Coffee
can protect your liver from alcohol damage!
A
new research suggests that heavy alcohol users who drink a lot of coffee could
actually be protecting their livers! Heavy coffee consumption may protect
against liver damage in men who drink alcohol, a new study has claimed.
Researchers asked nearly 19,000 Finnish men and women between ages 25 and 74
about their coffee and alcohol consumption.
‘Our
findings suggest a possible protective effect for coffee intake in alcohol
consumers,’ said study researcher Dr Onni Niemela, of Seinajoki Central
Hospital and the University of Tampere in Finland. Researchers measured
participants’ blood levels of the liver enzyme gamma-glutamyl transferase
(GGT), MyHealthNewsDaily reported. Drinking alcohol raises levels of GGT in the
blood. Over time, drinking can also lead to alcoholic liver disease. People
with liver disease show higher levels of GGT in their blood.
Men
in the study who consumed more than 24 alcoholic drinks per week, or about 3.5
drinks daily, had the highest levels of the liver enzyme – about three times
higher than men who did not drink alcohol. But among the men who were heavy
drinkers, those who also consumed five or more cups of coffee daily showed a 50
per cent reduction in GGT compared with men who drank no coffee.
The
researchers found no significant association between coffee consumption and GGT
levels in female drinkers. In addition to drinking alcohol, smoking, older age
and being overweight can also raise GGT levels. While there were no differences
in these variables among heavy drinkers, moderate drinkers, former drinkers and
non-drinkers in the study, the researchers cannot determine for sure whether
some interaction between alcohol and one of these factors affected the results.
The
researchers found that the way that coffee was prepared whether it was
filtered, boiled or served as espresso, for example – did not seem to make a
difference in the findings. Previous studies have suggested that drinking
coffee may decrease GGT levels, and that caffeine may play a role in this. It
remains unclear whether elevated levels of the liver enzyme correlate with
symptoms of liver disease.
25.03.2013
Family
dinners keep adolescents healthy
Regular family dinners contribute to good mental health in adolescents, a new study has revealed.
Family meal times are a measurable signature of social exchanges in the home that benefit adolescents' well-being - regardless of whether or not they feel they can easily talk to their parents.
"More frequent family dinners related to fewer emotional and behavioural problems, greater emotional well-being, more trusting and helpful behaviours towards others and higher life satisfaction," co-author Frank Elgar, an associate professor in the Faculty of Medicine's Department of Psychiatry, whose research centers on social inequalities in health and family influences on child mental health said.
Family meal times are a measurable signature of social exchanges in the home that benefit adolescents' well-being - regardless of whether or not they feel they can easily talk to their parents.
"More frequent family dinners related to fewer emotional and behavioural problems, greater emotional well-being, more trusting and helpful behaviours towards others and higher life satisfaction," co-author Frank Elgar, an associate professor in the Faculty of Medicine's Department of Psychiatry, whose research centers on social inequalities in health and family influences on child mental health said.
The study, conducted by Elgar, Wendy Craig and Stephen Trites of Queen's University, examined the relation between frequency of family dinners and positive and negative aspects of mental health.
The researchers used a national sample of 26,069 adolescents aged 11 to 15 years who participated in the 2010 Canadian Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children study.
The researchers found the same positive effects of family meal time on the mental health of the young subjects, regardless of gender, age or family affluence.
"We were surprised to find such consistent effects on every outcome we studied," Elgar said.
"From having no dinners together to eating together 7 nights a week, each additional dinner related to significantly better mental health," he said.
The authors suggest that family mealtimes are opportunities for open family interactions which present teaching opportunities for parents to shape coping and positive health behaviors such as good nutritional choices, as well as enable adolescents to express concerns and feel valued, all elements that are conducive to good mental health in adolescents.
25.03.2013
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