Coffee: The Riskiest Part of Waking Up?

Caffeine, found in coffee, tea, and chocolate is the most widely used drug in the world.  Many people feel they cannot "survive" the day without their morning cup of java.  We are all aware that caffeine may contribute to anxiety, insomnia, esophageal reflux, and also increase the urgency to urinate, but a new study demonstrates danger in consuming large amounts of caffeine for people with high blood pressure.

Patients with high blood pressure were given 250 mg of caffeine (one cup of drip coffee contains 100 to 150 mg of caffeine) and monitored over a three-hour period.  It was found that not only did their average systolic blood pressure increase by over 10 mm Hg, but their aortic stiffness also increased.  Aortic stiffness is a measure of flexibility in the blood vessel wall, and an increase in stiffness can increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as stroke and heart attack. The moral of the story, if you have high blood pressure and crave coffee, either limit consumption or make it a decaf latte'.
 

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Magnesium Proving a Mood and Sleep Enhancer

In clinical practice, many things used and developed in medicine are based upon a physician's experience.  Magnesium is an essential mineral that has been helpful in a variety of disorders such as hypertension and muscle spasms.  It also has been beneficial  in the treatment of depression, anxiety and sleep disorders.  While clinical observations and patient success are very important in treatment plans, pure biological validation is necessary to observe what systems are affected.

A recent biological study looked at the role of magnesium and its function in the brain. Magnesium was essential in triggering many enzymatic reactions and interacting with receptors, such as the NMDA receptor.  These interactions were thought to be highly beneficial in the treatment of anxiety, sleep, and behavioral disorders.

At the Magaziner Center, we will often measure red-blood-cell levels of magnesium and other essential nutrients in patients with anxiety, depression, and insomnia.  When these levels are low, many have noticed significant improvement after receiving both oral and intravenous magnesium, along with vitamin C and B vitamins in the form of a "Meyer's Cocktail."  In addition to having shown clinical benefit for the above-mentioned disorders, this formula has helped those with upper respiratory infections, chronic fatigue and muscle spasms.

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In medicine, it appears that conventional thinking may revolve around trends, rather than new breakthroughs.  For example, in the 1960s, we were taught that estrogens were dangerous, but during the 1980s and 1990s, virtually every perimenopausal or menopausal woman was placed on estrogen. Now we are back to where we started.

A similar "revolution" may be underway for testosterone.  While many men desire extra testosterone for increasing virility, stamina, and feelings of well-being, a recent Harvard study found that this hormone may benefit some men who suffer from depression.  The report, featured in the American Journal of Psychiatry, examined 22 men with low to low-to-normal testosterone levels who did not respond to antidepressants. Half of the men received testosterone gel for eight weeks, the other half received a placebo gel, and all continued taking antidepressant medications.

In the small study, one-third of the men who received both antidepressants and testosterone gel showed a dramatic improvement in mood, while the other group who took antidepressants and a placebo gel showed little to no benefit.

While it is apparent that not all men with depression will benefit from testosterone supplementation, it is quite reasonable to check testosterone levels in these patients.  Those with suboptimal levels may find that the use of this hormone helps them feel better.

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The best way to prevent damage from smoking is to either not have smoked or to quit smoking. Unfortunately, most people who attempt to quit smoking will fail many times before successfully quitting, and may often relapse.  Many people continue to smoke because is acts as a self-medication for low brain dopamine levels.  Often, nutritional agents that aid in repleting dopamine and to help with calming and cravings will help the smoker quit the habit.  There are also mesotherapy treatments developed to aid in kicking the habit.

Nevertheless, the majority of smokers will continue to puff away, leaving themselves at high risk for heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure.  Cardiovascular disease in smokers results from excessive free radical damage that causes damage to the blood vessel wall known as endothelial dysfunction.

In an Irish study published in the heart journal Circulation, researchers found three ways to combat endothelial dysfunction in smokers, thus theoretically reducing their risk of atherosclerosis.  Both vitamin C and the amino acid taurine, and the gout medication allopurinol all helped to reverse endothelial damage in those who smoked.  While the exact method of protection is not completely understood, it is thought that all three agents act as antioxidants and reverse free radical damage.
 

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Many avid dieters are familiar with food combining diets.  These diets claim to enhance metabolism by allowing the dieter to eat foods only at certain times and only in combination with certain other foods.  For example, the Suzanne Somers diet allows protein and vegetables to be consumed together.

Recent research published in Carcinogenesis illustrates an even more important discovery in cancer prevention.  Eating certain foods together, such as walnuts and broccoli or salmon and watercress could help to fight cancer.

The above-mentioned foods are particularly high in two nutrients, sulfuraphane and selenium. 
We were previously aware that sulfuraphane and selenium have anti-cancer properties, but until now, it was not known that eating these two food substances in combination had a synergistic effect in attacking cancer cells.  In fact, eating foods with high levels of sulfuraphane and selenium has been shown to be 13 times more effective in attacking cancer cells than consuming either alone.

Sulfuraphane, a naturally occurring plant chemical, is found at high concentrations in broccoli, sprouts, cabbage, watercress and salad rocket.  Foods rich in the essential mineral selenium include nuts, poultry, fish, eggs, sunflower seeds and mushrooms.
 

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