October 19, 2008

Does coffee has the benefit or risk to our health?

Have you ever wonder whether coffee has the benefit or risk to our health?
Many people love to drink coffee and are addicted to it. Someone feel that coffee make them feel fresh in the morning with its caffeine, aroma and taste and can make you alert in the afternoon. It can be said that coffee bring a lot of pleasure into our life. Even though some research say about the bad effect to our health. Not only its bad effects but also its benefits have been heard. Then I will lead you through some research regard to this issue. Let’s see coffee’s negative health effects from some research first.


A temporary increase in the stiffening of arterial walls from drinking caffeinated coffee as some research refer that its caffeine content are mostly the cause of Coffee's negative health effects.
Excess coffee consumption may lead to a magnesium deficiency or hypomagnesaemia and may be a risk factor for coronary heart disease.


A mixed effect on short-term memory by improving it when the information to be recalled is related to the current train of thought, but making it more difficult to recall unrelated information.

Moreover almost thirty years ago researchers at Harvard University announced a connection between coffee consumption and cancer. In contradictory, a few years later they retracted the study and recognized that the findings were flawed.
Looking more on the protective effects provided by coffee from some research as the following conditions:

  • Asthma – Drinking coffee can help to control asthma, and in some cases can even be used to treat an asthma attack when conventional medication is not available.
  • Colon cancer – 2 or more cups of coffee per day can reduce the risk of colon cancer by 25%.
  • Gallstones – The likelihood of developing gallstones is decreased nearly 50% by drinking at least 2 cups of coffee per day.
  • Headache – Coffee cures or diminishes some types of headaches.
  • Liver cirrhosis – The risk for this condition is reduced by 80% with the ingestion of 2 or more cups of coffee each day.
  • Parkinson’s disease – 6 studies have found that regular (caffeinated) coffee drinkers reduce their risk of developing Parkinson’s disease by as much as 80%.
  • Tooth decay – A compound in coffee called Trigonelline has anti-adhesive and antibacterial properties, which helps prevent cavities.
  • Type 2 Diabetes – A Harvard longitudinal study of 126,000 people found that 1 to 3 cups of caffeinated coffee per day can reduce the risk of developing diabetes by less than 10%, while 6 or more cups per day reduces women’s risk by 30% and men’s by 54%. Drinking decaffeinated coffee reduces risk for diabetes by approximately half that achieved with caffeinated coffee.

In this research some of coffee’s health benefits are referred as a result of its caffeine content, whereas others are generated by its antioxidants. The reduced risk for Parkinson’s disease and coffee’s efficacy in treating asthma and headaches are linked to caffeine.


All above references, you will see the pros and cons of coffee. These can give you a bit of information about coffee’s good effects and bad effects to your health.


There should have no good words to say than moderate daily intake is the best to your health as excessive drinking could be not good to your health in either way. These information remind me of some saying that “eating moderately in everything can make you live longer and have a healthy life”. Eating habits should be the one answer to your healthy living.

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October 16, 2008

Benefits of Play for Children

While I was searching a toy for a present to my niece, there were so many categories of toys which make me so confused how to choose the right one to suit with her development. Then I have to make some research about the benefit of playing toys or which type of toys suit with her ages. I gain some knowledge in the benefits of play and each type of playing which I’d like to share with you. Let’s get to know as following:

Play builds the imagination
Pretending, or imaginative play, is one of the cornerstones of children's world. Kids begin demonstrating this behavior around the age of 2. Almost anything can spur the children's imagination, including everyday objects. This is because they use them as symbols, they’re learning that one thing can stand for other things. Using this new ability to pretend, they can transform a block of wood into a boat, a few pots and pans into a drum set.

Everyday objects aren't the only things that are transformed in the children's make-believe world. So are the roles they assume in their play. Imaginative play gives the children a sense of control as they interpret the dramas of everyday life and practices the rules of social behavior.

How parent can encourage imaginative play: Keep a box of everyday items that children can use during pretend play. Kid versions of adult objects, such as play telephones and plastic dishes, help facilitate role playing, and open-ended objects (toys that can have more than one use), such as colored blocks, stretch the imagination with unlimited possibilities.

Play advances physical development
Different types of physical play help develop different skills: Skipping takes balance, for example; climbing monkey bars builds strength; and sports activities involve coordination. Large motor skills, such as running, throwing, and pedaling, improve first, but fine motor skills aren't far behind. A 3-year-old carefully stacking blocks into towers is not only learning about gravity and balance but also developing hand-eye coordination. And the dexterity your child develops during play carries over into everyday life: After some practice, a 3-year-old will be able to help dress and feed himself, which gives him a sense of independence.

There's a nonphysical benefit of physical play too: It helps kids work through stress and crankiness. In fact, without adequate time for active play, your child may become grumpy or tense (not to mention possibly obese).

How parentcan promote physical play: The best way to get children moving is to set a good example. This starts at home by engaging in physical activities rather than sedentary ones such as watching TV. Indoors, you can play hide-and-seek, toss beanbags, or play some danceable music. Outdoors, build a castle in the sandbox, kick a soccer ball back and forth, ride your bike/tricycle together.

Play helps kids work through emotions
Long before children can express their feelings in words, through physical play, storytelling, art, and other activities. When children have experiences that are hurtful or hard to understand, they review those experiences again and again through play. For example, if your child is pushed or has something snatched away from him at school, he may not understand what just happened. If, the next day, you're playing with him and he aggressively pushes you, he may be trying to work out what he experienced the day before. .Through play, children can come to understand their emotions and how to use them and contain them as their society deems fit.

How parent can help: During play, children will expose little bits of behavior they need guidance. You can respond in kind, mimicking the right type of response. And try to get your child to laugh, which will help ease tension.

Play promotes social skills
As toddlers, children play side by side without obvious communication (this is called parallel play). During the preschool years, they start to interact with each other by creating complex story lines together. As they do this, they learn to negotiate, cooperate, and share (though some kids don't master the art of sharing until they're 4 to 6 years old). These play activities then become opportunities for children to interact with others and learn the societal rules that govern these interactions. For example, children will learn that sharing and taking turns are encouraged, but that stealing and kicking are not. Offering children opportunities to test and hone these skills is especially important.

How parent can boost social play: Once children settles into preschool, they'll find playmates there. But they'll need your help to extend those relationships outside of school. The easiest way to build newfound friendships is to schedule playdates or set up a play group for children and their friends. Get the ball rolling by introducing games or activities and then unobtrusively monitor the children's behavior and progress. After the playdate, you'll know which social skills children are mastering (sharing, cooperating, or being assertive, for example) and which they may need some help with.

The benefits of play for children are myriad. Play offers babies and children the opportunity to explore the world around them, build the imagination, and to develop physical, cognitive, emotional and social skills. Clearly, play for children is actually tough work!

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