From the Desk of Carolyn Dean MD ND
When I read an article about a new study that “Coffee Compound May Help Counteract Age-Related Muscle Loss” what was my first thought? Who funded the study? As in most studies that put a positive spin on coffee, it was funded by the coffee industry.
Yes, No and Maybe
I was shocked to read a statistic that 80% of the adult population drinks coffee. Fortunately, I’m not one of them. I say fortunately because it depletes magnesium, and my magnesium deficiency symptoms would have been way worse if I imbibed coffee.
The studies on coffee do bounce around like a ping pong ball with yes, no, and maybe that’s it’s good or bad for you. So, what is a person to do?
I say that people are attracted to this energy shot to wake them up in the morning because they haven’t had a deep sleep – which could be due to magnesium deficiency. And they drink it during the day because their energy is low – which could also be due to magnesium deficiency. So, what’s the treatment? Take picometer magnesium and quite often you no longer crave coffee to clear your head and rev you up.
Depleting Nutrients
To try and prove that coffee preserves muscle function they evoke the power of mitochondria, where energy is made (with the distinct help of magnesium). It seems that as we age, the mitochondria produce less energy. Duh! Isn’t that because, as we age, we get less magnesium and precisely when we need more! The article goes on to say that other nutrient chemicals in the body decline with age, like vitamin B3, or essential amino acids. I can’t help but declare another Duh! because that’s precisely why we need to be sure and take the nutrients that provide building blocks for making perfect cells.
But instead of the commonsense solution of taking well-absorbed nutrients, they tell you to drink more coffee, which will deplete more nutrients.
Skewing the Study
Oh, and then the best part of the study is revealed. It seems that researchers analyzed a certain coffee chemical level in the blood of MICE and WORMS and found that high levels of the substance were positively associated with muscle strength and function. Do worms even have measurable muscle strength!! And low levels of this coffee chemical were linked to loss of muscle size and strength in MICE and WORMS that occurs with aging! Lord Sufferin’ Cats!
The next punchline is that this chemical (called trigonelline) is structurally related to vitamin B3 and is produced naturally in the body, in addition to being found in certain foods. So why not eat those foods or take vitamin B3? Why not? Because the coffee industry wants you to get hooked on coffee not on supplements.
Use It or Lose It
What else prevents muscle loss? Exercise. There is no question that if you don’t use it, you lose it. I proved that recently when I took a bad fall on my left knee and right elbow. I couldn’t move my elbow for about 2 weeks and my biceps and triceps deflated like a burst balloon. However, as soon as I was able to move my arm and then begin lifting my 3 lb. weight, my muscles started coming back.
I also like to say every time I tell the story of my dramatic fall that my bones didn’t break; they are strong and resilient because I take picometer liquid minerals and whole food based vitamins and nutrients.
Carolyn Dean MD ND
The Doctor of the Future
