| Beer, Cancer & Coffee - Good news in 2 Parts
- Click HERE for Original Thread
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| Sportymonk |
Part 1
Beer: It's good for prostates.
http://www.newsobserver.com/110/story/450018.html
The Associated Press
PORTLAND, ORE. - For many men, a finding by Oregon researchers sounds too good to be true: An ingredient in beer seems to help prevent prostate cancer, at least in lab experiments.
The trouble is you'd theoretically have to drink about 17 beers a day for any potential benefit. And no one's advising that.
Researchers at Oregon State University say that the compound xanthohumol, found in hops, inhibits a protein in the cells along the surface of the prostate gland. The protein acts like a switch that turns on a variety cancers, including prostate cancer.
Dr. Richard N. Atkins, CEO of the National Prostate Cancer Coalition, said the experiments are encouraging and "perhaps men could take it in pill form someday."
He noted an ingredient in tomatoes, lycopene, has previously been linked to prostate cancer prevention.
"It's every man's dream to hear that beer and pizza can prevent cancer," he said. "However, the 17 beers and four large pizzas needed to get enough xanthohumol and lycopene to help prevent prostate cancer is unfortunately not advised."
Atkins noted that drinking 17 beers a day can lead to alcoholism and cirrhosis of the liver.
Yeah, yeah, that cirrhosis stuff, well here comes the rest of the good news. BTW - Pill Form?? No Way!
PART 2
http://www.newsobserver.com/110/story/450082.html
Been hitting the hooch? Java might help your liver
If you enjoy your vices, here's good news: two just might be better than one.
Researchers say coffee may counteract alcohol's poisonous effects on the liver and help prevent cirrhosis.
In a study of more than 125,000 people, one cup of coffee per day cut the risk of alcoholic cirrhosis by 20 percent. Four cups per day reduced the risk by 80 percent. The coffee effect held true for women and men of various ethnic backgrounds.
It is unclear whether it is the caffeine or some other ingredient in coffee that provides the protection, said study co-author Dr. Arthur Klatsky of the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in Oakland, Calif.
Of course, there is a better way to avoid alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver, Klatsky said.
"The way to avoid getting ill is not to drink a lot of coffee, but to cut down on the drinking" of alcohol, he said.
The participants ranged from teetotalers, who made up 12 percent of the total, to heavy drinkers, who made up 8 percent. The researchers calculated the risk reduction rates for the whole group, not just the drinkers.
Not all heavy drinkers develop cirrhosis, an irreversible scarring of the liver that hurts the organ's ability to filter toxins from the blood. Klatsky said the new findings may help explain why some people's livers survive heavy alcohol use.
Hepatitis C and some inherited diseases also can cause cirrhosis. But the study found coffee did not protect the liver against those other causes of scarring.
The same study found coffee drinkers had healthier results on blood tests used to measure liver function, whether or not they were heavy alcohol users. Coffee's effect on reducing liver enzymes in the blood was more apparent among the heavy drinkers in the study.
Cirrhosis from all causes kills more than 27,000 Americans a year and sends nearly 400,000 to the hospital.
The findings, published in Monday's Archives of Internal Medicine, build on reports that coffee also may reduce the risk of liver cancer.
The data came from members of a Northern California health plan. Their coffee consumption was noted only at the beginning of the study, which the researchers admitted was a limitation. They were followed for an average of 14 years.
COFFEE Q&A
Researchers found that people who drink an average of one cup of coffee a day cut their risk of alcoholic cirrhosis by 20 percent. People who drank four cups per day reduced their risk by 80 percent. The results were true for men and women of various backgrounds of all ages.
Q: What kind of coffee? Folgers? Starbucks? Caffeinated? Decaf?
A: The study didn't ask people what kind of coffee they drank. It just asked "Do you drink coffee?" The researchers don't know whether it's the caffeine in the coffee, antioxidants, or some other thing in coffee that helps the liver.
Q: What about tea?
A: In this study, researchers didn't see the same effect for tea. It's not clear to the researchers whether tea doesn't have whatever magic ingredient coffee has, or if it's because people drink less of it.
Q: There are so many mixed messages on coffee. What is the verdict now?
A: Most experts say coffee's overall effect seems to be either neutral or beneficial. You don't need to feel guilty about drinking a cup of coffee, or two or three. Other studies show coffee reduces the risk of diabetes, gallstones, suicide. Watch your own consumption and see if it's causing distress to your stomach or keeping you up at night.
Q: What are the implications of this study?
A: The researchers might figure out what it is about coffee that seems to be helpful to the liver. Nobody is saying it's OK to drink large amounts of alcohol as long as you drink coffee. They specifically say that if you are worried about cirrhosis of the liver, you need to stop drinking. Alcohol cirrhosis is very serious. It can kill you.
So 17 beers to fight cancer and 10 cups of coffee to fight cirrhosis, I think I'm up to the job with a little encouragement. Now where is Jay with that beer song of his? |
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| jay |
quote:
Originally posted by Sportymonk
...Now where is Jay with that beer song of his?
Over in the threaddrift thread doing another stanza!:7: |
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| ramirami |
quote:
Originally posted by Sportymonk
bump
too busy drinking beer ..no coffee...no beer...no coffee.... |
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| jay |
quote:
Originally posted by ramirami
too busy drinking beer ..no coffee...no beer...no coffee....
I prefer a nice mild Arabica blend with my Yuengling. :7: |
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| ramirami |
quote:
Originally posted by jay
I prefer a nice mild Arabica blend with my Yuengling. :7:
gold coast blend or Verona with my Amstel :D |
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