Välbefinnaren

Min arbetsuppgift som jag har skrivit idag, inte färdig ännu men jag delar med mig av arbetet i alla fall. Enjoy! Frågor? Fråga på!

1)      Describe two positive and two negative aspects to each of the following:

Tea, coffee and hot chocolate contain caffeine, theobromine and theophylline which are extracted from a component called xanthine. Xanthine can actually be found naturally in the body as it is a by- product of nucleic acid digestion. Theobromine is highest in chocolate, has a diuretic effect and are therefore increasing urine formation. This can be both a good trait and a bad trait, depending on the test tube and the amount of chocolate eaten.  It also acts as a vasodilator which is increasing the heartbeat and dilates the blood vessels.  It does have a stimulating effect on the body and its nervous system, but it is not as stimulating as caffeine.  Caffeine, which is highest in coffee, are stimulating the nervous system and it is also stimulating the adrenal glands to secrete adrenaline and cortical steroids. These hormones can, for many people, be a quick-fix for waking up in the morning. But in the long run it is stressing the body as it is putting it in a “fight or flight”-mode and the emergency reserve can eventually run out. Not good! IF people need this quick-fix it might be a sign of deeper issues and even a deficiency of important minerals and vitamins.

Tea:  Except for the fact that tea is diuretic and affect the electrolyte imbalance, it also inhibit iron absorption, which can be fatal in anemia.  Another negative aspect on tea is that it inactive the function of, and destroy, vitamin B1, thiamine. Thiamine is an important coenzyme for glucose metabolism and is important for the conversion of pyruvate to acetyl-CoA. Without this function, the body will develop trouble in the role of using the oxygen present. As a diabetic, I think that one of the most positive affects teas can have on the test tube is that it (green tea) helps the function of insulin. It is even thought that it has the ability to support the body to regenerate the beta cells in the pancreas. This is all due to the flavonoid- the antioxidant. The amount of antioxidants is another very positive trait tea has.

Coffee: I think the most negative effect coffee has is that it stresses the adrenal glands, if it is used as a quick-fix and in high amounts, as I mention above.  Another negative affect coffee (and tea) has on the body is that it is strongly diuretic which affects the electrolyte imbalance negatively. IF there is water retention in the body, diuretic agent can support the body in elimination. Diuretic agent can also dehydrate the body, and this is one of the reasons that the electrolyte balance can become out of order. For some people (and in “normal” amounts), coffee can have a positive effect on the mental health by increase concentration and alertness.  It is also thought, and still under research, that coffee decrease the risk of some kinds of cancers. In constipation it has shown that coffee has a laxative affect on the bowel as it is increasing bowel movement. Coffee also has the benefit of containing substances (polyphenols) that has an antioxidant-affect on the body.

Hot chocolate: If there would say “write about cocoa bean” I think this part would be easier, but hot chocolate is probably a product made from milk and containing loads of sugars. So sugars are the first negative aspect of this drink, as it can have a huge affect on the body’s energy levels and its is also acid forming which mean that the pH can turn more acid. The milk can be a problem for some people to digest, which is the second negative trait hot chocolate has. The chocolate, however, have a great amount of health benefits and one of them is the large amount of different antioxidants it contains. The flavonoid procyanidin have shown to reduce the oxidation of the “bad” LDL cholesterol. Cocoa is neutral on their affect on cholesterol level, which many other fats are not.

Wine contains antioxidants in the form of flavonoids, which is great news, but IF the grapes are heated during production the level of antioxidants is lowered. Flavonoids are protecting the body against inflammation, artery diseases and it improves oxygen supply. Another positive quality is that (most) wines has a pH of 3, which mean it is alkaline forming in the body. Alcohol/wine consumption can increase appetite and improve blood circulation. A bad quality with wine is the amount of sugar it contains. It contains simple sugars which quickly are absorbed into the blood stream, compare to complex sugars. Sugars that are not used immediately are converted into fatty acids which can lead to obesity and fatty liver. This, in turn, can result in decreasing the ability and function of the liver (to detox the body).