Coffee May Boost Memory in Women

August 10, 2007 - Coffee is a favorite beverage throughout the world, but most drinkers aren't aware that a cup or two a day may actually provide health benefits. A recent study, for example, found that women who regularly consume 300 mg of caffeine (about three cups of coffee) daily have better language and memory abilities over time than non-consumers. Women also benefit from calcium. Up to one gram of calcium daily was recently shown to help women have healthier pregnancies. 
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It's hard to believe we're more than half way through summer. Although we're in the hot, hazy days of August, Labor Day is just around the corner. Television networks are actively promoting their upcoming seasons, and school bells will be ringing very soon.

There were a few interesting articles recently published in the medical literature. In the August 2007 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers from Sweden did a prospective study involving about 11,700 women ages 50 and older1. Women were followed on average 9.5 years. At the end of the follow-up period, 392 women were diagnosed with invasive breast cancer. It was found that those in the highest quintile of folate intake had over a 40% reduction in risk of invasive breast cancer compared with the lowest quintile of intake.

I strongly recommend every person take a high-quality multi-vitamin containing at least 800 mcg of folic acid per day, along with 700 to 2,000 IU of vitamin D, both nutrients which promote overall and cellular health. The RDA/DV levels in most multi-vitamins are too low, so you must read supplement facts and choose wisely.

To review all multi-vitamins offered at Vitacost.com click here.

In an article published in the prestigious journal Neurology August 2007, Dr. Karen Ritchie, a scientist from France, studied about 7,000 men and women, ages 65 and older, who were free of any cognitive impairment2. Dr. Ritchie's group studied their caffeine consumption for four years, noting that the average cup of coffee contains 100 mg of caffeine and the average cup of tea 50 mg. At the beginning of the study it was noted that 16% of women and 13% of men consumed more than 300 mg of caffeine a day. It was found that women with a higher intake of caffeine showed less decline in verbal retrieval and, to a lesser extent, in memory compared to those women who drank less tea and coffee. Women who consumed at least 300 mg a day of caffeine slowed their decline by 34%. Interestingly, there didn't appear to be any effect of caffeine consumption on cognitive functioning in the elderly men studied.

In another study published in the August 2007 British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology it was noted that pregnant women who consumed calcium supplements reduced risk of developing pre-eclampsia3. Dr. Hofneyr and his colleagues conducted a systematic review of 12 clinical trials involving over 15,000 women. Each study utilized at least one gram a day of calcium during pregnancy and was placebo controlled. It was found that, compared to placebo, calcium supplementation was associated with an overall decrease in blood pressure and less pre-eclampsia. Other nutrients essential for pregnant women include magnesium, B-complex (including folic acid), vitamins C and E and the omega-3 fatty acid DHA.

Finally, I'd like to mention an item recently in the news. As many of you are aware, China has a booming economy and exports lots of products to this country. We recently had a dog food scare because of contamination, with other food sources being jeopardized as well. Mattel Fisher-Price recently announced they were recalling 1.5 million Chinese-made toys because paint used on these toys contained too much lead.

As you all know from prior newsletters, I'm a big fan of the nutrient coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10). CoQ10 has been proven in numerous studies to promote and maintain healthy blood pressure, cardiovascular health and neurological health. It's required by every cell in the body to produce the energy molecule called ATP. We at Nutraceutical Sciences Institute® (NSI®) did have the opportunity to buy Chinese made coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) at a lower cost. We elected, however, to continue to utilize 100% natural, trans-form CoQ10 from the largest pharmaceutical-grade supplier in Japan, a product that is tried and true for decades in numerous human clinical studies.

Some of our competitors use the cheaper and inferior Chinese made CoQ10. If your CoQ10 does not specifically indicate that it is natural, trans-form from Japan, it's probably the inferior product. Not all Chinese-made nutrients and goods are inferior. Some test out as good and pure as European and Japanese versions; but when we lab tested the Chinese CoQ10, it was 1% less pure than the Japanese CoQ10. This is unacceptable for a NSI® product.

I'd like to further note NSI® CoQ10 products have been subjected to numerous independent lab tests with outstanding results. Also, every NSI® product evaluated by an independent testing organization (which consumers must subscribe to) passed their rigorous lab testing. This same organization also recently surveyed its tens of thousands of consumers and found Vitacost.com to be the best-rated and most-popular online source for nutritional products.

I'm also pleased to report NSI® has recently lowered the prices on all of its CoQ10 products, including the flagship, patent-pending ToCoQ10™ containing not only CoQ10 in a softgel but additional antioxidants and a nutrient called Bioperine® combined with rice bran oil to drastically enhance absorption. ToCoQ10™ also contains all-natural color from carob versus many other competitor s'softgels which contain the artificial color and colon irritant titanium dioxide.

I continue to recommend ToCoQ10™ at dosages of 200 mg to 400 mg per day for general health and 1,200 mg per day for neurological health concerns to my patients, friends and family. There have been over 100 customer reviews of the NSI® ToCoQ10™ products with the average review being 4.8 out of 5 stars with nearly 100% saying they'd recommend it to others. If you read the reviews, many people talk about dramatic increases in their energy levels.

All NSI® ToCoQ10™ can be reviewed here.

Finally, NSI® has launched a new line of soy protein shakes. Soy protein with isoflavones offer many benefits, including promoting prostate health, breast health, cardiovascular health and bone health.

1. Ericson U, Sonestedt E, Gullberg B, Olsson H, Wirfalt E. High folate intake is associated with lower breast cancer incidence in postmenopausal women in the Malmo Diet and Cancer cohort. Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Aug;86(2):434-43.
2. Ritchie K, Carriere I, de Mendonca A, Portet F, Dartigues JF, Rouaud O, Barberger-Gateau P, Ancelin ML. The neuroprotective effects of caffeine: a prospective population study (the Three City Study). Neurology. 2007 Aug 7;69(6):536-45.
3. Hofmeyr GJ, Duley L, Atallah A. Dietary calcium supplementation for prevention of pre-eclampsia and related problems: a systematic review and commentary . Brit J Obstet Gyn. Aug 2007:933-943.