Java Jogs Memory, Research Reveals

Researchers conducted a study with individuals who did not regularly eat or drink caffeinated products. Each received either a placebo or a 200-milligram caffeine tablet five minutes after studying a series of images. The next day, both groups were tested on their ability to recognize images from the previous day’s study session.

On the test, some of the visuals were the same as from the day before, some were new additions and some were similar but not the same as the items previously viewed. More members of the caffeine group were able to correctly identify the new images as “similar” to previously viewed images versus erroneously citing them as the same.

 The brain's ability to recognize the difference between two similar but not identical items, called pattern separation, reflects a deeper level of memory retention, the researchers said. Until now, caffeine’s effects on long-term memory had not been examined in detail.

Of the few studies done, the general consensus was that caffeine has little or no effect on long-term memory retention. The research is different from prior experiments because the subjects took the caffeine tablets only after they had viewed and attempted to memorize the images.

 For more information about the study, visit http://hub.jhu.edu/2014/01/12/caffeine-enhances-memory.

5 Ways to Maintain a Healthy Heart

Did you know heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States for both men and women? In honor of American Heart Month this February, we want to ensure that all of our citizens stay as healthy as possible.  Here are four small and steady changes you can make in your life that will help you build a stronger heart and prepare for and prevent against any heart related emergencies. 

         Sustain a healthy diet

     Maintaining a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fiber and low-fat dairy products can give you the jumpstart you need towards a heart-healthy routine.  While eating at least 5 servings of these healthy nutrients a day, be sure to cut out foods high in sodium, saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol. Foods said to decrease your risk of heart attack and protect against irregular heartbeats are those rich in Omega-3 fatty acids. Certain types of fish, walnuts and soybeans are all good natural sources of Omega-3 fatty acids.

2    Exercise regularly

     Physical activity can help you maintain a healthy weight and reduce potentially dangerous conditions such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels. Discuss your health range with your doctor and dedicate just 25-30 minutes a day to a workout of your choice. 

        Do not smoke or use tobacco

     Because chemicals in tobacco can damage your heart and blood vessels, smoking cigarettes or using tobacco is viewed today as one of the most significant risk factors for developing heart disease. If you currently smoke or use tobacco, consult with you doctor about selecting a method to quit as soon as possible.

4     Seek regular health checks 

     High blood pressure and cholesterol can damage your heart and blood vessels, but you can take action against these conditions by monitoring your health on a regular basis. Because high blood pressure often has no symptoms, be sure to have it checked by your doctor or pharmacy technician once a year. Schedule an appointment with your doctor once every 3-5 years to have your cholesterol checked with a simple blood test.

Should Coffee Receive Credit for Seniors’ Longevity?

According to research from the National Cancer Institute and AARP, seniors who drink coffee – caffeinated or decaffeinated – have a lower risk of death.

Coffee drinkers are less likely to die from heart disease, respiratory disease, stroke, injuries and accidents, diabetes and infections, the researchers said, although the association was not seen for cancer. Researchers admitted, however, that they can’t be sure whether these associations mean that drinking coffee actually makes people live longer.

The results from a large study of older adults were observed after adjustment for the effects of other risk factors on mortality, such as smoking and alcohol consumption. The results of the study were published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Neal Freedman, Ph.D., Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, NCI, and his colleagues examined the association between coffee drinking and risk of death in 400,000 U.S. men and women ages 50 to 71 who participated in the National Institutes of Health-AARP Diet and Health Study.

 “Although we cannot infer a causal relationship between coffee drinking and lower risk of death, we believe these results do provide some reassurance that coffee drinking does not adversely affect health,” Dr. Freedman said.

For more about the study, visit http://www.cancer.gov/newscenter/pressreleases/2012/CoffeeProtectiveDCEG/print.

Lifestyle Changes Program Reduced Type 2 Diabetes Risk by 58 Percent

Programs to prevent or delay type 2 diabetes in high-risk adults do result in fewer people developing diabetes. Researchers said a program involving lifestyle changes, which was particularly effective for those 60 and older, reduced the rate of diabetes in high-risk adults by 58 percent.

The Diabetes Prevention Program funded by the National Institutes of Health, which appeared in a recent issue of Diabetes Care, showed that lifestyle changes – reduced fat and calories in the diet and increased physical activity that lead to modest weight loss – reduced the rate of type 2 diabetes in high-risk adults by 58 percent, compared with placebo. A medication, metformin, reduced diabetes by 31 percent. At present, metformin is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration for diabetes prevention, but it is used by diabetics.

For more about the research, check out http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/35/4/723 and www.nih.gov/news/health/oct2009/niddk-29.htm.

Research Says Coffee Drinking Cuts Breast, Prostate Cancers

It appears that your parents are doing at least one good thing for themselves: drinking coffee.  The results of two recent studies reveal a link between lower risks of prostate cancer in men and breast cancer in women among coffee drinkers.

Men who regularly drink coffee appear to have a lower risk of developing a lethal form of prostate cancer, according to the new study led by Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) researchers. What's more, the lower risk was evident among men who drank either regular or decaffeinated coffee.

The researchers chose to study coffee because it contains many beneficial compounds that act as antioxidants, reduce inflammation, and regulate insulin, all of which may influence prostate cancer.

Among the findings:

·         Men who consumed the most coffee (six or more cups daily) had nearly a 20 percent lower risk of developing any form of prostate cancer.

·         The inverse association with coffee was even stronger for aggressive prostate cancer. Men who drank the most coffee had a 60 percent lower risk of developing lethal prostate cancer.

·         The reduction in risk was seen whether the men drank decaffeinated or regular coffee, and does not appear to be due to caffeine.

In another study, researchers from Sweden compared lifestyle factors and coffee consumption between women with breast cancer and age-matched women without. They found that heavy coffee drinkers had a lower incidence of ER–negative breast cancer than women who rarely drank coffee.

Women who drank five cups of coffee a day had a 33 to 57 percent lower risk for this cancer than did women who drank less than a cup a day. Once they had adjusted their data to account for these other factors they found that the protective effect of coffee on breast cancer was only measurable for ER-negative breast cancer.

Encourage your parents to get regular exercise and visit their doctors as scheduled. Remind them to discuss a healthy diet with their doctor or a nutritionist. If they need help around the house, a Home Instead CAREGiver^SM could assist. CAREGivers are screened, trained, bonded and insured, and provide a variety of companionship and home helper services.

For more about the studies, go to http://www.acsh.org/factsfears/newsid.2655/news_detail.asp and http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-05/bc-crb050911.php.