefits are.

A cup of coffee actually has around 5 times the amount of antioxidents in it then green tea. Just to bad coffee doesnt have the loads of omega-3's green tea has. Adding cream or milk to coffee isnt really all that bad, milk fats are quite healthy and much better then the other fats in our lives. Sugar evil nuff said, get rid of that 50/50 glucose to fructose demon.

The main problem with coffee is that it causes lots of cortisol production. Which while cortisol is important, you don't want alot of it for sustained periods. While in the short term it cuases fat stores to mobolize in the blood stream leading to easier oxidation in muscles, but it can also cause the breakdown of some muscle tissue. In the long term it cuases growth of the fat stores around your abdomin and hips, a region where fat tissue produces estrogen in the highest levels. So it has it's benefits but heavy use leads to some bad side effects, and the wonderful cascade of having increased estrogen levels in your body.

Best advice don't use anything excessively, heavy coffee drinking is of course bad for your health in the long run no matter the amount of antioxidants of other benefits. Coffee/green tea right before cardio is also a nice trick to boost your fat losses, just don't drink caffeine before wieght lifting.