Caffeine Myths and Facts

From the FMS Global News Desk of Jeanne Hambleton (UK)
Courtesy of WebMD

Caffeine myth or caffeine fact? It is not always easy to know. Chances are you have some real misperceptions about caffeine. For starters, do you know the most common sources of caffeine? Well, maybe two of the sources are not too hard to name — coffee and tea leaves. But did you know kola nuts and cocoa beans are also included among the most common caffeine sources? And do you know how much caffeine content can vary from food to food? Turns out it is quite a lot actually, depending on the type and serving size of a food or beverage and how it is prepared.

Caffeine content can range from as much as 160 milligrams in some energy drinks to as little as 4 milligrams in a 1-ounce serving of chocolate-flavored syrup. Even decaffeinated coffee is not completely free of caffeine. Caffeine is also present in some over-the-counter pain relievers, cold medications, and diet pills. These products can contain as little as 16 milligrams or as much as 200 milligrams of caffeine. In fact, caffeine itself is a mild painkiller and increases the effectiveness of other pain relievers.

Want to know more? Read on. WebMD has examined some of the most common myths about caffeine and gathered the facts to shed some light on those myths.

Caffeine Myth No. 1:

Caffeine Is Addictive

This one has some truth to it, depending on what you mean by “addictive.” Caffeine is a stimulant to the central nervous system, and regular use of caffeine does cause mild physical dependence. But caffeine does not threaten your physical, social, or economic health the way addictive drugs do. (Although after seeing your monthly spending at the coffee shop, you might disagree!)

If you stop taking caffeine abruptly, you may have symptoms for a day or more, especially if you consume two or more cups of coffee a day. Symptoms of withdrawal from caffeine include:

headache
fatigue
anxiety
irritability
depressed mood
difficulty concentrating

No doubt, caffeine withdrawal can make for a few bad days. However, caffeine does not cause the severity of withdrawal or harmful drug-seeking behaviors as street drugs or alcohol. For this reason, most experts do not consider caffeine dependence an addiction.

Caffeine Myth No. 2:

Caffeine Is Likely to Cause Insomnia

Your body quickly absorbs caffeine. But it also gets rid of it quickly. Processed mainly through the liver, caffeine has a relatively short half-life. This means it takes about four to five hours, on average, to eliminate half of it from your body. After eight to 10 hours, 75% of the caffeine is gone. For most people, a cup of coffee or two in the morning would not interfere with sleep at night.

Consuming caffeine later in the day, however, can interfere with sleep. If you are like most people, your sleep would not be affected if you do not consume caffeine at least six hours before going to bed. Your sensitivity may vary, though, depending on your metabolism and the amount of caffeine you regularly consume. People who are more sensitive may not only experience insomnia but also have caffeine side effects of nervousness and gastrointestinal upset.

Caffeine Myth No. 3:

Caffeine Increases Risk for Conditions Such as Osteoporosis, Heart Disease, and Cancer

Moderate amounts of caffeine — about 300 milligrams, or three cups of coffee — apparently cause no harm in most healthy adults. Some people are more vulnerable to its effects, however. That includes such people as those who have high blood pressure or are older. Here are the facts:

Osteoporosis and caffeine

At high levels (more than 744 milligrams/day), caffeine may increase calcium and magnesium loss in urine. But recent studies suggest it does not increase your risk for bone loss, especially if you get enough calcium. You can offset the calcium lost from drinking one cup of coffee by adding just two tablespoons of milk.

However, research does show some links between caffeine and hip fracture risk in older adults. Older adults may be more sensitive to the effects of caffeine on calcium metabolism. If you are an older woman, discuss with your doctor whether you should limit your daily caffeine intake to 300 milligrams or less.

Cardiovascular disease and caffeine

A slight, temporary rise in heart rate and blood pressure is common in those who are sensitive to caffeine. But several large studies do not link caffeine to higher cholesterol, irregular heartbeats, or an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

If you already have high blood pressure, though, have a discussion with your doctor about your caffeine intake. You may be more sensitive to its effects. Also, more research is needed to tell whether caffeine increases the risk for stroke in people with high blood pressure.

Cancer and caffeine

Reviews of 13 studies involving 20,000 people revealed no relationship between cancer and caffeine. In fact, caffeine may even have a protective effect against certain cancers.

Caffeine Myth No. 4:

Caffeine Is Harmful for Women Trying to Get Pregnant

Many studies show no links between low amounts of caffeine (a cup of coffee per day) and any of the following:

trouble conceiving
miscarriage
birth defects
premature birth
low birth rate

At the same time, for pregnant women or those attempting pregnancy, the March of Dimes suggests fewer than 200 milligrams of caffeine per day. That is largely because in limited studies, women consuming higher amounts of caffeine had an increased risk for miscarriage.

Caffeine Myth No. 5:

Caffeine Has a Dehydrating Effect

Caffeine can make you need to urinate. However, the fluid you consume in caffeinated beverages tends to offset the effects of fluid loss when you urinate. The bottom line is that although caffeine does act as a mild diuretic, studies show drinking caffeinated drinks does not actually cause dehydration.

Caffeine Myth No. 6:

Caffeine Harms Children, Who, Today, Consume Even More Than Adults

As of 2004, children ages 6 to 9 consumed about 22 milligrams of caffeine per day. However, energy drinks that contain caffeine are becoming increasingly popular.

Studies suggest that up to 300 milligrams of caffeine daily is safe for kids. But is it smart? Many kids are sensitive to caffeine, developing temporary anxiety or irritability, with a “crash” afterwards. Also, most caffeine that kids drink is in sodas, energy drinks, or sweetened teas, all of which have high sugar content. These empty calories put kids at higher risk for obesity.

Even if the caffeine itself is not harmful, caffeinated drinks are generally not good for kids.

Caffeine Myth No. 7:

Caffeine Can Help You Sober Up

Actually, research suggests that people only think caffeine helps them sober up. For example, people who drink caffeine along with alcohol think they are OK behind the wheel. But the truth is reaction time and judgment are still impaired. College kids who drink both alcohol and caffeine are actually more likely to have car accidents.

Caffeine Myth No. 8:

Caffeine Has No Health Benefits

Caffeine has few proven health benefits. But the list of caffeine’s potential benefits is interesting. Any regular coffee drinker may tell you that caffeine improves alertness, concentration, energy, clear-headedness, and feelings of sociability. You might even be the type who needs that first cup o’ Joe each morning before you say a single word. Scientific studies support these subjective findings. One French study even showed a slower decline in cognitive ability among women who consumed caffeine.

Other possible benefits include improved immune function from caffeine’s anti-inflammatory effects and help with allergic reactions due to caffeine’s ability to reduce concentrations of histamines. Some people’s asthma also appears to benefit from caffeine. These research findings are intriguing, but still need to be proven.

Limited evidence suggests caffeine may also reduce the risk of the following:

Parkinson’s disease
liver disease
colorectal cancer
type 2 diabetes

Despite its potential benefits, do not forget that high levels of caffeine may have adverse effects. More studies are needed to confirm both its benefits and potential risks.

SOURCES: International Food Information Council Foundation: “Caffeine & Health: Clarifying the Controversies.” Nutrition Action Health Letter: “Caffeine: The Good, the Bad, and the Maybe.” European Food Information Council (EUFIC): “Myths and Facts about Caffeine.” Johns Hopkins University Bayview Medical Center: “Information About Caffeine Dependence.”

©2005-2009 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved.
(http://www.webmd.com/balance/caffeine-myths-and-facts?ecd=wnl_day_042009)

SEE: http://jeannehambleton77.wordpress.com for health issue stories

Sports Drinks May Damage Your Teeth

From the FMS Global and UK News Desk of Jeanne Hambleton

Researchers Say the Drinks Cause Tooth Erosion; Beverage Industry Calls Study Methods Unrealistic

Courtesy WebMD.com – Oral Health Centre

By Bill Hendrick – Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD – WebMD Health News

April 3, 2009 — Sports drinks may boost your energy, but they can also weaken your teeth, a new study shows.

The popular energy drinks sipped by many athletes to increase stamina contain levels of acid that can cause tooth erosion, hypersensitivity, and staining, according to the findings of New York University dental researchers.

The beverages also can cause excessive tooth wear and may damage underlying bone-like material, causing teeth to soften and weaken, the researchers say. The drinks may also possibly trigger conditions leading to severe tooth damage and loss.

The findings are being presented at the International Association for Dental Research in Miami.

“This is the first time that the citric acid in sports drinks has been linked to erosive tooth wear,” says Mark Wolff, DDS, professor and chairman of the department of cardiology and comprehensive care at New York University College of Dentistry.

He says people who use sports energy drinks for energy should not brush their teeth immediately after drinking the beverages. Softened enamel, he says, is highly susceptible to the abrasive properties of toothpaste.

To prevent tooth erosion, Wolff says:

Drink sports drinks in moderation.

Wait at least 30 minutes before brushing your teeth to allow softened enamel to reharden.

If you drink a lot of sports drinks, ask your dentist if you should use an acid-neutralizing remineralizing toothpaste to help reharden soft enamel.

Sports Drink Study ‘Unfair’

In the study, cows’ teeth were cut in half. Half of the specimens were immersed in a sports drink, the other half in water, and then the halves were compared. The five sports drinks tested were Vitamin Water, Life Water, Gatorade, Powerade, and Propel Fit Water.

All five caused softening, but Gatorade and Powerade also caused “significant” staining, according to an abstract of the study.

Cows’ teeth were used because of their close resemblance to human teeth, according to a news release.

Craig Stevens, spokesman for the American Beverage Association, says such studies are unfair and do not present “an accurate or actual picture of the way sports drinks are consumed.”

“The testing procedures they used are outside the realm of what happens in real life,” he says. “Beverages pass right through the mouth, and these beverages have a purpose, and are proven to enhance physical performance. To use them like this is simply providing unhelpful information to consumers.”

He adds: “To suggest that sports drinks are a unique cause of dental caries or tooth erosion is overly simplistic. Oral health is determined by a variety of factors, including types of food consumed and the length of time foods are kept in the mouth.”

SOURCES:
News release, New York University; International Association for Dental Research, Miami, April 1-4, 2009; Craig Stevens, spokesman, American Beverage Association.

© 2009 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved.
(http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/news/20090403/sports-drinks-may-damage-your-teeth?ecd=wnl_skin_040809)

White Wine Can Cause Tooth Stains and Creates Conditions That Enable Other Beverages, such as Coffee and Tea, to Tint Teeth

Courtesy WebMD.com – Oral Health Centre

By Bill Hendrick – Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD – WebMD Health News

April 1, 2009 — Wine does not have to be red to cause stains on your pearly whites, a new study says. White wine also can create conditions that enable chemicals in other beverages, such as coffee and tea, to leave tints on teeth, say researchers from the New York University College of Dentistry.

Dental scientists soaked cows’ teeth in either white wine, red wine, or water for an hour and then immersed the choppers in tea.

Teeth soaked in white wine before being immersed in tea had significantly darker stains than teeth immersed in water before exposure to tea, researchers say.

But cows’ teeth soaked in red wine became significantly darker than those in the white wine group after exposure to tea, they say.

“Dipping teeth in white wine for one hour is similar to the effect of sipping the wine with dinner,” Mark Wolff, DDS, PhD, professor and chairman of the department of cardiology and comprehensive care at NYU’s College of Dentistry, says in a news release.

The acids in wine, he says, “create rough spots and grooves that enable chemicals in other beverages that cause staining, such as coffee and tea, to penetrate deeper into the tooth.”

Both red and white wine affect the surfaces of teeth and make them “more susceptible” to staining from dark drinks, the researchers say in a study abstract.

But red wine, long known to stain teeth, should still be seen as more hazardous to whiteness because “Red wine, unlike white, contains a highly pigmented substance known as chromagen,” says Wolff, who oversaw the study. Tea also contains chromagens.

The researchers used a spectrophotometer, a device that measures color intensities, to evaluate staining levels.

The study was led by Cristina M. Dobrescu, a third-year dentistry student at the NYU College of Dentistry. Denise Estafan, DDS, an associate professor in the College of Dentistry, was co-investigator. Their findings were presented at the annual meeting of the International Association for Dental Research.

Wolff suggests that the study is not necessarily bad news for connoisseurs of the grape.

“The best way to prevent staining caused by wine, as well as other beverages, is to use a tooth paste containing a whitening agent,” he says.

SOURCES:
News release, New York University; Annual meeting of the International Association for Dental Research, Miami, April 1-4, 2009.

© 2009 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved.(http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/news/20090401/white-wine-can-cause-tooth-stains?ecd=wnl_skin_040809)

Six Surprising Stress Fixes

From the FMS Global and UK News Desk of Jeanne Hambleton

Courtesy of WebMD – Feature from “Good Housekeeping” Magazine USA

By Catherine Guthrie

Simple, field-tested strategies you can use right now

You know what stress looks like: The sun rises; so do you. Your child suddenly remembers that he needs cupcakes for the school party. The dog has gotten sick in the living room. Your spouse leaves for work in a huff after a pre-breakfast tiff over finances. You leave for work without a report that’s due today. You double back, grab it from the kitchen counter, trip over an Everest of laundry — must we go on?

You know what stress feels like: Your pulse quickens, your lungs squeeze shut, your ears ring, and you wonder if this is the time your head actually explodes. Sensing anxiety overload, your brain orders up a chemical surge that makes your blood vessels narrow, heart race, blood pressure rise, and muscles tighten. Your body is mobilizing to deal with threat.

Good plan, nature! But you were not meant to stay on red alert forever. Prolonged stress leads to health problems. High levels of the stress hormone cortisol are associated with heart disease and cancer; stress has also been linked to gastrointestinal problems, eczema, asthma, and depression.

And you probably already know what is involved in long-term, big-commitment stress reduction: physical changes (exercising, eating right, getting plenty of sleep); organizational changes (planning ahead, divvying up chores equitably); attitude changes (letting go of what you cannot control, for starters); and relationship changes (finding ways to talk through, directly and respectfully, the problems that are the sources of anxiety). All of these transformations are definitely worth the effort.

But here is what you may not know: Recent studies have suggested six new stress reducers — research-tested, rather surprising, and relatively simple. You can ease these strategies into your life right now.

Strategy 1: Smooch spontaneously

“When I come home from a hard day at work and kiss my husband, the bad stuff does not seem to matter anymore,” says Cheryl Kennedy Henderson, 47, an accountant in Knoxville, TN.

Science says she is on to something. A recent study of 2,000 couples showed that those who kiss only during lovemaking are eight times more likely to report suffering from stress and depression than those who frequently kiss on the spur of the moment. Study leader Laura Berman, Ph.D., an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry and ob-gyn at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, explains why: “Kissing relieves stress by creating a sense of connectedness, which releases endorphins, the chemicals that counteract stress and depression.”

Strategy 2: Take the cuddle cure

More good news from the annals of affection: Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill recently found that holding hands and hugging can measurably reduce stress. Fifty couples were asked to hold hands for 10 minutes, then hug for 20 seconds. A second group of 85 people rested quietly, not touching their significant others. Researchers then asked people in both groups to talk about a past event that left them angry or anxious. Those who had not cuddled before revisiting the past exhibited signs of elevated heart rate and blood pressure. But couples who had hugged and held hands were not nearly as ruffled.

“The gentle pressure of a hug can stimulate nerve endings under the skin that send calming messages to the brain and slow the release of cortisol,” explains Tiffany Field, Ph.D., director of the University of Miami Medical School’s Touch Research Institute. And if your honey is not on hand? Field says other studies have found that a hug from a friend or a professional massage can also help banish tension.

Strategy 3: Lash out less

You may have already concluded what a series of studies has confirmed: When married couples argue, men are more likely than women to withdraw — and this frustrates their wives. The studies also revealed something not as obvious. The way a woman deals with frustration during hostile arguments can measurably affect her stress load, and thus her physical health.

Women who responded to their husbands with verbal hostility showed elevated stress-hormone levels during arguments and for hours afterward. Their mates did not show these physical signs of stress, says Janice Kiecolt-Glaser, Ph.D., professor of psychiatry at Ohio State University College of Medicine and a member of the research team. Prolonged surges of stress hormones can damage the immune system, she notes.

One serious physical consequence of a hostile fighting style was discovered last year by researchers at the University of Utah, who found that wives who lashed out at their husbands during disagreements had twice as much coronary artery calcification, a sign of heart disease, as wives who stayed calm. Hostile husbands were not affected.

“Conflict is not necessarily bad,” says Kiecolt-Glaser. “It is the way couples disagree that affects health.” Her advice: Concentrate on the issue at hand and forget about getting even; drop the sarcasm and name-calling. “Generally it is best to try to keep the emotional temperature as low as possible,” she says. “The more heated the words or tone of voice, the harder it is for husbands and wives to hear each other. If necessary, take a deep breath and respectfully end the conversation, promising to talk about the situation later, when you are calmer.”

Strategy 4: Put the kettle on

Tea is the most popular beverage in the world (after water); even coffee-worshipping Americans guzzle more than 2 billion gallons of tea a year. Part of the appeal may be its tension-taming powers. In a recent study, scientists at University College London noted that people who drank black tea four times a day for six weeks had lower levels of cortisol after a stressful task than those who drank a caffeinated fruit beverage.

Research also shows that a substance in green tea leaves, L-Theanine, may shift brain wave activity from the beta waves that accompany anxiety to the alpha waves associated with relaxation. Maxine Friedman, 43, of New York City, the mother of 7-year-old twin girls, builds tea breaks into her busiest days. She finds the ritual as calming as the beverage. “I start relaxing even before I start to drink — at the sound of the kettle, the feel of the cup in my hand,” she says.

Strategy 5: Loosen your electronic leash

Thanks to high-tech gadgets, your kids can reach you 24/7. Knowing where they are and what they are up to? Priceless. But there is a hidden cost. A two-year study of 1,367 working men and women in New York State, two-thirds of them parents, found that all were overburdened by a blurring of the divide between the workplace and home. But while both men and women reported bringing job-related worries home with them, only women felt stress because of home worries spilling over into the workplace.

Researchers speculate that cell phones and pagers are responsible for this blurring of boundaries. “When your kids have a crisis or a relative gets sick, it is usually the women, not the men, who get the call at work,” says Noelle Chesley, a professor of sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and the study’s author. She suggests you take turns with your spouse being “on call” for minor emergencies, and make sure the sitter and the school have his number as well as yours. You may have to retrain the kids, too.

Strategy 6: Reflect on what you value

When your frazzle level is so high you feel yourself spiraling out of control, a quick way to re-center is to remind yourself of what is most important in your life. Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, asked 85 people to complete a questionnaire ranking their values from what matters most to what matters least. Then the group was divided. Half the people were asked to talk about their top-ranked values; the other half discussed what mattered least to them.

Afterward, everyone took part in a stress-inducing task (giving a five-minute speech in front of a heckling audience, then counting backward from 2,083 by 13s). People who had reflected on their most cherished values had a lower stress response than those who had discussed matters that did not mean much.

“Affirming your values changes the way you appraise a situation,” says David Creswell, Ph.D., the study’s lead author and a research scientist at UCLA. “In this case, the stressful event became less of a threat and more of a challenge.” He suggests one way to put the research findings to work: In a stressful situation, think about people important to you, and how you have been a good mate, mother, daughter, sister, or friend.

“Affirmations of close relationships are powerful sources to draw on,” Creswell says.
 
Stress Management

People who do not manage stress well can have headaches, stomach pain, sleeping problems, illness, and depression. You can manage stress by journaling, meditating, exercising, talking to others, or engaging in a hobby.

Stress Management Diet

Stress management can be a powerful tool for wellness. There is evidence that too much pressure is not just a mood killer. People who are under constant stress are more vulnerable to everything from colds to high blood pressure and heart disease. Although there are many ways to cope, one strategy is to eat stress-fighting foods. Read on to learn how a stress management diet can help.

Stress-Busting Foods: How They Work

Foods can fight stress in several ways. Comfort foods, like a bowl of warm oatmeal, actually boost levels of serotonin, a calming brain chemical. Other foods can reduce levels of cortisol and adrenaline, stress hormones that take a toll on the body over time. Finally, a nutritious diet can counteract the impact of stress, by shoring up the immune system and lowering blood pressure. Do you know which foods are stress busters?

Complex Carbs

All carbs prompt the brain to make more serotonin. For a steady supply of this feel-good chemical, it is best to eat complex carbs, which are digested more slowly. Good choices include whole-grain breakfast cereals, breads, and pastas, as well as old-fashioned oatmeal. Complex carbs can also help you feel balanced by stabilizing blood sugar levels.

Simple Carbs

Dieticians usually recommend steering clear of simple carbs, which include sweets and soda. But these foods can provide short-term relief of stress-induced irritability. Simple sugars are digested quickly, leading to a spike in serotonin.

Oranges

Oranges make the list for their wealth of vitamin C. Studies suggest this vitamin can reduce levels of stress hormones while strengthening the immune system. If you have a particularly stressful event coming up, you may want to consider supplements. In one study, blood pressure and cortisol levels returned to normal more quickly when people took 3,000 milligrams of vitamin C before a stressful task.

Spinach

Popeye never lets stress get the best of him – maybe it is all the magnesium in his spinach. Magnesium helps regulate cortisol levels and tends to get depleted when we are under pressure. Too little magnesium may trigger headaches and fatigue, compounding the effects of stress. One cup of spinach goes a long way toward replenishing magnesium stores. Not a spinach eater? Try some cooked soybeans, or a filet of salmon, also high in magnesium.

Fatty Fish

To keep cortisol and adrenaline in check, make friends with fatty fish. Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish like salmon and tuna, can prevent surges in stress hormones and protect against heart disease. For a steady supply, aim to eat three ounces of fatty fish at least twice a week. 

Black Tea

Research suggests black tea can help you recover from stressful events more quickly. One study compared people who drank four cups of tea daily for 6 weeks with people who drank a tea-like placebo. The real tea drinkers reported feeling calmer and had lower levels of cortisol after stressful situations. Coffee, on the other hand, can boost levels of cortisol.

Pistachios

Pistachios can soften the impact stress hormones have on the body. Adrenaline raises blood pressure and gets your heart racing when you are under stress. Eating a handful of pistachios every day can lower blood pressure, so it will not spike as high when that adrenaline rush comes.

Avocados

One of the best ways to reduce high blood pressure is to get enough potassium — and half an avocado has more potassium than a medium-sized banana. In addition, guacamole offers a nutritious alternative when stress has you craving a high-fat treat.

Almonds

Almonds are chock full of helpful vitamins. There is vitamin E to bolster the immune system, plus a range of B vitamins, which may make the body more resilient during bouts of stress. To get the benefits, snack on a quarter of a cup every day.

Raw Veggies

Crunchy raw vegetables can fight the effects of stress in a purely mechanical way. Munching celery or carrot sticks helps release a clenched jaw, and that can ward off tension headaches.

Bedtime Snack

Carbs at bedtime can speed the release of serotonin and help you sleep better. Heavy meals before bed can trigger heartburn, so stick to something light like toast and jam.

Milk

Another bedtime stress buster is the time-honored glass of warm milk. Researchers have found calcium can reduce muscle spasms and soothe tension, as well as easing anxiety and mood swings linked to PMS. Dieticians typically recommend skim or low-fat milk.

Herbal Supplements

There are many herbal supplements that claim to fight stress. One of the best studied is St. John’s wort, which has shown benefits for people with mild-to-moderate depression. Although more research is needed, the herb also appears to reduce symptoms of anxiety and PMS. There is less data on valerian root, another herb said to have a calming effect.

(Ed’s note:You should perhaps seek medical advice before taking St. John’s Wort with other medication)

De-Stress with Exercise

Besides tweaking your diet, one of the best stress-busting strategies is to start exercising. Aerobic exercise is the most effective, because it increases oxygen circulation and produces endorphins — chemicals that make you feel happy. To get the maximum benefit, aim for 30 minutes of aerobic exercise three to four times a week.

(Ed’s note: Undertaking a new exercise regime should be subject to medical advice.)

Disclaimer: The views of the author of this article are not necessarily the views of the Editor. It in interest of self preservation, readers should seek medical advice before making any additions or changes to their prescriptions or undertaking any strenuous exercise. Without prejudice.

©2005-2009 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved.
(http://www.webmd.com/balance/stress-management/features/6-surprising-stress-fixes)

Top 6 Myths: About Bottled Water

From the FMS Global & UK News Desk of Jeanne Hambleton

Courtesy of WebMD – Feature from “Marie Claire” Magazine

By Anndee Hochman

Bottled water — already a more than $10 billion industry — is the fastest-growing beverage category in the U.S. But is it good for you? Here’s the pure truth.

Myth #1: BOTTLED WATER IS BETTER THAN TAP

Not necessarily. While labels gush about bottled water that “begins as snowflakes” or flows from “deep inside lush green volcanoes,” between 25 and 40 percent of bottled water comes from a less exotic source: U.S. municipal water supplies. (Bottling companies buy the water and filter it, and some add minerals.) That’s not really a bad thing: The Environmental Protection Agency oversees municipal water quality, while the Food and Drug Administration monitors bottled water; in some cases, EPA codes are more stringent.

Myth #2: PURIFIED WATER TASTES BETTER

The “purest” water — distilled water with all minerals and salts removed — tastes flat; it’s the sodium, calcium, magnesium, and chlorides that give water its flavor. The “off” taste of tap water is the chlorine; if you refrigerate it in a container with a loose-fitting lid, the chlorine taste will be gone overnight.

Myth #3: BOTTLED WATER WITH VITAMINS, MINERALS, OR PROTEIN IS MORE HEALTHY THAN REGULAR WATER

“Vitamins, color, herbs, protein, and all the other additions to water — those are a marketing ploy,” says Marion Nestle, Ph.D., professor of nutrition studies at New York University. Plus, the additives are usually a scant serving of the vitamins you really need in a day, adds Amy Subar, Ph.D., a nutritionist with the National Cancer Institute. Enhanced waters usually contain sugars and artificial flavorings to sweeten the deal and can pack more calories than diet soda. When it comes to providing fluoride, tap water usually wins, though that element is increasingly being added to bottled waters.

Myth #4: YOU NEED EIGHT 8-OUNCE GLASSES OF WATER EACH DAY

The Institute of Medicine recommends about 91 ounces (a little more than 11 8-ounce glasses) of fluid daily for women. But here is the thing: It expects 80 percent of that to come from water, juice, coffee, tea, or other beverages and the remaining 20 percent from food. That means if you drink a 12-ounce cup of coffee and a 12-ounce can of diet soda, you only need 48 more ounces (three 16-ounce glasses, or four soda cans’ worth) for the day.

Myth #5: AFTER AN INTENSE WORKOUT, BOTTLED WATER IS BEST

There is a reason volunteers hand out Gatorade during marathons. If your workout lasts longer than an hour, you need to replace the water and electrolytes, such as sodium and potassium, that you have lost (that is what sports drinks generally do). For less intense workouts, regular water is fine.

Myth #6: WATER BOTTLES ARE EASY ON THE ENVIRONMENT BECAUSE THEY CAN BE RECYCLED

Wouldn’t it be nice? And it is not just the bottles. Eco-costs include manufacturing, trucking, shelving, and marketing. And meeting the annual U.S. demand for plastic bottles requires enough oil to keep 100,000 cars on the road for a year, says Janet Larsen of the Earth Policy Institute. Sure, the 70 million empty water bottles the U.S. produces per day can be recycled, but the sad truth is, about 86 percent of them end up in the trash. Hardly worth it, for what flows out of the tap and into a reusable glass for free.

(http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/top-6-myths-about-bottled-water?ecd=wnl_day_033109)

EDITOR’S NOTE: Often known as Adam’s Ale, as presumably he had nothing else to drink, did you know that water covers 70% of the earth’s surface and that water makes up between 60% to 70% of the human body. (http://encyclopedia.farlex.com/Adam’s+ale)

If you are really interested in learning more about Adam’s Ale, water, and wells, read Chapter 14 of Maybole, Carrick’s Capital Facts, Fiction & Folks by James T. Gray, Alloway Publishing, Ayr, first published 1972, reprinted on the following link below:
(http://www.maybole.org/history/Books/carrickscapital/adamsale.htm)