Wednesday, October 15, 2003


in moderation, ladies!

the media always loves to prey upon women's fears with these health horror stories. so dear lady readers, when you see the screaming headlines, take a deep yogic breath and realize they say nothing we didn't know in 2001.

"coffee increases miscarriage!" the papers now cry. what the study actually says is that a large amount of caffeine may increase the risks.

this is why we here at bccy have always advocated a moderate coffee intake -- about 3 6-oz. cups a day. and this is what i myself drink.

more does in several studies seem associated with a risk of increased miscarriage and fertility problems for women of child-bearing age. so if you're now expecting or just looking to have a baby, keep your coffee consumption to 3 cups.

and avoid those soft drinks; that's a large source of caffeine! i'm constantly surprised at women who tell me they won't touch coffee, but then gulp 10 caffeine-laden diet sodas a day. . .

of course if you drink decaf, you're golden. so despite the scare-stories, there's no need to foreswear your morning and afternoon coffee break.

as we learned yesterday however, guys apparently should start drinking coffee like fiends. so go ahead and make that 10-cup pot at home every day.

just make him drink most of it!

and in more encouraging news, german scientists now say coffee drinking, especially espresso, seems to actively protect against colon cancer.

here at bccy we've been talking about the anti-oxidant benefits of coffee for years. this is important since colon cancer is one of the top 4 or 5 kinds of cancer in the u.s.a.

the hope is the coffee phtyochemical that scientists suspect might be protective, methylpyridinium, might also help fight other kinds of cancers. this german study follows other studies this year that seemed to show this substance inhibited tumors in the test tube.

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