Beverages

Because beverages are more readily absorbed than food and we can quickly consume so much, we may need to be even more careful about what we drink than what we eat.

ALCOHOL: This is a biggie. There is a whole page devoted to alcohol.

DIET SODAS: There is a lot more information on the page about Artificial Sweeteners, but here is one bit of news that should get more attention:
Compared to women who rarely consume diet drinks, those who drank two or more a day were 50 percent more likely to die from cardiovascular disease. STUDY
Soda consumption and the risk of stroke in men and women

MILK:
Study shows that organic milk contains 25% less omega-6 fatty acids (inflammatory) and 62% more omega-3 fatty acids (anti-inflammatory) than conventional milk.
Milk – Pro and Con

Article on dairy in Japan with insights into the US. Also that confined cows are given antidepressants.

COFFEE: Drinking coffee and tea has been linked to reduced risk of disease including Parkinson’s. A 2022 study showed that coffee drinkers have a lower risk of Type 2 diabetes, stroke, heart failure, cancer, and dementia. Good article on People’s Pharmacy website about the pluses and minuses of drinking coffee. As with anything else, just because some is good that doesn’t mean that you can’t over do it. Caffeine increases the stress hormone cortisol and can heighten anxiety. It may cause cravings and affects brain signaling chemicals that might provide a lift but may be followed by a letdown later. Since it can take 24 hours to fully clear caffeine from your system, even morning coffee can cause sleep interference for some folks. But, is it a diuretic as often mentioned? This study says “No”. (It may increase urgency, but that is a nerve stimulation thing.)

Heavy coffee consumption may raise blood levels of homocysteine which is a risk factor for cardiovascular trouble, mood issues and dementia. This effect may be from interference with B vitamins.

Caffeine Info (includes an addiction questionnaire)

Amounts of caffeine in coffee

Coffee and tea are protective against one type of brain cancer. And it doesn’t take a lot—just half a cup a day produced a 34% reduction in the risk of glioma. Researchers at Brown University analyzed data from a giant European study. (More than 410,000 people from nine countries were followed for over 8 years.) Men saw more benefit than women.1 However, a later review of studies failed to show a strong association.
Study indicates that drinking coffee before a meal reduces insulin sensitivity but improves glucose management if taken with the meal. Other research showed that increasing coffee consumption reduced the risk of diabetes.
More info about caffeine.

GREEN TEA – Green tea is the same plant that becomes black tea when oxidized. If the small amount of caffeine bothers you, you could choose a decaffeinated variety but certain beneficial effects like attention span and fat-burning would likely be reduced. Milk apparently reduces the positive effect of green tea while lemon enhances it. If you don’t like the bland flavor, look for combinations with ginger for more zip and additional anti-inflammatory properties.

Green Tea Research: In May 2014, PubMed (government internet science search tool) lists 5,686 articles about green tea. The benefits seem numerous and varied, so I’ll just list some examples with a representative reference (in alphabetical order from a search I did in 2010): Blood Pressure, Cancer (breast 3 and various others), Cardiovascular Health, Cholesterol, Depression, Insulin Resistance (Pre-Diabetes), Mental Function and Leukemia. The science is still young, but the sheer volume and consistent positive nature of results is hard to ignore.

ENERGY SHOTS – Ingredients and what they do

WATER – Bottled water is an environmental disaster and it legally only has to be as good as tapwater. This article says that bottle water contains twice as much plastic as tap water. Plastics interfere with hormones. That is what we are programmed to drink. Check out the Environmental Working Group’s Tap Water Database about water safety. But, ice water? Keep in mind that the stomach is 106 degrees and was designed to work at that temperature. What about alkaline water? I prefer water that gets its minerals in a vitalizer that also structures and oxygenates it. (For more information, contact Matthew at the Thermography Center 214-352-8758.)