This Week In: Caffeine

Caffeine is one of those substances, like soy or beta-carotine, that has a constantly evolving relationship with the headlines. One week coffee is a miracle elixir, the next it's a hot cup of death. This week is one of the good ones.

Researchers from the University of Washington in Seattle (naturally) proved what previous studies had indicated - that caffeine can protect against sun damage. They showed that, in mice, caffeine causes cells damaged by the sun to self-destruct - especially damaged cells that might go on to cause skin cancer.

These studies aren't tried and true guidelines: they're often done in people with pre-existing conditions or risk factors, on mice, or with extremely high doses of caffeine. Still, there's a lot of confusion about what caffeine can or can't do, so we compiled some recent (within the last five years) caffeine-related research from research aggregator Newswise.com. Here's what we know - and what we don't.

The Good:
Improves memory in women (American Academy of Neurology)
Helps muscles refuel post-workout (American Physiological Society)
Protects against eyeball spasm that can lead to blindness (British Medical Journal)
Lowers risk of type-II diabetes (Archives of Internal Medicine)
Associated with lower risk of alcohol-related liver disease (Archives of Internal Medicine)

The Bad:
Increases miscarriage risk (American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology)
Increases non-fatal heart attack risk in those with rare gene variation (Journal of the American Medical Association)
Can trigger a heart attack in sedentary individuals with high risk factors (Epidemiology)

The Fake:
Does not increase hypertension in women (JAMA)
Does not affect birth weight or length when consumed by pregnant mothers (though the miscarriage link should override this particular concern) (BMJ)
Does not increase breast cancer risk (Archives of Internal Medicine)


With all the conflicting info, it's hard to figure out whether you should put the latte down or double your dose. If you're healthy, the answer is closer to what you mother told you all along - everything in moderation.

photo by Omar_MK, courtesy of Creative Commons,

Dot Com Diagnosis: Or, How to Use the Internet For Research Without Totally Freaking Yourself Out

So you’ve got this cough. It’s kind of tickly, it’s kind of phlegm-y, and it’s just not going away. Should you make a doctor's appointment or just drink more fluids? Considering everything else is available online, from car repair advice to sex tips, why shouldn't the internet be able to answer this question? Point, click, and twenty minutes later, you’ve narrowed it down to TB, a ragweed allergy or the remains of a calcified twin lodged in your larynx.

The Web is full of answers to your basic and not-so-basic health questions – and it’s also full of thousands of red herrings, zealous crackpots, and flat-out lies. Using the internet wisely will help you take control of your health, save on medical costs, and ease nagging fears. Browsing without borders, on the other hand, can can lead to paranoia, hysteria, and time lost at your next doctor's appointment.

The next time you turn to your laptop for medical advice, keep these tips in mind:


1. Stay off the forums
At least until you have a diagnosis. Medical sites like WebMD and MayoClinic.com are great for finding a diagnosis or learning more about your condition, but once you know what you're dealing with, online support groups can provide helpful answers to practical questions.

However, if you don't have a diagnosis yet, the forums may be overwhelming. "A lot of times the forums become mini case studies where you get a lot of personal information," says Sarah Bass, PhD MPH, an associate professor of Public Health at Temple University. "They'll say, 'I’m not taking that medication because it made me do XYZ, so you shouldn’t take it either.' " Until you know what you're dealing with and have a chat with your doctor about options, trolling the forums can be a case of information overload. And because these groups are safe spaces for people with confirmed diagnosis to vent their fears and frustrations, going int without a confirmed diagnosis make make you more worried than you need to be.

2. Know what you're looking for.
Before you go online, clearly define your search parameters. That way, you're less likely be swayed -- or feel phantom pains - by what you read online. "If you know you’re a suggestible person, it would be a good tool to write down what you’re really concerned about and a list of your symptoms before you go on a wide-open search," says Roger Harms, MD, medical editor-in-chief of MayoClinic.com.

3. Remember that hoof beats equal horses, not zebras.

4. Determine the validity of the site.
You wouldn't take medical advice from a guy working out of the back of a van, so don't waste time on sites of uncertain pedigree.

TK 6 MORE OPTIONS

The Consult: News from the Web

Bacteria in human spit is consistent across continents, which could influence our understanding of diet and medical conditions worldwide. Reuters

New drug combo may beat drug-resistant TB. Newswise

The most unhealthy canned good ever? Consumerist

The future of food. Portfolio

10 questions you should ask before your colonoscopy. NYTimes

Second DC-area teen dies of the flu. Washington Post