Coffee Is Beneficial

Drinking coffee is "more likely to benefit health than to harm it," say British researchers who carried out an umbrella review of more than 200 clinical trials across all countries and all settings. They found that drinking three to four cups of coffee a day is associated with a lower risk of death and getting heart disease compared with drinking no coffee. Coffee drinking is also associated with lower risk of some cancers, diabetes, liver disease and dementia.

Coffee greatest benefit was seen for liver conditions, such as cirrhosis of the liver. And, there seemed to be beneficial associations between coffee consumption and Parkinson's disease, depression and Alzheimer's disease.

There was less evidence for the effects of drinking decaffeinated coffee but it had similar benefits for a number of outcomes.

Source:The BMJ (formerly the British Medical Journal)

Coffee
Coffee: Emerging Health Effects and Disease Prevention
Beverage Supplies
Artwork: Coffee Poster

Mushrooms Slow Aging

Researchers from Pennsylvania State University have found that mushrooms are “without a doubt” the single biggest source of two antioxidants found to have anti-aging properties. The compounds, ergothioneine and glutathione, are present in a number of mushrooms, but some species have more than others. Wild porcini mushrooms have more tantioxidants “by far” than any other species tested, but common white button mushrooms are also beneficial.

The positive effects of the fungi remain even when cooked, fending off diseases associated with aging such as coronary heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer’s.

Source: Penn State

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Artwork: Dried Porcini Mushrooms

Walnuts Good for Memory

Eating walnuts appears to improve performance on cognitive function tests, including those for memory, concentration and information processing speed according to research from the David Geffen School of Medicine at The University of California, Los Angeles.

The cross-sectional study analyzing cognitive data across multiple surveys found that cognitive function was consistently greater in adult participants that consumed walnuts regardless of age, gender or ethnicity.

Drawn from a large sampling of the U.S. population, ages 1 to 90 years old, the study found that those with higher walnut consumption performed significantly better on a series of six cognitive tests.

"It is exciting to see the strength of the evidence from this analysis supporting the previous results of animal studies that have shown the neuroprotective benefit from eating walnuts; and it's a realistic amount - less than a handful per day (13 grams)," noted the study's lead researcher, Dr. Lenore Arab.

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Cultivar Walnuts Offer Income Potential
Source: The Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging
Artwork: Raw Walnuts

Processing Depletes Cranberry Flavonols

Fresh whole cranberries contain high levels of flavonols, far more than most berries and more than most fruits or vegetables. But research by Agricultural Research Service scientists has revealed that nearly half of the total flavonol content of whole berries is left behind in the pomace - stems, skins, seeds, and pulp - left over when cranberries are pressed to make juice or canned products.

Flavonols are a class of polyphenols that includes, for example, quercetin and myricetin.

Cranberries are also known to be rich in fiber, and to provide vitamin C and potassium, both of which are essential nutrients.

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Source: ARS
Artwork: Cranberry

Mangoes Linked to Better Health

Recent human studies on mango consumption have found potential health benefits associated with the fruit, including improved blood pressure, blood sugar control, and gut health.

Scientists from Texas A&M University investigated the metabolic effects of daily consumption of freshly frozen mango pulp (400g) for six weeks in lean and obese subjects and the relationship between mango metabolites to Body Mass Index (BMI) and circulating biomarkers.

Researcgers from Oklahoma State University examined the post-prandial response of young, healthy males (18-25 years) following consumption of a typical American high-fat breakfast with or without a mango shake, which included 50g of mango pulp (equivalent to ~250g of fresh mango).

In a randomized pilot study, researchers from Texas A&M University investigated the potential role of mango consumption in changes of the gut microbiota, bioavailability of galloyl metabolites, and anti-inflammatory activities in lean and obese subjects.

"This emerging research shows promising outcomes on mango's potential to reduce the risk of metabolic disorders and chronic inflammation," said Leonardo Ortega, Director of Research at the National Mango Board.

Researchers from Texas A&M University examined the absorption, metabolism, and excretion of gallic acid, galloyl glycosides, and gallotannins in lean and obese individuals that consumed 400g of freshly frozen mango pulp daily for six weeks. The study's lead researcher, Susanne Mertens-Talcott, Ph.D. suggests that extended mango consumption may offer increased anti-inflammatory benefits compared to sporadic mango consumption and this would need to be confirmed within an extended efficacy study.

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Salmon Ceviche with Mango
Artwork: Mangoes

Choose Dark Chocolate for Valentine's Day

Celebrate Valentine’s Day with a gift of dark chocolate and its heart-healthy advantages. Dark chocolate contains high levels of flavonoids, which are antioxidants that protect cells from damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals are unstable molecules that can alter and weaken cells, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

Research has found that flavanols, which are the main type of flavonoid found in cocoa and chocolate, have potential influences on vascular health, including lowering blood pressure, improving blood flow to the brain and heart, and making blood platelets less sticky and able to clot.

Milk chocolate, on the other hand, doesn’t provide the same health benefits. Generally speaking, dark chocolate has more cocoa than milk chocolate. Dark chocolate also has fewer unhealthy sugars and saturated fats than milk chocolate. Researchers at Harvard University Medical School suggest choosing chocolate that has at least 70 percent cocoa or more.

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Artwork: Valentine's Day Gift Heart

Cinnamon Lowers Diabetes Risk

A recent USDA study suggests that cinnamon reduces risk factors associated with diabetes and heart disease.

 During the 12-week study, 22 obese participants with impaired blood glucose values -- "prediabetes" -- were divided randomly into two groups and given either a placebo or 250 milligrams (mgs) of a dried water-soluble cinnamon extract twice daily along with their usual diets. Blood was collected after an overnight fast at the beginning of the study, after six weeks, and after 12 weeks to measure the changes in blood glucose and antioxidants.

The study demonstrated that the cinnamon improved a number of antioxidant variables by as much as 13 to 23 percent, and lowered blood glucose by an equivalent percentage. More details on the study can be found in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition.

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Artwork: Cinnamon Sticks