FITNESS, DRINKS, HEALTH, HERBS and COFFEE last news

Top Source of Antioxidants

Our daily cups of coffee are not of course substitutes for fruits and vegetables, but are a top source of healthy antioxidants. Two/three cups daily not only help to clear the mind and to boost the basic energy, it also provides more healthful antioxidants than any other food or beverage in the average American diets (© from a new study by Dr. Joe A. Vinson, chemistry professor at the University of Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Antioxidant Benefits

The healthy Fitness Coffee contains many antioxidants and the consumption of antioxidants may inhibit diseases caused by oxidative processes. The dietary fiber derived from roasted coffee skin is one component that has a high antioxidant content.
The scientists have identified several compounds with antioxidant properties, some studies suggest coffee having other benefits such as added fertility and benefits for those suffering from diabetes. The actual amount needed to be consumed in order to receive the anti-cancer benefits by humans is unknown. How exactly is coffee an antioxidant? It seems that although some coffee beans like green coffee beans may be higher in antioxidants that other more common beans, once they are roasted and heated for consumption, the results are the same regarding the antioxidantal benefits. In any case we suggest:

- to drink not more than 2-3 cups of healthy coffee daily,

- to pay attention to the reactions of our body,

- to do every day about hal hour of moderate exercises,

- to eat a balanced diet according to sex and weight (sample of salutary and balanced diet):

Not-So Healthy Energy Drinks

(article of public utility drawn from www.kidzworld.com): there are a ton of energy drinks on the market today that promise to make you feel more alert, happy and on your toes. But are the companies making these miracle conscious telling you all there is to know about their products? Do you even know what you are paying for when forking over the big bucks for these designer drinks? Well, read on to find out!
The first concern about designer energy drinks is that no one is responsible for what is put in them. Companies can mix whatever they want without anyone checking out whether it's safe. It wasn't until very recently that scientists started to prove that some herbal energizers can be dangerous to your health. And although most of these beverages don't have enough of any one herb to do you harm, mixing these herbs with other medication can often be very dangerous to your health. If you're on something like a prescription acne medicine or some sort of antibiotic, you often don't know how that will react to your designer drink. Another health drink scam has to do with what you are paying for. Often you are paying twice as much for these glorified fruit juices and water because of their crazy healing properties. But guess what? Most of these drinks don't have enough of the healing ingredients to have any effect on your body. Often there is barely half of the recommended dose of herbs like ginseng, gingko biloba and echinacea. Yet, you usually pay close to double the price of regular fruit juice or water for these fancier energy drinks. Can you say rip off? So the next time you reach for a SoBe, Red Bull, Snapple or other designer health drink, take a look at what you're paying for. In our products we do not add caffeine and nor we use decaffeinated coffee or instant coffee (see below art. 6, 9, 11)

Red Bull drink lifts stroke risk , says Australian study

CANBERRA (Aug 15, 2008): Just one can of the popular stimulant energy drink Red Bull can increase the risk of heart attack or stroke, even in young people, Australian medical researchers said on Friday. The caffeine-loaded beverage, popular with university students and adrenaline sport fans to give them "wings", caused the blood to become sticky, a pre-cursor to cardiovascular problems such as stroke. "One hour after they drank Red Bull, (their blood systems) were no longer normal. They were abnormal like we would expect in a patient with cardiovascular disease," Scott Willoughby, lead researcher from the Cardiovascular Research Centre at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, told the Australian newspaper. Red Bull Australia spokeswoman Linda Rychter said the report would be assessed by the company's head office in Austria. "The study does not show effects which would go beyond that of drinking a cup of coffee. Therefore, the reported results were to be expected and lie within the normal physiological range," Rychter told Reuters. Willoughby and his team tested the cardiovascular systems of 30 young adults one hour before and one hour after consuming one 250ml can of sugar-free Red Bull. The results showed "normal people develop symptoms normally associated with cardiovascular disease" after consuming the drink, created in the 1980s by Austrian entrepreneur Dietrich Mateschitz based on a similar Thai energy drink. Red Bull is banned in Norway, Uruguay and Denmark because of health risks listed on its cans, but the company last year sold 3.5 billion cans in 143 countries. One can contains 80 mg of caffeine, around the same as a normal cup of brewed coffee. The Austria-based company, whose marketing says "Red Bull gives you wings", sponsors Formula 1 race cars and extreme sport events around the world, but warns consumers not to drink more than two cans a day. Rychter said Red Bull could only have such global sales because health authorities across the world had concluded the drink was safe to consume. But Willoughby said Red Bull could be deadly when combined with stress or high blood pressure, impairing proper blood vessel function and possibly lifting the risk of blood clotting. "If you have any predisposition to cardiovascular disease, I'd think twice about drinking it," he said. -- Reuters.

Herbal Drink Dangers

The FDA is recalling 13 types of herbal drinks made by the Blue Light Company because they contain an acid that can cause kidney failure.But it's not just Blue Light products, consumers need to be careful with all energy drinks. In them things like St. John's Wort, Kava, Guarana, Taurine, Ephedrine, and a variety of vitamins and herbs promising to soothe aches and pains and cure everything from impotence to unhappiness. Sure these drinks pack a powerful punch; they're full of stimulants. Most of the ingredients are artificial, but some of the side effects can be pretty sobering."Ephedrine is very powerful," says registered dietitian Roberta Terry. Powerful enough she says to cause health problems like high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, seizures and on this "Speed Stack" label it even warns against death. Terry says, "Why would anyone want to drink this when on the label it says ‘death’?". But lots of people are drinking these products, especially young people. Even marketing giants like Pepsi, Coca-Cola, Snapple, Red Bull and Procter&Gamble are cashing in on the latest drink craze. They may give you a quick jolt, but because the stimulants don't have FDA approval, you better study the label before you take a swig.

• 1. Flavored Coffees (article by Dr. I. Tanina, co-inventor of the Fitness Coffee): the tradition to add certain flavors (or substances) to the coffee drinks is very old. There are two ways to add flavors to our cup of coffee. The flavors can be added after brewing the coffee (and here the tradition is very wide and old, overall in Mid and Far East using natural ingredients like hazelnut, cinnamon, chocolate, nut, liqueur, etc.).Or the flavors can be added before brewing (and here normally are chemical extracts, mineral salts, vitamins, guarana, thaurin, caffeine, etc). The inventors of the FITNESS COFFEE®, have considered the facts very carefully and strong of their experience in the italian espresso tradition, have done a product considerably stronger, healthy and delicious than those coffee based beverage containing artificial flavors or other substances. "...no flavoring used in the flavored coffees is entirely natural, and many are, in the technical sense, entirely artificial..."(citation from a Kenneth Davis's book). But in the FITNESS COFFEE® (covered by international deposited patents) the flavoring components are 100% natural officinal plants and spices and for this reason the product is real safe and healthy. The healthy effects of the sixteen medicinal plants go directly in the cup during the brewing process, there are no chemical or artificial ingredients in FITNESS COFFEE®. This is the best warranty for the product."...so even in this relatively artificially defined arena, specialty coffees still exhibit an individualism absent in most commercial products. The taste issue is easily pin-pointed: Flavorings added to whole-bean coffees leave a flat, metallic aftertaste. With some flavors this aftertaste is barely discernable; with others it is inescapable. And recall that the effect of a well-brewed cup of coffee does not stop at the point the cup is empty. The experience rings in the senses, humming just below the surface of consciousness, for minutes, perhaps even hours, mingling agreeably with the stimulation of the caffeine. However immediate the first burst of pleasure from a good flavored coffee, its aftertaste never quite delivers the same resonance the aftertaste of an unflavored coffee does"(citation from a Kenneth Davis's book).In FITNESS COFFEE®, where the aftertaste is persistent and delicious for long time, everybody can feel that it gives a much more flavored cup than any of the artificially flavored, mineral and vitamins added coffees sold widely in the world.The situation of the flavored coffees, after the invention of the FITNESS COFFEE®, is real new in the coffee world panorama because it contains only real medicinal herbs and spices grounded and blended with top best quality coffee to become a salutary drink of espresso type or of other type like american filter coffee, turkish coffee, japan coffee, etc. Fitness coffee is suitable to your persanal taste depending on to method of preparation, it offers many healthy benefits including a help for your daily diet. If you would ask any question related to our healthy coffee, write to : wellness and fitness questions

• 2. Green Tea, ingredient of Fitness Coffee: green tea contains, among others, the cancer-fighting flavonoid epigallocatechin gallate (ECGC). ECGC is unique in that it seems to battle cancer at all stages, from thwarting chemical carcinogens, to suppressing the spread of tumors. ECGC is as much as 100 times more powerful an antioxidant as vitamin C, and 25 times more powerful than vitamin E. ECGC also may account for the antibacterial properties of green tea.
  How they work: Caffeine helps speed up your heart rate. The faster your heart beats, the more calories you burn. EGCG works in a similar way, but instead of revving up your heart, it causes your brain and nervous system to run more quickly — again helping you burn more calories. In studies, researchers found that a combination of caffeine and a 90-mg dose of EGCG taken three times a day can help you burn an extra 80 calories a day. And that's just when your body's at rest. A study conducted by the Canadian government found that soldiers who consumed caffeine in the 12 hours prior to a physical-fitness test not only were able to work out longer before becoming exhausted, but also consumed more oxygen while working out. The body's oxygen requirements are directly related to the speed of your metabolism, so the more oxygen you use, the more calories you burn.

• 3. Italy-USA study on the Curry(Nov. 11th Milian-Adnkronos) Curry is the elixir of life for the brain. Curcuma 'ignites a family of genes called vitagens and protects neurons from degenerative diseases which still do not have specific treatment, such as Alzheimer'. The secret of long life of the population of India, where Alzheimer and Parkinson diseases have an incidence 7 times less than the USA, was discovered by an Italian-American study conducted by the researchers of the Neurological Sciences Institute of the Catania National Research Council, directed by Giovanni Scapagnini, in collaboration with the Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute of Washington (some ingredients in Fitness Coffee are also curry components: zingiber officinalis, curcuma longa and ceylon cinnamon). See other related benefits at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turmeric

• 4. Yerba mate (an ingredient of the Fitness Coffee): There are 196 volatile chemical compounds found in the Yerba Mate plant. Of those, 144 are also found in green tea. Yerba Mate contains 11 polyphenols. Polyphenols are a group of phytochemicals. Phytochemicals (phyto- meaning plant) are compounds that act as powerful antioxidants. Yerba Mate leaves also contain saponins. Saponins are phytochemicals that have been found to specifically stimulate the immune system and aid the body in protecting against disease.

• 5. Cinnamomum zeylanicum (an ingredient of the Fitness Coffee) and their antioxidant activity (J Agric Food Chem. 2006 Mar 8;54(5):1672-9. Related Articles, Links - Jayaprakasha GK, Ohnishi-Kameyama M, Ono H, Yoshida M, Jaganmohan Rao L. - Central Food Technological Research Institute, Mysore, India). Defatted cinnamon fruit powder was successively extracted with benzene ethyl acetate, acetone, MeOH, and water. The concentrated water extract contained the maximum amount of phenolics and showed the highest antioxidant activities. Hence, it was fractionated by Diaion HP-20SS, Diaion HP-20, and Sephadex LH-20 column chromatographies. It gave five purified compounds, the purities of which were analyzed by HPLC. Compounds 1-5 were identified as 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid (protocatechuic acid), epicatechin-(2beta-->O-7,4beta-->8)-epicatechin-(4beta-->8)-epicatechin (cinnamtannin B-1), 4-[2,3-dihydro-3-(hydroxymethyl)-5-(3-hydroxypropyl)-7-(methoxy)benzofuranyl]-2-methoxyphenyl beta-d-glucopyranoside (urolignoside), quercetin-3-O-(6-O-alpha-l-rhamnopyranosyl)-beta-d-glucopyranoside (rutin), and quercetin-3-O-alpha-l-rhamnopyranoside by using extensive spectral studies. The antioxidant activities of purified compounds were screened for their antioxidative potential using beta-carotene-linoleate and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl model systems. All of the compounds showed antioxidant and radical scavenging activities. This is the first report of the isolation and identification of nonvolatile constituents and as well as antioxidant activities from cinnamon fruits.

• 6. US STUDY SHOWS DECAFFEINATED COFFEE IS BAD FOR THE HEART (Dallas, Nov. 14th (Adnkronos): decaf may not be good for you as it can transform into an enemy of a healthy heart. US experts recommend paying attention to decaf from the American Heart Association Congress, being held in Dallas. The capacity of decaffeinated coffee to ignite fatty acids causing an increase of LDL 'bad' cholesterol in the blood is being accused (we do not use decaf coffee but a naturally low in caffeine blend of arabica and robusta coffee).See more at: http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3035336

• 7. Italian ISTAT figures SHOW 33% OF THE ITALIANS OVERWEIGHT AND 9% OBESE. Milan, Nov. 18th, 4 out of 10 Italians battle with extra kilos and in detail, 33.6% of the over 18 population is overweight and 9% obese. Those living in Southern Italy have more weight problems (46% for the mainland regions and 45.6% for the Island regions) while the weight problem is less widespread in the Central and Northern Regions (41.6% for the Central Regions, 38.5% for Northwest Italy and 42.6% for North-eastern regions). This is a profile included in an ISTAT Report 'Lifestyles and Health Conditions 2003' (our product containing for example vegetal substances like Citrus Aurantium and Green thea that can be useful within a balanced mediterranean diet against body fat accumulation increasing metabolism). See article related: http://ezinearticles.com/?id=108895

• 8. Coffee a top source of healthy antioxidants. Associated press (Spet. 12 2005): when the Ink Spots sang “I love the java jive and it loves me” in 1940, they could not have known how right they were. Coffee not only helps clear the mind and perk up the energy, it also provides more healthful antioxidants than any other food or beverage in the American diet, according to a study released Sunday. Of course, too much coffee can make people jittery and even raise cholesterol levels, so food experts stress moderation. The findings by Joe A. Vinson, a chemistry professor at the University of Scranton, in Pennsylvania, give a healthy boost to the warming beverage.The point is, people are getting the most antioxidants from beverages, as opposed to what you might think,” Vinson said in a telephone interview. Antioxidants, which are thought to help battle cancer and provide other health benefits, are abundant in grains, tomatoes and many other fruits and vegetables. Vinson said he was researching tea and cocoa and other foods and decided to study coffee, too. His team analyzed the antioxidant content of more than 100 different food items, including vegetables, fruits, nuts, spices, oils and common beverages. They then used Agriculture Department data on typical food consumption patterns to calculate how much antioxidant each food contributes to a person’s diet. They concluded that the average adult consumes 1,299 milligrams of antioxidants daily from coffee. The closest competitor was tea at 294 milligrams. Rounding out the top five sources were bananas, 76 milligrams; dry beans, 72 milligrams; and corn, 48 milligrams. According to the Agriculture Department, the typical adult American drinks 1.64 cups of coffee daily. That does not mean coffee is a substitute for fruit and vegetables. “Unfortunately, consumers are still not eating enough fruits and vegetables, which are better for you from an overall nutritional point of view due to their higher content of vitamins, minerals and fiber,” Vinson said. Of course if you drink Java coffee together to the most famous healthy medicinal herbs and spices it is better: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/91058

• 9. Coffee is 'health drink' and is good for the heart (says Italian dietician Dr. Chiara Trombetti -article by Mark Duff BBC News) but avoid instant-coffee. It is a daily routine for millions of Italians - the morning cup of espresso brewed on the kitchen hob or downed swiftly in a cafe on the way to work. But for years their favourite way of kick-starting the day has had a bad press - most recently when it was reported that doctors had told British Prime Minister Tony Blair to drink less coffee. Now it seems the tide is turning. Forget the scare stories, says dietician Chiara Trombetti, of the Humanitas Gavazzeni institute in the northern Italian town of Bergamo. There is sound scientific reason to enjoy your morning espresso without worrying about the health effects. Coffee can be good for you - she says - and the stronger, the better. That is why she recommends an espresso rather than a very un-Italian cup of instant-coffee. Scientific evidence Dr Trombetti says she hates the stuff herself - but points to a welter of scientific evidence to back her case. Coffee contains tannin and antioxidants, which are good for the heart and arteries, she says. It can relieve headaches. It is good for the liver - and can help prevent cirrhosis and gallstones. And the caffeine in coffee can reduce the risk of asthma attacks - and help improve circulation within the heart. There is no denying that coffee is not for everyone. If you drink too much it can increase nervousness, and cause rapid heartbeat and trembling hands. Pregnant women, heart patients, and anyone with a stomach ulcer are usually advised to avoid it. And even Dr Trombetti says no one should drink more than three or four cups a day. But there is one group of Italians in particular who might benefit from her advice. Many parents might be horrified at the thought. But Dr Trombetti is adamant that a cup of milky coffee could make the ideal start for the next generation of coffee lovers - Italy's drowsy school kids - stimulating their brains ahead of a day that often lasts from 0830 until 1600. If you think useful this article Email it to a friend.

• 10. Coffee and fitness: (suppresses lipopolysaccharide-induced liver injury in rats. Sakamoto W, Nishihira J, Fujie K, Mizuno S, Ozaki M, Yukawa S. - Department of Biochemistry, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan). To clarify the relationship between coffee and fitness, we investigated the effect of coffee on weight gain and total cholesterol as well as production of cytokines and activities of GOT (aspartate aminotransferase; EC 2.6.1.1.) and GPT (alanine aminotransferase; EC 2.6.1.2.) as injected lipopolysaccharides. Forty-eight male Wistar rats were divided into three dietary groups (n=16), which were fed a stock diet (control group), the diet supplemented with freeze-dried coffee of 6.2 g/kg (0.62% coffee group), and the diet supplemented with freeze-dried coffee of 13.6 g/kg (1.36% coffee group). It was confirmed by HPLC analysis that the serum caffeine concentrations in both coffee groups became significantly higher in 140 days after the start of feeding. No significant differences in body weight and serum cholesterol were found between the coffee groups and control group, though the coffee groups tended to be somewhat high at cholesterol level. Activities of serum GOT and GPT increased at 2 h after LPS injection, but in the coffee groups were significantly suppressed (p<0.05). However, the coffee feeding could not suppress the increases of serum cytokine (TNF-alpha and IL-6) levels. These results suggest that coffee and fitness-coffee may serve as a preventive against liver injury.

• 11. Bad custom adding extra caffeine in food products: Coca Cola, Pepsi and other giant Companies are disclosing now the caffeine content on their labels. According to international rules the contant should not be more than 0,02%. But during the last years the caffeine is been added to many foods and beverages overall to energy and slimming drinks. In some of these is really too much. Furthermore in many products there are other ingredients containing caffeine like guarana extract, kola nut and others. Many countries and the USA Food and Drug Administration have not still limited the addiction of caffeine in the food products, but it is very probably that in no long time some decisions or laws will be issued related to the free use of caffeine in the beverages. In fact many scientific studies worldwide have told that the excessive caffeine consumption is a real problem fo the health.