Some Good News - Coffee is Good for You!!!

Well, well, who'd have thought it.

According to the BBC's news website yesterday, (here's a link http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7326839.stm) recent research indicates that a cup of coffee a day may help to protect the brain from the harmful effects of cholesterol. Warning to the caffeine addicts out there - yes, you know who you are (mentioning no names *Emrys*), you who can't motivate yourselves to get off your bottoms till you've had your 3rd cup of the day - this isn't an excuse to go nuts to stop yourself going nutty. Read it - it says ONE cup a day!

"Caffeine appears to block several of the disruptive effects of cholesterol that make the blood-brain barrier leaky," said Dr Jonathan Geiger, who led the study. "High levels of cholesterol are a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease, perhaps by compromising the protective nature of the blood brain barrier. Caffeine is a safe and readily available drug and its ability to stabilise the blood brain barrier means it could have an important part to play in therapies against neurological disorders."

A spokesman for the Alzheimer's Disease Society said that the study shed "important light" on why previous research had showed benefits for drinking coffee.
"This is the best evidence yet that caffeine equivalent to one cup of coffee a day can help protect the brain against cholesterol. In addition to its effect on the vascular system, elevated cholesterol levels also cause problems with the blood brain barrier. This barrier, which protects the brain from toxins and infections, is less efficient prior to brain damage caused by Alzheimer's disease or strokes."
She called for more research into whether the same effect could be seen in humans.

Well, if one cup a day will help me keep a hold of my marbles, (assuming I still know where they are!) all I can say to that is "Damn, what a shame" ;-)