Caffeine good for the liver

 

Monday, August 19, 2013

 

Your morning latte might do more than give you a buzz — Singapore researchers found it could reduce liver fat in people with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

NAFLD is becoming increasingly common in the West, thanks to rising diabetes and obesity rates.

The liver should not contain fat, however people who are obese or have diabetes can get fat deposits on the liver, which can lead to inflammation, swelling and tenderness,or even fibrosis or cirrhosis.

When studying mice, the researchers from Duke University found that caffeine stimulated the fat stores in the liver and decreased fatty liver in mice that were fed a high fat diet.

They suggest drinking four cups of tea or coffee a day could stop NAFLD getting worse in humans.

"This is the first detailed study of the mechanism for caffeine action on lipids in liver and the results are very interesting," said study leader Paul Yen.

"Coffee and tea are so commonly consumed and the notion that they may be therapeutic, especially since they have a reputation for being 'bad' for health, is especially enlightening."

The downside with caffeine consumption is that it can stimulate the heart and also disrupt sleep if consumed late in the day, so the researchers said their study could lead to the development of a drug that utilises caffeine properties to help the liver, but does not have the same side effects.

Professor Joseph Proietto, a diabetes and obesity expert from the University of Melbourne, has advised that the study is promising.

"The study is in mice so it's difficult to translate a dose you might need to have the affect in humans," he said.

"What it now requires is a randomised controlled trial in humans. Until we have that, then we can't advise people to start drinking lots of coffee."

Professor Prioetto said the best way to correct fatty liver is to lose weight.

The study was published in the journal Hepatology.

Source: Science Daily Author: Kimberly Gillan Approving editor: Rory Kinsella

How to store coffee...

How to store coffee….

Whether you buy ground coffee or grind it at home, you need to store it… HOW?

Do you put in the freezer?

Do you put it in a container?

Or do you leave it in the bag that it came in, or in the grinder sitting on your bench?

If you can see yourself doing any of the above, you may as well just throw the whole coffee bag away!

Mistake Number 1 – Keeping coffee in the freezer.

Mistake Number 2 – Storing coffee in a container.

Coffee’s worst enemies are oxygen and moisture. The one thing we all have at home that can prevent ground coffee to be exposed to these “contaminants” are… Ziplock bags! Just put your coffee in a ziplock bag, zip it almost all the way. Keep a small opening. Before you seal it, make sure you press all the air out (even the one in the coffee).  Also remember that every time you open the bag, you let oxygen and moisture in. If you plan on keeping it for a few days, use smaller bags and pack individual portions.

Ultimately, this technique should be used as a last resort, not your default.

The bean’s envelope acts as a barrier and is actually one of the best way to preserve all the precious flavors inside the bean.

That’s how they keep it in Coffee Stores. If it’s good for them, it’s good for you.

Get yourself a good grinder and just grind what you need to make yourself a coffee. This will transform your morning’s experience forever.

Better yet, if you have a choice to make, invest in a good grinder before investing in a good coffee machine.

However, remember that coffee is always better consumed fresh. So avoid buying a big bag that will last you for months.

A bag will stay fresh for about a month. Some coffee drinkers will prefer to buy a bag every week for even more freshness.