I am tea drinker myself. A warm or cold cup of Chai is a daily ritual. I used to quietly, and sometimes publicly judge my husband for his desire for a cup of coffee, even on days that he didn’t have to work. Apart from the migraine prevention he reasoned, he actually liked it. Who likes black coffee? Well to, those of you who do, I have learned to admit when I’m wrong. If Mandy Moore’s character on This Is Us can do it, so can I (Rebecca was so wrong with Randall and William last season, but she admitted it). There are actually many health benefits of coffee, many that you may not know about. Every good has a bad though, every yin a yang, every Chance, a Mary Mitchell.
The Good
- Diabetes: “Coffee consumption was inversely associated with the risk of type 2 diabetes in a dose-response manner. Both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee was associated with reduced diabetes risk.” That means that the more coffee a person in this study drank, the lower their risk was of developing type 2 diabetes. They studied 1-6 cups and compared their outcomes with those who did not consume coffee. ¹
- Liver Cancer: Those who drank 2-3 and sometimes 4 cups of coffee per day had a statistically significant reduction in death from liver cancer and chronic liver disease. The reduction of death from both were anywhere from 40-70% depending on which disease and number of cups consumed.²
- Breast Cancer: Higher caffeinated coffee intake may be associated with lower risk of postmenopausal breast cancer. Decaffeinated coffee intake did not seem to have the same association.³
- Total Mortality: Higher consumption of total coffee, caffeinated coffee, and decaffeinated coffee was associated with lower risk of total mortality. To quote the study directly, “Regular consumption of coffee was inversely associated with risk of total mortality and mortality attributed to CVD [cardiovascular disease] and neurologic disease. Similar associations of caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee consumption with risk of total and cause-specific mortality were found. Results from this and previous studies indicate that coffee consumption can be incorporated into a healthy lifestyle.”ª
- Hypertension is not necessarily worsened by caffeine. This is a common misconception but the data shows “caffeinated coffee, decaffeinated coffee, and caffeine are not risk factors for hypertension in postmenopausal women.”†
And now to coffee’s down side:
- Pregnancy: Less is more in pregnancy. 200 mg is max before known side effects can occur, but decreasing or eliminating caffeine is definitely the goal. 200 mg, by the way, translates to about two 8-ounce cups of regular coffee.
- Migraines- A two-edged sword. The breakdown is very clear from headaches.org. Before a headache or migraine, blood vessels tend to enlarge. Because it contains “vasoconstrictive” properties that cause the blood vessels to narrow and restrict blood flow, caffeine can aid in head pain relief. A caffeine rebound headache occurs from withdrawal of caffeine after a sufferer continually consumes too much of the substance. Talk about too much of a good thing…
- Breast tenderness: Caffeine consumption can contribute to painful breasts in peri- and postmenopausal women. Decreased coffee, and chocolate (sorry) consumption can often help.
- Calories: So far, we have been talking about black coffee, but heavily sweetened lattes and that 500 calorie McDonald’s Frappe are not benefiting anyone’s health. That’s like eating celery dipped in a super fattening high-calorie cream cheese-based dip. Delicious? Yes. Healthy? No.
- Cost: You know your budget better than I. If you can afford 5 dollars a day, for a cup of Joe, do it. If you need to brew at home to make it affordable, do that. Remember, the environmental lover in me still wants you to bring your reusable cup to your coffee house of choice. Save a cup, save the earth.
OBG Management, a reputable medical journal, cited coffee post-surgery as beneficial. There is a good amount of fiber in coffee and intestinal stimulation related to its consumption. Following abdominal surgery, passing flatus (gas, farts, whatever you want to call it) is extremely important in the healing process. You know how you feel in that afternoon way-too-long meeting when you know you shouldn’t have had that black bean burrito for lunch no matter how delicious it was? Add the pain of abdominal surgery to that feeling and you’ll have an idea why passing gas is so important medically. Our intestines continue to make gas, but after surgery it is sometimes difficult and painful initially to get it out. A cup of Joe can help.
Cheers and top of the morning to you all!
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¹ Caffeinated and Decaffeinated Coffee Consumption and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review and a Dose-Response Meta-analysis. Diabetes Care 2014;37:569–586
²Association of Coffee Intake With Reduced Incidence of Liver Cancer and Death From Chronic Liver Disease in the US Multiethnic Cohort. Gastroenterology 2015;148:118–125
³Coffee and tea consumption and risk of pre- and postmenopausal breast cancer in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort study. Bhoo-Pathy et al. Breast Cancer Research (2015) 17:15
ªAssociation of Coffee Consumption With Total and Cause-Specific Mortality in 3 Large Prospective Cohorts. Circulation 2015 Dec 15; 132 (24) : 2305-15.
†Coffee and caffeine consumption and the risk of hypertension in postmenopausal women. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2016 Jan; 103 (1) : 210-7.
It happens often. I’m having a great meal at a nice restaurant with some friends. We all order what we like and have some drinks. The check comes, placed politely face down on the table by the waiter who is likely ending his shift and just wants to close his register out. And inevitably, the person who ordered the rare filet and side of fois gras, with the taste for fine wine says, “Should we just split it?” More often than not, I mumble something along the lines of “oh yeah, seems fair, sure no problem, ok” while the mathematician in me (I’ve always liked numbers, fractions, percents #nerdalert) calculates just how much less I owe.
then this brings me to think, why can’t I just stand up for myself? It makes me wonder how many other women feel this way on a daily basis, in any aspect of their life. I understand the gravity of paying a bit extra for the bill is a first world problem, if you will. But it does beg the question, “How do we, as a gender, stand up for what we want and what we deserve, without coming across as rude, or aggressive.” It’s a fine line and balance. There have been moments when I have been assertive and said something, and I get labeled for that. Over the years we learn, and are conditioned to bite our tongue and go with the flow. We trivialize the grievances we have to keep the peace amongst family, friends, the work place. I once had a great conversation with a supervising physician at Rush University, where both Dr McDonald and I did our training. She said, “Shelly. You are a strong woman who knows the difference between right and wrong. The direction of your career will depend on how you convey that message. Either you will be a respected physician people look up to, or you will become the bitch no one likes to deal with.” As women, we have to be so conscious of our tone as well as how we are perceived. In the same breath, we cannot be afraid to be our very own and best advocate.
women. Most of the first trimester pregnancy symptoms happen because there is a sudden surge of estrogen and progesterone that helps to support the growing terror—er, I mean, fetus. By week 12 or so, they taper and plateau causing the symptoms to also subside.
use on your unborn fetus, however, we appreciate you taking one for the team….), obstetricians don’t always have exact rules to follow. This is why we say things like “it is generally safe” or “the risks are almost nothing with this medication.” So what is safe to use in pr
minutes. This means you may have to modify your normal routine. Fatigue and dehydration will be more severe in the first trimester, and it is important not to push yourself. Brisk walking is a great way to stay active, without putting extra stress on your body. If you experience any cramping or spotting, you should rest immediately.
. Obviously this doesn’t happen during your pregnancy confirmation appointment. I want to explain some of the things we worry about in an early pregnancy, and why it can be so hard to know exactly what is going on for a while.
Who makes you the most uncomfortable? I was sitting in my dentist’s chair, getting my teeth cleaned, and thinking Is dentistry like what I do every day? I mean my workplace is not the mouth, but the necessary evil theme applies. Like in gynecology, if you don’t to see your dentist at regular intervals, you will find yourself with plaque that turns to cavities that turns to YUCK MOUTH. Be glad YUCK VAGINA isn’t a term (it is a thing, just not a term. Please do not hashtag that).
I see patients all the time who feel it’s only a matter of time before they have to get dentures. This is only partially true. If you do not take care of your teeth and gums, allowing them to deteriorate–then yes, a denture is in your future. However, if you take care of your teeth and gums, and address any health issues in your mouth as they arise–there is no reason that you should ever have to wear a denture later in life.
Your child’s teeth, called primary teeth, serve a purpose. As your child grows, primary teeth create proper spacing and room for permanent teeth to erupt later on. Poor dental hygiene can cause these tooth to decay early. If the primary teeth start to decay, it’s not okay to pull them or let them fall out just because “they are baby teeth.” Prematurely removing a primary tooth can cause the space it was holding to begin closing–not allowing sufficient room for the permanent tooth to come in. This is why it is important to care for and keep primary teeth in the mouth for their normal life span (anywhere from 4 years to 10 years). Additionally, there are even some instances where the baby tooth is also the permanent tooth. Some people never develop a permanent successor to some of their primary teeth due to their individual genetics. In this case, their baby tooth will be their permanent tooth until they are old enough to consider other options. Should a child be diagnosed with a cavity at an early age, and that tooth or teeth are not treated, this cavity will progress and can cause larger issues like pain, infection and, in a worst case scenario,even death.
I personally have never used Novocaine; very few dentists do. Its widespread use was probably stopped more than 30 years ago. The local anesthetics that we use today are still in the -caine family, but are much more efficient and decrease the likelihood of allergic reactions.
Bonus Myth, from my brother-in-law, Robert “Bobby” McDonald D.D.S.
Crushed pain medication (like aspirin or ibuprofen) applied to the painful tooth area will cause gum damage and essentially chemical burns to the delicate mucosa of the mouth. This can be painful and take days or weeks to heal. The solution? Go see your dentist if you have tooth pain. The price of your dental work will likely be substantially less than that of your general health if you are mistreated or end up with resistance to certain antibiotics.
Don’t lose hope. First and foremost, exercise and diet are key. Women who lose only 5% of their weight notice considerable improvement in their symptoms. That means if someone clocks in at 250 pounds, they only have to lose about 12 pounds to help drastically improve their quality of life. That being said, it can be challenging to change your lifestyle, diet and habits. During this transition, there are options to help regulate your cycle and help protect against heart disease/ diabetes. If fertility isn’t an imminent concern, birth control is one of the best options to regulate your cycle. It controls the excess hormones and regulates your cycle. Metformin (a drug used for diabetes) can also help control insulin resistance caused by PCOS.