Coffee, tea, and D (NA)… Java jubilation - again It's "bean" a while since I mentioned one of my favorite beverages. You already know what it is - although if you're like most people, you probably drink it in ways that make it more like a milkshake than a hot cup of liquid health food… Of course, it's coffee I'm talking about. And today, I get to sing its praises yet again. Some new research indicates that a nice "cuppa joe" likely carries with it more healthy benefits than even I thought. According to an article I found recently on the WebMD site, a growing body of evidence suggests that a "daily dose" (no pun intended) of coffee may help to prevent what's quickly contending for "number one killer" status among Americans: Diabetes. A Harvard PhD researcher analyzed 8 separate studies in 2005 and found that adults who drink not one or two cups - but as many as 6-7 cups of coffee every day slash their risks of diabetes by over ONE THIRD over those who drank just 2 cups a day. Another study focusing solely on women showed similar results: A 13% reduction in diabetes risk for girls who drank 2 cups daily, and as much as a 40% drop for those who consumed 4 or more cups each day! Now, for the record, this coffee-diabetes risk reduction relationship is something I've known for a long time. I first wrote about this back in March of 2004 (Daily Dose, 03/02/2004). I also knew about some of the other things this Harvard research revealed about coffee - like that it had positive effects on the risk of Parkinson's disease and colon cancer… However, though I was aware that coffee's benefits against liver cancer were significant, I hadn't known how dramatic those effects might actually turn out to be. According to some new Italian research highlighted in a Reuters health article last month, both men and women who drank at least 28 cups of coffee every week enjoyed as much as a 60 PERCENT reduction in their risk of a certain type of liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma) over those who drank less than 14 cups a week… But I must add: DON'T ADD SUGAR to it. If you don't like it black (my dogs and I don't like it either) then add cream. This risk reduction was not seen among decaf drinkers or among those favoring tea. And speaking of things you drink and liver risks… You know I'm no fan of soft drinks, regular or diet… However, just over a month ago, I read something that piles even more evidence onto the stack that already damns these insidious beverages. It comes from the UK Independent, which reports about a disturbing new study which suggests that a common ingredient in some soda-pops - sodium benzoate - can actually cause damage to a person's cellular mitochondrial (cellular) DNA… Sounds bad, doesn't it? It sounds especially bad when you hear that this damage can lead to cirrhosis of the liver - which can contribute to and neuro-degenerative diseases like Parkinson's. Yet that's exactly what some Sheffield University researchers on aging have concluded, based on analysis of the effects of sodium benzoate on living yeast cells. For those who aren't molecular biologists, mitochondria are the "power stations" of every one of your cells. It's the part of the cell that converts oxygen into energy. In other words, it's basically the most important part of the whole cellular shootin' match… Currently, the World Health Organization, the UK's Food Standards Agency, the European Union, and the U.S. FDA consider sodium benzoate to be perfectly safe as an additive to soft drinks. | 
