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Laterlife Healthwise - 7
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Helen has specialised in writing about health and ageing and is a member of the Guild of Health Writers. She has written for a variety of newspapers and magazines including the Guardian, Times, Observer, Woman, Family Circle, Vogue and Choice. Helen has also written several books including Getting Older Slowly –Your Guide to Successful Ageing and Bone Boosters co-authored with Diana Moran of TV Green Goddess fame. For previous articles in the healthwise series visit 'more healthwise' Don't forget to take a look at Helen's separate talkback page too. |
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| Visit our Product section too: Health and Beauty in laterlife where we have selected a small range of Health stores where you can buy products online. Between them they cover the spectrum of traditional and alternative health products and therapies that you might be interested in. |
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I don't want to put you
off your favourite drink - but the news isn't too good. Several studies suggest that
coffee should be taken in moderation only. A recent American trial looked at 64 healthy volunteers randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group drank 1 litre (that's 6 cups) of strong unfiltered cafetiere coffee daily for two weeks, and the rest got other drinks. What the coffee drinkers also acquired from this intake was a 10% increase in homocysteine levels, which is something you don't want since it is a risk factor in cardiovascular disease. The scientists admit that they don't know why, and the trial was fairly small, but inevitably the finger points to the coffee, possibly the fact that it was unfiltered. Earlier reports from Scandinavia indicated a link with boiled, unfiltered coffee and raised cholesterol. Don't go away… there's good news ahead. But before we get to it, you should also know that coffee is linked to risk of arthritis too. Those who drink more than 3 cups a day were found to double their chances of developing the condition, and 10-cup drinkers were 15 times more likely to develop it. Again, the main suspect is unfiltered coffee, which may contain chemicals that trigger arthritis. And this time the surveys were big ones, between them based on long-term studies of around 26,000 Finns. But coffee can also be good for you It reduces tension, eases stress. You knew that already. Coffee may also relieve hay fever and protect against allergy reactions if scientific tests on rats prove significant for humans.And a survey of more than 8,000 people over a span of 30 years suggests that people who drink 4 or 5 cups a day are five times less likely to develop Parkinson's disease. The good guy is thought to be caffeine, a substance that has had a bad press in its time and is a risk factor for osteoporosis. So there you go. Stick to no more than 3 or 4 cups a day. Don't boil, do filter. And remember a little of what you fancy can't be all that bad. Tea drinkers should definitely go for it Bone mineral density seems to be higher in tea-drinkers than in those who abstain, and that's a good thing, since low bone density is a risk factor for osteoporosis. The right stuff in this case are substances called flavonoids which have a weak oestrogen-type effect on women (and presumably compensate for any bad caffeine effect on bones).Tea contains antioxidants which are linked to protection against various cancers, including pancreas, prostate and skin cancers. Green tea is even better than black tea at doing this, and white tea (which you've probably never heard of) may be the best cancer-protector of the lot, though the research is too new for proper assessment and it is not generally available. Reasons are due to the processing that tea goes through. Black tea is fermented, white is the freshest. But several daily cuppas of any colour seem a good idea.
Look Good, Feel Great with Diana Moran Diana Moran demonstrates how to keep fit using a series of simple routines
For books on Health visit the Amazon Family and Health Section. Don't forget if you buy books or videos from Amazon by linking from laterlife, you generate money for Charity. |
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Garlic supplements for medicinal purposes come in the form of oil, powder, paste and aged extract. Which is best? Currently, researchers are saying it's the aged garlic extract which produces the most favourable therapeutic results. It's available at chemists and health food stores, with doses stated on the pack, usually 1000mg for existing ailments, less for maintenance doses. Flattening the tum - an impossible aim? This was one of the grouses (mine actually) about getting older, featured in a recent Talkback. Exercise - what's stopping you? Excuse No. 7 ‘I used to suffer from back pain. I know instinctively that any strain could be damaging.’Your instinct is probably right, but it’s easy to overdo the self-protection. Fear of pain or injury can be harmful because instead of trying to extend movement as your body heals, you may hold yourself back and avoid certain stretches. This self-imposed restriction can create further stiffness and can quickly become chronic. Remember muscles, joints and bones deteriorate with disuse and this can make exertion become progressively difficult. Don’t talk yourself into being ‘too delicate’ to exercise. Talk to your doctor or physiotherapist instead. You might be able to find out where and whether you have a weakness which could be rectified by special exercises before you progress to a regular general routine. Otherwise you could be making a rod for your own back. If in any doubt about any of the information covered in healthwise articles and it's relevance for you, consult your GP. Previous articles in the healthwise series Edition 6
Index to all previous Healthwise editions 
Living
Well : Taking Care of Your Health in the Middle and Later Years
Tapping into high levels of energy through what you eat, think, feel, how you move and relate to your life
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10
steps to energyVisit our Product section too: Health and Beauty in laterlife where we have selected a small range of Health stores where you can buy products online. Between them they cover the spectrum of traditional and alternative health products and therapies that you might be interested in. For more information on Health and Health related matters visit our Health section
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