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Caffeine May Counter Age-Related Inflammation, Says Study (stanford.edu)
According to a new Stanford study published in the journal Nature Medicine, caffeine may help to counter the inflammatory process that occurs in some older people. The researchers have found a connection between advancing age, systemic inflammation, cardiovascular disease and coffee consumption by analyzing blood samples, survey data and medical and family histories obtained from more than 100 human participants in a multiyear study. Stanford Medical Center Report adds: The study implicates this inflammatory process as a driver of cardiovascular disease and increased rates of mortality overall. Metabolites, or breakdown products, of nucleic acids -- the molecules that serve as building blocks for our genes -- circulating in the blood can trigger this inflammatory process, the study found. The study also provides evidence that caffeine and its own metabolites may counter the action of these circulating nucleic-acid metabolites, possibly explaining why coffee drinkers tend to live longer than abstainers. Notably, this inflammatory mechanism was found to be activated only in some, but not all, of the older study participants. Those in whom it was relatively quiescent tended to drink more caffeinated beverages. Laboratory experiments revealed that the mechanism was directly countered by caffeine and associated compounds. For the new study, the researchers compared blood drawn from older versus younger study participants to see which genes tended to be more highly activated in older people. They zeroed in on two clusters of genes whose activity was associated with the production of a potent circulating inflammatory protein called IL-1-beta. The genes within each cluster appeared to work in coordination with one another. The researchers found that incubating a type of immune cell with two of those nucleic-acid metabolites boosted activity in one of the gene clusters, resulting in increased IL-1-beta production. When injected into mice, the substances triggered massive systemic inflammation, along with high blood pressure. In addition, immune cells infiltrated and clogged the animals' kidneys, increasing renal pressure substantially. Intrigued by the correlation between older participants' health, gene-cluster activation and self-reported rates of caffeine consumption, the researchers followed up and verified that blood from the group with low cluster activity was enriched for caffeine and a number of its metabolites, compared with blood from the group with high cluster activity. (Examples of these metabolites are theophylline, also found in tea, and theobromine, which abounds in chocolate.) Incubating immune cells with caffeine and its breakdown products along with the inflammation-triggering nucleic acid metabolites substantially prevented the latter from exerting their powerful inflammatory effect on the cells.
How frequently we hear studies how certain lucrative industries, like one where there is a margin of 700%-2000% in the product, "it is amazing for your health".
What a coincidence this was broadcast in the news earlier on today too.
Someone must be paying $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.
That means I AM IMMORTAL!
All hail the dew.
Why are you shaking like that?
large North American coffee producers, who have profit margins in the thousands of percents, which is why it's good for you to drink more coffee! Honest, guv!
Low dose aspitin is commonly recommended for those at risk of heart problems. It is an anti-inflamitory, anti-coagulant and arguably even cheaper than caffiene.
"I bless every day that I continue to live, for every day is pure profit."
Caffiene, Nicotine, Preservatives, and Raw White Sugar. . . . powering Hackers since 1967. . .
Caffeine is drunk almost everywhere in the world, and is part of a lot of (often conflicting) studies. But what about studying the effects of chicory for instance, or fresh lemon juice, or almond milk...? Maybe we could find something else that has the benefits of the coffee without the downside?
Slashdot, fix the reply notifications... You won't get away with it...
I guess this was the always overlooked key ingredient in the Mediterranean diet. But my FRICKING DOCTOR told me my caffeine intake was BAD FOR MY BLOOD PRESSURE!!!
Giver: prostate is flushed
Receiver: prostate is massaged
End effect: toxins are removed from prostate
Not kidding. Not a troll.
The inflamation is probably caused by bacteria from the mouth, caused by aging teeth and gums and lessening antiseptic effect of spit. Use of a waterpik type device and regular dental care helps prevent this problem.
I'll start drinking Coke again, for the anti-inflammation benefits of course.
How many mice were killed by these psychopathic scientists?
These idiotic statistical studies need to end. There are non-stop "news" headlines from these "studies". There are far too many factors for any real type of connection to be made in these statistical studies.
If you want to prove a point, then do a scientific study with evidence to back up what you're saying. These statistical studies prove nothing and are a waste of everyones time.
Disclaimer:
No Stanford University students were funded by any corporations or industry conglomerates that are tied in any way to the selling of caffeinated products, we may say, in connection to manipulation of data in any of studies for their own gain. Maybe.
... at a counter, so I'm low risk.
It little behooves the best of us to comment on the rest of us.
Over the years, I've seen at least a dozen coffee research papers come out with a wide mix of good & bad news.
I average it all and conclude coffee is officially "meh" in terms of health.
Table-ized A.I.
that's probably how its clearing your body of breakdown products. mystery solved.
The bean of the coffee makes the thoughts quicken, the pulse increase;
The breath is a warning to others
For he is the Kwikii Mart Haderach!
-- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
Obviously caffeine does not reduce an inflammatory response.
Well, at least not on the Internet...
so red bulls are healthy for the elderly... perfect