Nutrition Facts: Alcohol, antioxidants, caffeine and calcium In this article, you learn a few simple facts about nutrition, alcohol, antioxidants, caffeine and calcium.
Too much alcohol can increase the levels of fat in the blood lead to hypertension, heart failure and increased calories. Too many calories lead to obesity and a higher risk of developing diabetes. Excessive and binge drinking can lead to stroke.
The American Heart Association recommends that if you drink alcohol, do so in moderation. Moderation: an average of one to two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women. A drink equals 12 ounces of beer, 4 ounces of wine, 1.5 ounces of 80-proof spirits or 1 oz 100-proof spirits. Drinking more than this increases the risks to health as noted above. In addition, it is not possible to predict which people alcoholism will become a problem. The American Heart Association warns people not to start drinking if they do not already drink alcohol.
Pregnant women should not drink alcohol in all its forms, it can harm the baby seriously.
antioxidant vitamins
There has been much research recently focused on how antioxidant vitamins may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. The data are incomplete, but up 30 percent of Americans take some form of antioxidant supplement.
The American Heart Association recommends that people not using antioxidant vitamin supplements until more complete data are available. They recommend people eat a variety of nutrient-rich foods daily from all basic food groups. Eat a variety of foods low in saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol to provide a natural source of vitamins, minerals and fiber.
Caffeine
The metabolic effects of caffeine:
aec Stimulates the central nervous system
aec The FFA release from adipose (fat) tissue
aec Affects the kidneys by increasing urination, which can lead to dehydration
Caffeine found in coffee, tea, soft drinks, chocolate and nuts.
The American Heart Association, moderate coffee drinking (1-2 cups per day does not seem to be harmful.
Caffeine withdrawal symptoms can occur 12 to 24 hours after the last dose of caffeine in individuals who are regular drinkers of caffeine. The most striking symptom is headache. Other symptoms may include:
aec Anxiety
aec Fatigue
aec Drowsiness
aec Depression
Although many studies show that there is a direct link between consumption of coffee caffeine, and coronary heart disease, the results are contradictory.
Calcium
To help reduce the risk of developing osteoporosis, bone disease most doctors encourage women to consume dairy products without fat and low in fat to get calcium.
The American Heart Association recommends that women should aim to consume between 1,000 and 1,200 milligrams of calcium per day. excellent sources of calcium include:
aec Milk fat
aec The low-fat dairy products
Other sources of calcium include:
aec Eat green vegetables like spinach, kale and broccoli
aec Some legumes and soy products
To date, scientists have not enough information to determine if calcium intake affects the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
An adequate intake everyday according to data from the National Academy of Sciences, Institute of Medicine includes:
aec 210 mg for infants from birth to 6 months, 270 mg for children under 6 months to 1 year
aec 500 mg for children 1-3 years, 800 mg for children aged 4-8
aec 1,300 mg for children and adolescents age 9-18
aec 1000 mg for adults aged 19-50 (for maximal calcium retention)
aec 1200 mg for adults aged 51 and older
aec 1300 mg for women who are pregnant.
Posted on April 20, 2010.