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Greetings!

This issue of the HealthWise Gourmet Coffee Newsletter is designed to update you on some of the more recent articles relating to the health aspects of coffee. It so happens these articles focus on our brains, our feet, and our waistlines.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, and for your interest in HealthWise Gourmet Coffees!

According to the Journal of Neuroinflamation in an article published April 3,2008, results from studies show why caffeine can help reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

Without being too technical, what the study indicated was that high levels of cholesterol and disruptions of the “blood brain barrier” (BBB) have been implicated as underlying reasons for Alzheimer’s disease.  The BBB is a filter which protects the central nervous system from potentially harmful chemicals carried around in the bloodstream.  This is not news.  The news related to a study of rabbits fed a cholesterol-rich diet and caffeeine over a 12 week period.  The study showed that chronic ingestion of caffeine protected against disruptions of the barrier.

“Caffeine appears to block several of the disruptive effects of cholesterol that make the blood-barrier leaky,” said Dr. Jonathan Geiger, who led the study.

According to a news report, a spokesman for the Alzheimer’s Society indicated “This is the best evidence yet that caffeine equivalent to one cup of coffee a day can help protect the brain against cholesterol”.

The more coffee that men drink, the lower their risk of developing gout, according to one recent study.  Drinking one to three cups of coffee a day lowered gout risk by only 8 percent, but drinking four to five cups a day dropped the risk by 40 percent.  And real coffee lovers, those who drank six cups a day or more, had nearly a 60 percent lower risk of developing gout.

Gout is a form of arthritis that causes sudden, severe episodes of pain, tenderness, redness, warmth and swelling of joints.  It usually affects one joint at a time, but gout can become chronic and affect several joints.  The most common joint that is affected by gout is the large joint of the big toe.  Other commonly affected joints include the ankle and knee.

Exactly how coffee affects gout risk is not understood fully, but coffee is a major source of a strong antioxidant called chlorogenic acid, which may account for the reduction.  More men than women are affected by gout, but it’s too soon to say whether these findings also will hold true for women.

(Credit for the above to Angela Hager of The Cherry Creek News and Central Denver Dispatch).

Two reporters — Jayne Hurley and Bonnie Liebman — contributing to the Nutrition Action Newsletter, had some revealing information to offer regarding calories, saturated fats and trans fats from coffee creamers.

A review of coffee creamers entitled “Are You Getting Creamed?” appears in the April issue of of the 900,000 circulation Nutrition Action Newsletter published by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest.

We all know that creamers have calories.  What these reporters noted was that, in the case of Nestle, their Coffee-Mate product rounds down the important numbers on their label, really rounds down.  For example, 14.83 calories in a teaspoon rounds to 10; .99 grams of saturated fat rounds down to .5 grams; and for their flavored creamers, the trans fats of .46 grams rounds down to zero trans fats.  No comments were offered by Nestle.

Land O’Lakes Half and Half, Fat Free and International Delight, Fat Free ranked best in their study.

Our recommendation is that with HealthWise Gourmet Coffees, you do not need creamers or sweeteners to mask the bitterness or harshness present in other coffees.

Look for big changes in the HealthWlse website next month.  We are changing the format to make it easier to move around; we are offering more great coffees; and the “look” will be more up to date.  We think you’ll like it.  A Newsletter will be sent when we’re up and running, along with an introductory offer.  Stay Tuned!