Fwd: Health e-Tips - That cup of joe could beat back diabetes

[Guest guest]

GOOD TO KNOW! Coffee and Tea are just plain GOOD FOR YOU!

....phil/qd36

30 Dec 2009

Dear Reader,

I was never a big coffee drinker. But lately, with all the madness of

getting ready for the holidays, I've found myself downing it pretty

regularly.

And recently a headline popped up that made me feel pretty good about

it. Researchers in Australia have found that drinking coffee lowers

your risk of type 2 diabetes. The more you drink, the lower your risk.

The results of the study, published in the Archives of Internal

Medicine, showed that every cup of coffee per day was associated with a

7% reduction in diabetes risk. Good news if you're one of those people

who can't get by on just one!

The good news doesn't stop there--earlier this month, researchers at

the American Association for Cancer Research meeting reported that

drinking coffee could mean a lower risk of dying from prostate cancer.

Other studies have shown it could help stave off Alzheimer's and stroke.

Oh, and if you're a tea drinker, there's good news. The research showed

that people who drink tea see the same diabetes-preventing benefit

shown in the Australian study. Four cups of tea per day resulted in a

1/5 lower chance of developing diabetes.

Of course, it can't all be good. There is one tidbit from this study

that left me shaking my head. The lead researcher said that it's too

early to start recommending people up their daily cups of coffee of tea

to prevent diabetes.

She wants more clinical trials, and is hopeful that the "identification

of the protective components in these beverages would open up new

therapeutic pathways" for preventing diabetes.

Protective components, huh? Therapeutic pathways? Call me crazy, but

that sounds more like, "Hey, this is good news, but it's not GREAT news

until we can figure out how to make a drug out of it!"

In the meantime, I'm going to keep having that daily cup of coffee. Or

maybe two. Of course, I'll be taking it black. Adding sugar would just

negate the benefits of this delicious natural disease fighter.

Yours in good health,

O'Brien

Decoding "floaters"

Q: I don't know if I should be worried about this or not. I often see

black spots moving across my field of vision. Should I be concerned? Is

there anything I can do?

Dr. : While you should schedule an appointment with an

ophthalmologist to rule out any serious problems, it sounds like you

may have what are known as "floaters." Floaters aren't dangerous, but

they can be bothersome if they happen frequently.

Years ago, the Physician's Desk Reference (PDR) outlined a treatment

for floaters using three specific nutrients -- choline, inositol, and

methionine. It may not eliminate them altogether, but in my experience,

this combination reduces the severity of floaters in most of the people

who try it, although it can take several months to notice a difference.

I generally recommend 1,000 milligrams of choline, 500 milligrams of

inositol, and 200 milligrams of methionine daily.

Bear in mind we are not addressing anyone's personal situation and you

should rely on this for informational purposes only. Please consult

with your own physician before acting on any recommendations contained

herein.

Cutting-edge discovery helps you fall asleep

quickly, easily and naturally

Sources:

"Coffee, Tea Might Stave Off Diabetes," News (news.).