Coffee Doesn’t Really Boost Your Energy

October 8th, 2010

Natural News

By: David Gutierrez

Coffee no longer boosts energy or alertness levels above baseline in regular drinkers of the beverage, according to a study conducted by researchers from Bristol University and published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology.

“Although frequent consumers feel alerted by caffeine, especially by their morning tea, coffee or other caffeine-containing drink, evidence suggests that this is actually merely the reversal of the fatiguing effects of acute caffeine withdrawal,” the researchers wrote.

Scientists assigned 379 volunteers to drink either a beverage containing the caffeine found in a 100-milligram shot of espresso, or a placebo containing no caffeine. Prior to beginning the study, all participants had abstained from caffeine consumption for 16 hours.

The researchers found that among participants who drank less than one cup of coffee per day, drinking the caffeinated beverage resulted in enhanced performance on tests of alertness, while the placebo had no noticeable effect.

In contrast, participants who regularly drank between one and six cups of coffee a day self-reported a decrease in alertness and an increase in headache following consumption of the placebo, in contrast to the low-coffee-drinkers who reported no such effects. Regular coffee drinkers who received the placebo also scored lower on objective tests of alertness than members of all other groups.

Regular coffee drinkers who had received real caffeine, by comparison, scored the same on alertness test as infrequent drinkers who had received the placebo.

The study supports the theory that the body quickly develops a dependence on caffeine, soon requiring it just for normal levels of alertness. Thus, regular coffee drinkers actually become less alert when they stop drinking it, not more alert when they consume it.

A spokesperson for the British Coffee Association disputed the findings, stating that caffeine increases alertness levels and is safe to consume in moderation. He also said that pregnant women should avoid consuming more than 200 milligrams of caffeine per day.

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Nescafe Recalls Coffee Over Glass Fear

May 21, 2010

Telegraph

The recall applies to 100g jars of the Nescafe Collections range, specifically Alta Rica, Alta Rica Decaff, Cap Colombie, Suraya and Espresso.

All best-before dates and batch codes are affected.

Click here for the full report.

Crib Recall After Babies Get Trapped

April 29, 2010

WalletPop.com

by Mitch Lipka

Hundreds of thousands cribs are being recalled after they were connected to reports of infants becoming trapped in them, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is announcing today. The recalls are for cribs sold under the Graco and Simplicity brands.

About 217,000 Graco brand drop side cribs made by LaJobi Inc. are being recalled after nearly 100 reports of hardware failure that allowed the drop side of the crib to detach. Six children reportedly fell through the resulting opening and two others became trapped, the CPSC said.

Drop side cribs, once the industry standard, are on the verge of being banned. That style of crib has been blamed for well over a dozen infant and toddler deaths and is no longer being carried by the biggest children’s product retailer, Toys R Us/Babies R Us. This is just one in a long string of crib recalls.

The recalled wood cribs came in cherry, espresso, natural and white finishes. The name “LaJobi” and the crib’s model number can be found on a sticker on the stabilizer bar or on the bottom rail of the crib.

The China- and Vietnam-made cribs were sold nationwide from February 2007 through March 2010 for $140-$200.

If you have one of the cribs, you are asked to stop using it until you receive a hardware kit from LaJobi that will immobilize the drop side.

For more information, call LaJobi at (888) 842-2215 or visit the company’s website.

In a separate announcement, now-defunct Simplicity cribs are once again being recalled after the death of a child. Simplicity cribs are being targeted by the CPSC as a particular danger. A Massachusetts toddler suffocated in 2008 after getting stuck between the mattress and the frame. Another 13 incidents have been reported involving the tubular metal framed cribs bending or coming apart.

The cribs were sold under the Aspen, Chelsea, Graco and Simplicity brands.

The CPSC is urging anyone with one of these cribs to stop using them and find another place for their infant or toddler to sleep.

The safety agency said it does not know how many of these metal-framed cribs were sold. The China-made cribs were sold at chain stores nationwide including Walmart and Target for $150-$300. Consumers can return these cribs to the store where they were purchased for a refund, credit or replacement crib.

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