Even a little coffee may up heart risk.Nothing jolts the body into action in the morning like a strong cup of coffee. However, people concerned about heart health may want to limit their intake, a new trial suggests. Several oily coffee-bean components can elevate el·e·vate tr.v. ele·vat·ed, ele·vat·ing, ele·vates 1. To move (something) to a higher place or position from a lower one; lift. 2. To increase the amplitude, intensity, or volume of. 3. cholesterol in a person's blood. Although the paper filters of drip coffeemakers largely eliminate those oils (SN: 2/4/95, p. 72), drinking even filtered coffee can increase blood concentrations of the amino acid amino acid (əmē`nō), any one of a class of simple organic compounds containing carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and in certain cases sulfur. These compounds are the building blocks of proteins. homocysteine Homocysteine Definition Homocysteine is a naturally occurring amino acid found in blood plasma. High levels of homocysteine in the blood are believed to increase the chance of heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer's disease, and osteoporosis. , another risk indicator (SN: 1/11/97, p. 22). Norwegian Norwegian associated in some way with Norway. Norwegian buhund, Norwegian sheepdog a medium-sized (26-40 lb), spitz-type dog with a short, dense coat in wheaten, black, red or sable, sometimes with black markings on the face, ears scientists have now investigated these coffee-borne factors in a 6-week trial of 191 nonsmokers. All had been downing an average of 5 cups of coffee daily. Benedicte Christensen of Ulleval University Hospital in Oslo and her colleagues randomly assigned as·sign tr.v. as·signed, as·sign·ing, as·signs 1. To set apart for a particular purpose; designate: assigned a day for the inspection. 2. equal numbers of these people to give up coffee altogether, to limit their intake to 1 to 3 cups of filtered coffee per day, or to drink at least 4 cups daily. At the beginning, middle, and end of the trial, Christensen's team measured cholesterol and other heart-risk indicators in the participants' blood. Only those who went cold turkey on coffee showed a significant change--a drop--in two key indicators, Christensen's team reports in the September AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL NUTRITION Clinical nutrition The use of diet and nutritional supplements as a way to enhance health prevent disease. Mentioned in: Naturopathic Medicine . During the trial, blood cholesterol fell an average of 5 percent in the no-coffee group; homocysteine fell 12 percent. According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the researchers, calculations from previous studies have indicated that a cholesterol drop of this magnitude could cut the incidence of heart disease by about 15 percent. The observed homocysteine drop corresponds to a 10 percent decrease in heart risk. So far, studies of coffee drinking and heart attacks have had conflicting results. The new study doesn't directly link coffee to disease. Even so, Christensen speculates that java could be part of the complex equation behind heart disease, including other risk factors and a person's overall health. |
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