Science Ain't So Bad

Coffee. It’s Good For You?

COFFEE

Coffee is a “guilty pleasure”.

Not like sneaking a smoke.

Oh no! Not nearly that bad! But nothing that good is good.

Here’s the surprise! Not only isn’t it bad, it’s a boost to your health.

Dr. Masato Tsutsui( Pharmacology Department, University of the Ryukyus in Okinawa) studied 27 people. His subjects let him noninvasively measure blood flow in a finger after drinking coffee. The results? A 30% improvement. Blood flow in a finger is considered a good proxy for how blood might flow in the smaller vessels of the body. And a particularly good proxy for how coffee might protect the blood vessels of the heart.

There’s more.

Several studies have shown that coffee supports liver function. Heavy drinkers got by longer without wrecking their livers.

There’s statistical (but not causal) evidence that coffee reduces the risk of type II diabetes.  Other studies showed  strong evidence for a protective effect against Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

Basal cell carnoma (a type of skin cancer)? Yup. Coffee again.

And, if you’re a guy and you have a prostate, coffee again. It lowers the risk of prostate cancer. Quite substantially.

Lots of studies show coffee drinkers don’t get depressed as easily either.

Maybe it’s the atmosphere at Starbucks.

NOT PERFECT

Why does it always come to this? There always some downside.

If you drink way too much coffee, you’re going to get frazzled nerves and jangled sleep. But you knew that. And certain coffees are high in a substance that’s not so good for your cholesterol. Pregnant people – especially women – should probably take it easy with the java too.

Weighing all the many pros and adjusting for the few cons, most people who enjoy a good cup of coffee – even two – can ditch the guilt. Coffee? It’s a good thing.

Don’t get too carried away. I don’t want to hear you’re drinking back-to-back coffees all day.

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The drawing is mine.

IS IT DEMENTIA?

PROGRESS ON ALZHEIMER’S

Researchers are closing in on Alzheimer’s Disease. I spoke recently about some great research but I”m not ready with a new  Alzheimer’s update because  my stuff is supposed to be an easy read (my rules). What’s going on in Alzheimer’s isn’t (an easy read). If I can sprinkle some ScienceAintSoBad Magic Dust on my huge folder labeled Alzheimer’s, you’ll get an article.

It’ll take a lot of dust.

In the meantime – and before there’s anything better – the best chance of beating Alzheimer’s might be to catch it before it gets too far. There are some blood pressure drugs (angiotensin -1 recetor blockers and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors) that do a decent job of protection.

Interested? If so, I might be able to sell you on the idea of early detection.

Shiri Stempler (TAU’s Sackler Faculty of Medicine) and Professors Eytan Ruppin and Lior Wolf  (TAU’s Blavatnik School of Computer Science) found a very easy way to know if your wits are at risk.  They found metabolic changes that are a very accurate (90%) predictor of the disease. They’re working on a blood test. Another group, at the Washington School of Medicine, has a candidate test using biomarkers.   And there’s also an eye test that has possibilities.

Please talk this over with your doctor who may think that odd little brain of yours is worth holding on to.

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Geriatrics: Project COGKNOW.

TOUCH SCREEN HELP FOR MILD DEMENTIA

Every teenager I know thinks his.her parents are demented.

Knows it for a fact.

But dementia is real, not just a derisive term for parents who don’t “get it”.  And, when it happens, it’s always hard.  Out, goes the  fierce irascible mind you’ve known all your life replaced by  hesitation and uncertainty. Someone who NEVER questioned his own decisions, sits around with a fixed stare, writing a science blog and calling himself MISTER ScienceAintSoBad.

Not to make light of it. Because it’s not at all funny when dementia is real.

The Cogknow Project ( Europe – Sweden, The Netherlands, Ireland) did a VERY cool thing.

Its problem:  keeping people in the early stages of dementia independent.  MISTER ScienceAintSoBad is very impressed by the smart way touch screen devices were deployed, giving confidence and purpose to  those who would, otherwise, require full time human assistance.

Creating an effective interface for this population’s kinda impossible. At least, that’s what I THOUGHT till I saw this video.

This project goes in the “technology” bin here at Science Ain’t So Bad. So far, at least, no studies to prove it’s effectiveness.

So what? Not everything requires a peer reviewed article.  Did you  wait for one before you bought your cell IPhone or your Droid?

Cogknow’s work deserves funding and Science Ain’t So Bad hopes it happens.