September 11th, 2010 by Jeffrey Benabio, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Tips, Humor, News, Opinion, Quackery Exposed, Research
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Last week a popular TV talk show featuring a bunch of doctors (I’m not naming names) discussed how coffee grounds can improve cellulite. They explained how rubbing coffee grounds into your skin imparts caffeine into the cellulite thereby improving the circulation and drawing the toxins out.
This is a great tip, except that rubbing coffee grounds on your skin does not impart any caffeine into it, and there are no toxins in cellulite.
Cellulite is a normal secondary sex characteristic of women. It is the result of thin connective tissue in women’s skin. Massaging the cellulite (with coffee, tea, grapes, cream cheese, or chocolate frosting) pushes the fat back into the skin, temporarly improving the appearance. There is no science behind using coffee to treat this normal condition.
Scientific studies have shown, however, that carrying a wet coffee filter filled with grounds into your bathroom will burn more calories, because you’ll spend 20 minutes later cleaning up the mess in your shower.
*This blog post was originally published at The Dermatology Blog*
July 24th, 2010 by Toni Brayer, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Tips, News, Opinion, Research
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The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has issued a statement that moderate caffeine consumption (<200mg/day — about a cup of coffee) does not increase a woman’s risk for miscarriage or preterm birth. The review of recent studies was published in Obstetrics and Gynecology and should reassure women about drinking coffee when pregnant.
Caffeine does cross the placenta, but there was no difference found between the moms who drank caffeine while pregnant and those who did not.
If you wonder how much caffeine is in certain drinks or foods, click here.
One fact the study did not mention is that many women have a natural aversion to coffee when they are pregnant. Maybe nature knows best.
*This blog post was originally published at EverythingHealth*
March 9th, 2010 by DrWes in Better Health Network, Health Tips, Research
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This week, coffee seems to be good for the heart:
“People who are moderate coffee drinkers can be reassured that they are not doing harm because of their coffee drinking,” said Arthur Klatsky, the study’s lead investigator and a cardiologist at Kaiser’s Division of Research.
These “surprising” data are to be presented at the AHA meeting March 5th. (You’ll have to wait until then to get the REAL scoop, it seems.)
But a quick Google search on Dr. Klatsky’s earlier studies using the same questionaire database shows the problems with using questionaire data to make such sweeping conclusions. Take, for instance, these findings from 1973: Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Dr. Wes*
February 12th, 2010 by Nancy Brown, Ph.D. in Better Health Network, Health Tips
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What is it about our culture that encourages newer and riskier ways to challenge our health? Public health folks have become very concerned about the latest challenge – alcoholic energy drinks. These are prepackaged beverage with alcohol and caffeine, as well as other stimulants, that look like other energy drinks but carry a much more powerful, and dangerous, punch!
There were 500 new energy drink products introduced worldwide in 2006 with average sales topping $3.2 billion. These products are targeting youth by creating brand confusion with nonalcoholic versions; providing a cheap alternative to mixing energy drinks with alcohol; and using youth-friendly grassroots and viral marketing. The names of these products say it all – Rockstar, Sparks, and Tilt. Read more »
This post, Why You Shouldn’t Mix Energy Drinks With Alcohol, was originally published on
Healthine.com by Nancy Brown, Ph.D..
September 8th, 2009 by KerriSparling in Better Health Network, True Stories
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I did it.
I started my mission while we were on vacation in Barcelona, because between the time change and our eating schedule and the fact that sleep was a hot commodity, it was a good time to let go of the caffeine addiction. No real withdrawal, no extreme headaches, and no unrighteously sassy moments where I can’t function “WITHOUT MY CUP OF COFFEE DAMNIT!”
This is a big step for me, because coffee and I were buddies.
Bestest pals.
Friends all day long.
But now, I have a new pal. Someone who can still be part of the collection of stupid iPhotos that the editorial team snaps every few days. (These photos are known as the Friday Face-Off, where we take one photo to emulate, like this one (my version) or this one, and we all recreate it ourselves, then paste them together as a college. My favorite so far was when we all tried to look like my chubby-cheeked niece. But I’ve once again digressed. Ignore me.)
My new pal is decaf, and I have embraced the change. The coffee shop downstairs makes a mean iced decaf coffee, and just a short walk away from my office is a fabulous graham cracker flavored coffee that comes in delicious decaf. I am finally weaned off the caffeine, but I still get to enjoy the taste and the “coffee runs” that are part of the social routine in my office.
It’s nice to feel free.
It’s also nice to not drink so much coffee that my fingertips actually jitter to the point where I can’t type a sentence without mangling most of the words.
FutureBaby, I hope you appreciate this. Because it was HAAARD. But I know it was worth it.
*This blog post was originally published at Six Until Me.*
