What's the skinny on all this coffee news? A couple of perspectives.

Yet again a piece of new research is all over the news.  This time coffee and its supposed protective effects is getting all the press.   This is always a bit of a confusing situation since this news gets highlighted and emphasized but its hard to get through the hype to the actual meaning and implications of the study.  But here is a rare and complete piece of reporting by Kelly Crowe at CBC online news.  In her article "What's the fuss about coffee?"  she explains how information like this gets reported and why you have to look beyond the headlines to the actual information being published.  She dissects the study and very clearly points out why studies often only suggest possible relationships between A and long term effect B (here consuming 2+ cups of coffee daily may have possible positive effect on longevity).  And yet the news usually reports these relationships as definite connections.  All in all this is an excellent piece for those looking to have a more critical eye when reading breaking health news. (1,2)

And so what's my take on coffee? There are certainly other studies that suggest that coffee/tea consumption reduces the risk of certain cancers (ie. invasive prostate and breast) (3,4).  These studies do show statistically significant reductions, which means there is less of a possibility that the reduction was due to chance, but the reductions are low overall.  None of them have looked at why this relationship may occur and if there are any other factors involved, though some suggested the benefit was independent of caffeine content.  We do know that there are a lot of compounds in coffee and tea.  There are some like bioflavenoids and antioxidants that have been otherwise shown to have benefits for overall health and cancer risks.  Could that be why?  Of course!  Could it be something totally different?  Absolutely.  For example, is it possible that taking time in the morning to sit and drink your coffee or taking a coffee break in the day helps with stress reduction and that's the reason for the benefit?  Very possible, but right now, who knows?

So what do I say when someone asks me if I'm worried about their coffee intake? As always, I ask a tonne of questions like: how much do you drink, how much water are your drinking, why are you drinking it and how.  If people are sitting and enjoying their coffee ritual in the morning or drinking it while socializing with friends, my assessment is that its helping their quality of life and not to worry.  If its a compulsive or mindless experience (as in they just keep filling their cup with coffee and that's just what they drink) or if its needed for energy, maybe we need to address that need or make healthier substitutions.  But do I think coffee is an absolute poison?  No.  And do I think we all need to drink 2 cups to live longer? No, I don't think there is near enough information to make that recommendation. 

Today's prescription:  Sit and relax for a few.  Maybe enjoy a cup of coffee or tea or the flowers outside, but enjoy!

References:
(1) Crowe, Kelly.  "What's the fuss about coffee?"  CBC news. May 17'12.

(2) Freedman ND, Park Y, Abnet CC, Hollenbeck AR, Sinha R. Association of coffee drinking with total and cause-specific mortality. N Engl J Med. 2012 May 17;366(20):1891-904.

(3) Wilson KM, Kasperzyk JL, Rider JR, Kenfield S, van Dam RM, Stampfer MJ, Giovannucci E, Mucci LA.  Coffee consumption and prostate cancer risk and progression in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2011 Jun 8;103(11):876-84. Epub 2011 May 17.

(4) Ganmaa D, Willett WC, Li TY, Feskanich D, van Dam RM, Lopez-Garcia E, Hunter DJ, Holmes MD

Coffee, tea, caffeine and risk of breast cancer: a 22-year follow-up.  Int J Cancer. 2008 May 1;122(9):2071-6.

Newsletter Archives

Did you know that we have an archive of all our monthly newsletters? Click on our website and you can see past newsletters.  We'll keep this page updated and we love feedback or ideas for things you'd like to hear about.
~ Dr Kellie

Local Spring Fruit and Veggie Home Delivery

If you are thinking about eating a bit better you may have decided to eat more fresh fruits and veggies or to eat more local foods.  We've talked previously about getting a farm box delivered to your home and there is a new company in Victoria that does just that.  Have a look at Nature's Farmacy food bin delivery. 

With these guys, you can customize your boxes with various amounts of fruits and/or veggies and you can add extra products such as organic nuts, chicken or turkey.  They even have locally made gluten free bread, pizza dough and toppings.  As with the best delivery companies, you have the ability to provide a list of favorite and disliked foods and you can skip/modify or cancel deliveries when needed.  As a bonus, they will deliver your box bright and early in the morning and will make a donation to feed and treat kids orphaned by HIV in Uganda.

My first box is set to deliver next week and I'm looking forward to trying some of the local spring greens!  As always, I love to hear comments and questions from you. ~ Kellie

Naturopathic Medicine Week

Every year, during May, Naturopathic Physicians and our associations take a week to celebrate our profession and to promote our medicine.  This year, during the week of May 7-13, 2012, naturopathic doctors all over the country will be conducting free events in local stores, community venues and in their own clinics.

 
On Friday May 11th, our Clinic will be hosting an open house from 4-6pm.  You'll have an opportunity to meet our practitioners, tour the clinic and sample lots of local gluten and casein free products. Our Registered Acupuncturist, Mark Bodnar will be offering free tongue and pulse diagnoses and Colleen Bruce, RMT will be doing some demonstrations.  Feel free to stop by and say hi!

For other events throughout the province have a look at the Naturopathic medicine week website or their facebook page.

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The BCNA is the professional association for naturopathic physicians in BC. They act on behalf of and for the profession to promote the services provided by and the integrity and honour of the naturopathic profession. They act to advance the scientific, educational, professional and economic welfare of all members of the profession in BC. They we act as agent, trustee or otherwise for naturopathic physicians in BC in connection with collective bargaining, remuneration for services, insurance and other legislative matters.
Visit the BCNA website for more information, including a list of naturopathic doctors in BC.

2nd Annual Greater Victoria Autism Resource Fair

Join us at this year's Greater Victoria Autism Resource Fair at the University of Victoria Student Union Building.  The fair takes place Saturday May 5th from 10-3:30 pm with free admission.  Come and see the featured speakers, enjoy a Kids Play Zone and the Parent's Pampering Corner.  There will be lots of door prizes, a silent auction and everyone will go home with a goodie bag full of extra treats and offers from all the exhibitors.

Come check out the varied and wonderful resources available in Victoria and be sure to pop by our table and say hi!

Environmental and Seasonal Allergies: Fact and Fiction

Victoria is well and truly into Allergy Season with lots of angry red eyes and snuffling noses. We've previously discussed the testing methods and sublingual allergy drops, but we haven't talked about what might be allergy triggers.  Many people have an idea of what types of things trigger their allergies but how accurate are our guesses? Most of us blame our allergy symptoms on the plants we can see.  And so the most commonly blamed suspects for spring allergies are the cherry and plum trees.  Victoria has beautiful cherry tree-lined streets and when they bloom its pretty magnificent, except for the allergy sufferers who know that this heralds the worst of their symptoms.  However, these beauties are just the fall guy for the less visible Alder tree, which is the culprit in more than 99% of tree allergies.  Pollens need to be small and light enough to stay airborne long enough to be inhaled. The pollen from plum and cherry blossoms is far too heavy and does not stay airborne long enough to cause a problem.

The same happens in the summer with Scotch broom. Broom is a bright yellow and has quite a strong fragrance (which people either find really irritating or fairly pleasant) and it is very visible and blooms just as the more allergenic grasses start to seed.  But while most people believe they are very allergic to Scotch broom, it can't trigger allergies as it doesn't produce a pollen but rather makes heavy little seed pods.

So while we may have a sense of the plants in bloom while our allergies are at their worst, its worth getting scratch Allergy testing to confirm the actual triggers for your symptoms.  This allows us to choose the right targets for desensitization.  Feel free to call or email if you have any questions or comments about seasonal allergies or any other topics discussed here.

Introducing Mark Bodnar, Registered Acupuncturist and Athletic Therapist

Dr Kellie and Colleen would like to welcome Mark Bodnar, RAc, CAT(c) to the Koru Health Team.
Mark Bodnar is a Registered Acupuncturist and a Certified Athletic Therapist. Mark finished his undergraduate studies in Kinesiology at York University in 2005 concurrently with an Athletic Therapy Certification. He completed his Acupuncture diploma in Traditional Chinese Medicine in 2009 at the International College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Victoria.

Mark incorporates his western training with an eastern approach to health by using holistic treatment methods including; acupuncture, acupressure, moxibustion, cupping, gua sha, nutritional guidance, exercise therapy, and manual therapy. Mark believes that everyone's state of health and wellness is affected by their emotions, diet, environment and behaviour. His treatment approach aims to address both symptoms as well as the cause of illness, and he creates treatment plans tailored to the individual to help them achieve balance and vitality in their lives.

Have a look at Mark's page or his answers to common questions found on our website. If you have any questions you can contact him at 250-598-3718.  Welcome Mark!