Just the other day I read an article on sciencedaily.com how caffeine reversed memory loss in aged mice bred to develop symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. The article lead with the angle that “Coffee drinkers may have another reason to pour that extra cup.” It went on to report on coterminous studies published online July 6 in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease that demonstrated 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.
But, before you opt to add an extra cup of coffee to your morning routine, let me, Dr. Jamie Phillips add that under “Related Stories” on the website were at least two articles reporting on studies that professed to prove 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.”
In my experience, I’ve noticed that there are more than likely studies that will confirm, or at least bolster, any angle of thought, in particular when it is about health and longevity. The “good/bad” studies related to caffeine certainly aren’t, by any means, the only ones. Nonetheless, it did get me to thinking about the likelihood that there will not ever be simply “one thing” that will absolutely assist we, humans, in living longer, healthier lives. We are dynamic, biological creatures. We aren’t raised in unnatural confinement We are free to engage in life. And, moreover, though Alzheimer’s disease apparently is on the rise, obviously none of us has been “singled out to develop symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease,” therefore caffeine isn’t going to be the “one thing” that is going to reverse or prevent it.
Our body is an elegant, complex system that is based on homeostasis (balance). Consequently good health is cultivated by a healthy, balanced way of living, as opposed to our being briefly convinced by the latest health study and “doing” or “overdoing” one specific thing fooling ourselves into believing that it will reverse all of the other immoderate and unwholesome things we do to our bodies.
I believe, as a doctor of chiropractic in Santa Barbara, that every single day we have an opportunity to make healthy choices for our body, to decide what will help us to live longer, healthier lives. When it comes to what is good for our body, we know what truly “feels” right and what doesn’t. So, the if you reach for that extra cup of coffee or that second glass of red wine, I hope that you’ll keep this in mind. Neither one of those things is the “one thing” that will do “everything” for your age-related health issues.