Hello Monaco magazine HelloMonaco 2018#04_Summer_Autumn_WEB

Keeping Monaco Healthy The coffee habit Back when I was doing my degree in Nutri- tion, the coffee habit was sometimes spo- ken about as if an addiction — a bit like al- cohol, tobacco and drugs. Other than the fact that coffee contained antioxidants, the rest was negative was mostly negative. Anti-nutrient, intestinal irritant, adrenal stressor, diuretic, and pro-aging were the reasons for recommending people reduce their intake to one cup a day — or even at- tempt to give it up completely! Coffee tree in blossom Regularly drinking coffee can even protect men against prostate cancer and women against endometrial cancer. © coffeetroupe.com memory and overall cognitive function. Regularly drinking coffee can even protect men against prostate cancer and women against endometrial cancer. But better than smoothies? That all depends on what ’s in them. D r. M o s l e y co m p a r e d co f f e e w i t h smoothies made from fruit — which we all know are not the same thing as those made from veggies. Fruits used to make smoothies tend to be very sweet and Not just caffeine Don’t get me wrong — there is truth in the above and we all know that excess con- sumption can also result in irritability and insomnia. However, coffee is enjoying a rebirth — and justifiably so. This is part- ly because no study has ever shown that drinking coffee contributes to high blood pressure, heart disease, cancer or diabetes. In fact there is growing evidence that cof- fee may actually protect against the risk of diabetes 2, Parkinson’s , Alzheimer’s and liver disease. Rich in flavonoids, plant compounds that have potent anti-inflammatory, anti-viral and anticoagulant properties, it also ap- pears to improve athletic performance — one reason I often recommend people drink coffee before exercising. Other stud- ies have examined the effects that caf- feine has on the brain and have found that it improves mood, reaction time, © www.muffintinmania.com Hello Monaco Summer–Autumn 2018 / 153

Hello Monaco magazine HelloMonaco 2018#04_Summer_Autumn_WEB | Page 155