Drinking coffee doesn't trigger diabetes, obesity

IANS  |  London 

Maintain your love with coffee as it does not put you at the risk of developing obesity or diabetes, a gene-based study has said. Danish researchers looked at genes as our genes play a role in how much coffee we drink in the course of a day. So if you have the special coffee genes, you may be drinking more coffee than those not having the genes.

The results showed that coffee neither increases nor decreases the risk of lifestyle diseases like obesity and diabetes.

"We are the first to examine the link of the genes with high consumption of coffee," said Ask Tybjaeg Nordestgaard from the department of clinical biochemistry at Herlev and Gentofte Hospital in Denmark.

"These genes are completely independent of other lifestyle factors, and, therefore, drinking coffee in itself is not associated with lifestyle diseases," Nordestgaard added in a paper published in the International Journal of Epidemiology.

Along with researchers from University of Copenhagen, Nordestgaard analysed DNA and information about coffee drinking and lifestyle diseases from 93,000 Danes from the Copenhagen General Population Study.

The researchers studied the number of genes that affect our desire for coffee and examined whether a higher coffee consumption increases or decreases the risk of developing lifestyle diseases.

"We can see that the coffee genes are surprisingly not associated with a risk of developing Type 2 diabetes or obesity," they said.

"This suggests that drinking coffee neither causes nor protects against these lifestyle diseases," added Boerge Nordestgaard, clinical professor from University of Copenhagen.

Reasons you are not able to shed off weight

You're following a strict exercise routine, counting your calorie intake and doing everything possible to not succumb to too many sinful cheat meals!

But despite all you sincere efforts, you still haven't been able to break the weight-loss plateau and lose those extra pounds as quickly as you wish to. If you find yourself in this dilemma, research has proven there are a number of reasons behind this. We explore them...

 

Following a repetitive workout

Are you following the same exercise routine day in and day out for months? While it might seem convenient and easy, you need to break this mundane habit and introduce some newer forms of exercise in your workout. Why? Because the muscles in your body become familiar with the same exercise, making it less effective as time passes. Add some resistance or increase repetitions of any particular exercise. Be careful when you incorporate high-intensity exercises into your daily routine.

 

 

Eating poorly

Many people still believe that starving is the quickest way to lose weight. But your body needs nutrients to perform functions. This primarily includes metabolism; and not eating properly could affect it. Also, eating less could lead you to feel famished and hungry, thus resulting in unhealthy bingeing at the wrong time.

 

Not recovering from your exercise routine

In their fixation to lose weight, many people become obsessed about their exercise routines and land up overdoing it. Though going to the gym daily is essential, you need to also give your body enough time to rest and recover at least once a week. If you're constantly exercising, you are putting your body under immense physical strain. It won't get time to repair the wear and tear, and this will affect your everyday functions. Also, exercising excessively can increase hunger, making you indulge in eating at odd hours.

 

Long gaps between meals

People avoid eating snacks because they think snacking between any of the main meals is unhealthy. But it's not necessarily a bad thing if you eat the right kind of foods. Mini meals are a great way to keep your energy levels up and your metabolism on an optimum level. The most important snack is usually between lunch and dinner, so keep it healthy with by balancing between carbohydrates, proteins and healthy fat.

 

Too much cardio

While doing cardio exercises like running on the treadmill is necessary if you are looking to lose weight, you need to also focus on weight lifting and resistance training for better results. Don't just do too much cardio, indulge in weight lifting as it will strengthen the joints, build muscle mass and increase the metabolic rate of your body.

 

You're not consistent

Consistency — whether it's following a strict diet or doing a particular workout — is key, especially if you're trying to lose the last few kilos. If you're religiously following a health plan for weeks, but suddenly decide to take a break from it for a few days, this inconsistency will hamper your weight-loss progress and you will be back to square one. If this happens very happen, it could be the reason why you are unable to lose weight.

 

Lack of sleep

Not getting the essential eight hours of sleep a day is detrimental to your health, and impacts weight loss. You must ensure that you sleep well every night, as it will give you energy to exercise and eat right as well as balance out hormones in the body that control your appetite. Research has linked lack of sleep with weight gain. Skimping on sleep lowers the metabolism and affects hormones related to hunger.

According to some studies, the biggest spike in fat burning hormones occurs during deep sleep.

 

Constantly stressed out

If you're having a high-pressure job, too many family responsibilities and have a hectic lifestyle in general, your stress levels are bound to be high; this can affect your mental as well as physical health. Stress releases the hormone cortisol, which is responsible for health problems that affect weight loss. Take time out to de-stress, if you want to achieve that svelte frame!

 

Not drinking enough water

Many a time, you mistake thirst for hunger. By drinking 3-4 litres of water daily, you will ward off the tendency to overeat, as water will make you feel fuller. Water is also essential to burn off excess fat because your body needs this liquid to break down fat. So next time you think you're hungry between lunch and dinner, drink a glass of water.

 

Overeating 'healthy' food

You may have smartly substituted all the unhealthy items in your meals with healthy, low-calorie options, but if you're going to eat larger portions of these, it will defeat the purpose of changing your diet. For example, items like nuts, whole wheat pasta, olive oil, dark chocolate etc. though healthy, are loaded with calories. You need to regulate the quantity of 'health' food you are consuming. Practice portion control; misjudging your portion size will only cause you to retain any excess weight.

Drink Green Tea, use light cooking oil to increase immunity

New Delhi, July 7 (IANS) Weak immunity reduces our metabolic rate and thus, suppresses the body's ability to fight diseases. A lower metabolic rate also means that our digestive system's ability to break down and absorb food is weaker, leading to stomach ailments like constipation and bloating. Stay hydrated and increase fiber intake to increase immunity, says an expert.

Dolly Kumar, director of GAIA Herbs, shares tips to increase immunity and the metabolic rate and not miss out on monsoon activities:

* Stay Hydrated: Drink plenty of water and water-based drinks such as green tea during monsoon season because the increased humidity makes us sweat more and leaves our bodies dehydrated and makes us more susceptible to falling ill. 

* Increase fiber intake: Increase consumption of light fibrous grains such as oats, brown rice, and barley that are easy to absorb by the body. Avoid watery cereals such as curried rice which can cause bloating during monsoon.

* Switch to light cooking oils: As much as you love eating pakoras during monsoon, avoid deep fried foods as they can make one feel heavy and are difficult to digest. If you still want to indulge in a few monsoon munchies, use lighter oils such as corn oil or olive oil instead of heavy cooking oils like mustard.

* Use natural immunity boosters: Turmeric powder and Fenugreek seeds boost metabolic rate and are natural antibiotics. 

* Lime and honey: To further boost metabolic rate and immunity, have lemon juice and honey as they assist in the digestion process and help the intestines carry out their functions properly and effectively.