Tag: energy

Coffee and Caffeine

Todays post is about coffee and caffeine.

Recently Scott came home from a day at university and declared he was giving up coffee, or to be more precise, caffeine. He explained that one of the lectures he attended was about the effects of caffeine on the body.

This was the start of several discussions and I wondered how much information was available on this subject.

A search of the Internet provides a massive amount on information about coffee and caffeine. Most is about how good it is. There is less information about any down sides.

First, what is Coffee?

Coffee beans are the seeds of a fruit called a coffee cherry. Coffee cherries grow on coffee trees from a genus of plants called ‘Coffea’. There are a wide variety of species of coffee plants, ranging from shrubs to trees.

Coffee beans start out green. They are roasted at a high heat to produce a chemical change that releases the rich aroma and flavour that we associate with coffee. They are then cooled and ground for brewing.

The result is an intricate mixture of more than a thousand chemicals. The cup of coffee you order from a coffee shop is likely different from the coffee you make at home.

About the caffeine

Caffeine is a psychoactive substance that occurs naturally in the fruit, leaves, and beans of coffee, cacao, and guarana plants. It is also added to some beverages and supplements.

It is absorbed within about 45 minutes after consuming, and peaks in the blood anywhere from 15 minutes to 2 hours. The caffeine in beverages is quickly absorbed in the gut. From there it dissolves into both the body’s water and fat molecules. It is then able to cross into the brain.

Food or food components, such as fibre, in the gut can delay how quickly caffeine in the blood peaks. It can remain in the blood anywhere from 1.5 to 9.5 hours, depending on various factors.

According to many studies, moderate intake can promote a variety of health benefits, including a lower risk of certain cancers, brain conditions, and liver problems.

Is caffeine bad for us?

Caffeine consumption also carries several risks and the human response to it can vary substantially across individuals. Low to moderate doses (50–300 mg) may cause increased alertness, energy, and ability to concentrate.

This is due to the caffeine increasing the neurotransmitters for memory, concentration and pleasure.

However, research has also linked moderate amounts of caffeine to adverse effects on health.

In 2013, the results of a study showed that consuming as much as 300 mg of caffeine a day during pregnancy may increase the risk of having a baby with low birth weight.

In 2015 a study identified several negative effects of consuming more than 400 mg of caffeine per day. The adverse effects include reduced blood flow to the brain and heart, irregular and/or rapid heart rate as well as reducing the body’s ability to recycle and absorb calcium.

Some symptoms of increased caffeine consumption include anxiety, restlessness, insomnia and tremors.

Interestingly, these effects can also be present when people withdraw from caffeine.

Then there was also a wide range of studies that suggested that the cognitive benefits of caffeine are actually associated with relief from withdrawal, rather than with improvement in function.

To drink coffee or not?

It appears that more research is necessary to confirm whether long-term caffeine consumption is safe. Whether it provides benefits or increases the risk of health problems. At the end of the day, it is how the individual feels when they do, or don’t drink coffee.

On a personal note Scott only drank, on average, 2 cups of coffee a day so he didn’t think that giving up coffee would be noticeable. However, on the day he decided to stop drinking coffee, he experienced headaches, was jittery and quite grumpy. Thankfully these symptoms only lasted one day.

Now Scott is drinking decaffeinated coffee. He states that he his head feels clearer with less brain fog and generally feels better overall.

Till the next post,

Live clean n Prosper.

Sources – US National Library of Medicine, Harvard School of Public Health, Science Direct, Medical News Today

All about Magnesium

Todays post is all about Magnesium. I recently read a small article on foods rich in magnesium and how this mineral plays a part in controlling blood sugar. This was news to me, so I decided to do a bit of research into this essential macro mineral.

What is Magnesium?

Wikipedia states that Magnesium is an alkaline earth metal and the eighth most abundant element in the Earth’s crust. It’s also abundant in seawater due to its high solubility. Magnesium is also the 11th most abundant element by mass in the human body.

Why is it important?

Magnesium is necessary for more than 300 chemical reactions in the human body and is used by almost every cell. It’s needed for healthy bones, heart, muscles, and nerves and helps your body control energy, blood sugar, blood pressure, and many other processes.

An adult body contains approximately 25 g magnesium, with 50% to 60% present in the bones and most of the rest in soft tissues. It is absorbed through the bowel and stored mainly in bone and soft tissue.

How our body uses it.

Calcium and magnesium work together in maintaining bone health and preventing osteoporosis. Magnesium is important for bone formation. It helps assimilate calcium into the bone and plays a role in activating vitamin D in the kidneys.

Magnesium plays an important role in carbohydrate and glucose metabolism. Several studies have associated a higher intake with a lower risk of diabetes. It is also necessary to maintain the health of muscles, including the heart, and for the transmission of electrical signals in the body.

Studies have also shown that magnesium can help with migraine headaches, PMS and anxiety. If you were basically healthy, you probably wouldn’t have symptoms from low magnesium unless it went on for a long time. Low levels have been linked to health issues like Crohn’s disease, celiac disease, or insulin resistance. 

Lifestyle choices can also lead to low levels, such as poor diet, gastrointestinal problems, or vitamin D deficiency. Some symptoms of magnesium deficiency include tingly fingers and toes, flu like symptoms, cramping muscles, irregular heart rate, mood changes and constipation.

Getting your daily dose

Magnesium is one of seven essential macro minerals that need to be consumed in relatively large amounts, at least 100 milligrams (mg) per day. The best way to ensure you are getting your daily dose is from food.

Latest research regarding magnesium absorption from gels and creams on the skin is inconclusive. The best sources of magnesium are pumpkin and sunflower seeds, spinach, Swiss chard and other leafy greens, black beans, quinoa and cashews.

Studies have revealed that when the foods are cooked for any length of time the mineral content is significantly less. All the more reason to eat fresh unprocessed vegetables, nuts and seeds as much as possible.

I hope that you found this information as interesting as I have, I wasn’t aware that magnesium played such a big role in our bodily functions.          Sources – (National Institutes of Health – Health Direct –  Medical News Today 

Till the next post,   

Live clean n Prosper.

The brain, food and our weight.

Today I’m writing about the brain, how it’s affected by food and it’s connection to our weight.

With Scott’s study we have some interesting conversations. Usually about the latest things he has learned. Most recently we were discussing the role of our brain plays in regards to our weight and how it’s affected by food.

I thought I would share what we have learned.

How food affects our brain

Interestingly, of our total energy input, our brain actually uses up to 20% of our body’s energy resources. The different compounds in foods affect the production of hormones in our brain, which in turn, govern our moods.

The micronutrients in fruits & veg, such as antioxidants, help to reduce free radicals in the brain, which destroy brain cells. Essential fatty acids such as omega 3 & 6 are essential for the creation and maintenance of brain cell membrane. Proteins & amino acids affect how we feel and behave. The vitamins B6, B12 & folic acid help prevent brain disease.

Most of the energy comes from processing the carbohydrates we eat, to blood sugar.

The types of carbohydrates we eat have different effects on the levels of blood sugar. There are basically 3 types of carbohydrates, starch, sugar & fibre. The ratio of these in the food affects how the body and brain respond.

Simple carbohydrates has less fibre and are therefore processed quickly. This creates more energy, however it is not sustainable. This results in an energy deficit or slump.

Having a diet that contains a broad selection of foods help keep everything balanced.

So we know that different food affects the brain. What is really interesting is that the brain then regulates how much we eat and use for energy according to our weight.

Is the brain connected to our weight?

Researchers in 1982 theorised that the brain has a ‘body weight set point’. Which means that the brain actually has a say in how we put on, or lose weight.

This is the reason that many people plateau when actively trying to lose weight. It is also why many people put the weight back on after losing it.

The set-point theory suggests that body weight is regulated at a predetermined, or preferred, level by a feedback control mechanism. Information from the body is carried to a central controller in the brain, located in the hypothalamus.

The controller uses the information to modulate food intake or energy expenditure to correct any deviations in body weight from the set-point. (Source – www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/)

According to this theory, body fat percentage and body weight are matters of internal controls that are set differently in different people.

There are several different theories on how to re-set the body’s set-point. Some say it can be done through diet, others say constant intense exercise.

I think that this will vary for each individual as much as our internal controls are different.

Either way, I found it quite interesting to learn about this particular ‘brain – body’ connection.

 Till the next post,

Live clean n prosper.