Dr. Jamie Phillips

Last week I saw an article on sciencedaily.com detailing a study performed on aged mice induced to develop symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and the benefits of caffeine in reversing memory loss. The article began with the suggestion that “Coffee drinkers may have another reason to pour that extra cup.”  It continued by discussing back-to-back studies published online July 6 in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease that proved that caffeine significantly decreased abnormal levels of the protein linked to Alzheimer’s disease, both in the brains and in the blood of mice that had developed symptoms of the disease.

However, before you opt to add another cuppa to your daily routine, let me, Dr. Jamie Phillips elaborate by saying that also on the website, under “Related Stories,” were at least two articles reporting on studies that demonstrated the not-so-healthy effects of caffeine, “Morning Jolt of Caffeine May Mask Serious Sleep Problems,” and “Coffee Consumption Linked To Increased Risk Of Heart Attack For Persons With Certain Gene Variation.”

Nearly any point of view, it seems to me, especially when it has to do with age-related health issues, can be affirmed, or at least given credence, by a number of specific studies. The “yin-yang” of caffeine benefits-deficits certainly aren’t, by any means, the only ones. Even so, it did get me to pondering about the likelihood that there will not ever be just “one thing” that will absolutely help we, humans, to live longer, healthier lives. Humans are dynamic, biological creatures. We aren’t bred in a cage! We are actively engaged in life. And, furthermore, though Alzheimer’s disease is likely on the rise, obviously we, cage-free humans, have not been “bred to develop symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease,” therefore caffeine isn’t absolutely the “one thing” that is going to prevent or reverse it.

Our body is an exquisite, involved system that is based on homeostasis, i.e, balance. Consequently good health is cultivated by a healthy, balanced attitude towards living, instead of our jumping on the bandwagon of the latest health study and “doing” or “overdoing” one particular thing in the hope that it will reverse all of the other excessive and unwholesome things we do to our bodies.

I believe, as a doctor of chiropractic in Santa Barbara, that every moment of the day we have an opportunity to make healthy choices for our body, to decide what will assist us to live longer, healthier lives. We know what truly “feels” life enriching and what doesn’t when it comes to what is good for us. So, I just wanted to offer a little something for you to keep in mind the next time you consider having that extra cup of coffee or second glass of red wine. There is no “one thing” that will do “everything” for your good health.

Dr. Jamie Phillips
601 E. Arrellaga St. #201
Santa Barbara, CA, 93103
http://www.santabarbarachiropractic.org

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