A Balanced Lifestyle Is The Key to Good Health and Longevity
Recently I read an article on sciencedaily.com regarding a study done on aged mice induced to develop symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and the boost that caffeine gave to reversing memory loss. The article began with the suggestion that “Coffee drinkers may have another reason to pour that extra cup.” It went on to report on back-to-back studies published online July 6 in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease that demonstrated that caffeine considerably decreased abnormal levels of the protein linked to Alzheimer’s disease, both in the brains and in the blood of mice displaying symptoms of the disease.
But, before you opt to add another cuppa to your morning routine, let me, Dr. Jamie Phillips elaborate by including that also on the website, under “Related Stories,” were a couple of articles regarding studies that demonstrated the non-beneficial 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.”
Almost any viewpoint, from my experience, particularly when it comes to age-related health issues, can be confirmed, or at least given credence, by other related studies. The “good/bad” studies related to caffeine naturally aren’t, by any means, the only ones. Even so, it did get me to thinking about the likelihood that there will not ever be simply “one thing” that will incontrovertibly assist we, humans, in living longer, healthier lives. Humans are dynamic, biological beings. We aren’t bred in unnatural confinement We are actively engaged in life. And, furthermore, though Alzheimer’s disease is likely on the rise, obviously none of us has been “bred to develop symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease,” therefore caffeine isn’t going to be the “one thing” that will prevent or reverse it.
Our body is an elegant, complex system that is based on homeostasis or balance. Consequently good health is about a healthy, balanced way of living, as opposed to our being blindly convinced by the latest health study and “doing” or “overdoing” one particular thing in the hope that it will reverse all of the other over-indulgent and unhealthy things we do to our bodies.
I believe, as a chiropractor in Santa Barbara, that every single day we have an opportunity to choose healthfully for our body, decisions that will help us to live longer, healthier lives. We know what truly “feels” right and what doesn’t when it comes to what is good for our body. So, the if you reach for that extra cup of coffee or that second glass of red wine, I hope that you’ll think about this. Neither one of those things is the “one thing” that will do “everything” for your age-related health issues.
Tags: age-related health issues, Caffeine, chiropractor, dr. jamie phillips, health, longevity, red wine, santa barbara chiropractor