Nutrition Facts: Alcohol, Antioxidants, Caffeine and Calcium

Too much alcohol can raise the levels of fats in the blood, lead to high blood pressure, heart failure and increased calories. Too many calories lead to obesity and a higher risk of developing diabetes. Excessive and binge drinking can lead to stroke.

The New Zealand Heart Foundation recommends if you drink alcohol, do so in moderation. Moderation means an average of one to two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women. Drinking more than this increases all the health risks as noted above. In addition, it is not possible to predict in which people alcoholism will become a problem.

Pregnant women should not drink alcohol in any form; it can harm the baby seriously.

Antioxidant vitamins

There has been a lot of research recently focused on how antioxidant vitamins may reduce cardiovascular disease risk.

The New Zealand Heart Foundation does not recommend people using antioxidant vitamin supplements until more complete data is available. They recommend people eat a variety of nutrient-rich foods daily from all the basic food groups. Eat a variety of foods low in saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol to provide a natural source of these vitamins, minerals and fiber.

Caffeine

The metabolic effects of caffeine include:

• Stimulates the central nervous system
• Releases free fatty acids from adipose (fatty) tissue
• Affects the kidneys by increasing urination, which can lead to dehydration

Caffeine is found in coffee, tea, soft drinks, chocolate and some nuts.

The New Zealand Heart Foundation says moderate coffee drinking (1-2 cups per day does not seem to be harmful.

Caffeine withdrawal symptoms may occur 12 to 24 hours after the last dose of caffeine in individuals who are habitual caffeine drinkers. The most prominent symptom is headache. Other withdrawal symptoms may include:

• Anxiety
• Fatigue
• Drowsiness
• Depression

Although many studies show there is a direct link between caffeine, coffee drinking and coronary heart disease, the results are conflicting.

Calcium

To help reduce the risk of developing the bone disease osteoporosis most physicians encourage women to eat fat-free and low-fat dairy products to get calcium.

The New Zealand Heart Foundation recommends women should aim to consume between 1,000 and 1,200 milligrams of calcium each day. Excellent sources of calcium include:

• Fat-free milk
• Low-fat dairy products

Other sources of calcium include:

• Eating vegetable greens like spinach, kale and broccoli
• Some legumes and soybean products

To date, scientists do not have enough information to know if calcium intake affects the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

Adequate daily intake according to data from the National Academy of Sciences, Institute of Medicine includes:

• 210 mg for infants from birth to 6 months, 270 mg for age 6 months to 1 year
• 500 mg for children age 1-3; 800 mg for ages 4-8
• 1,300 mg for children and adolescents age 9-18
• 1,000 mg for adults ages 19-50 (for maximal calcium retention)
• 1,200 mg for adults ages 51 and older
• 1300 mg for women who are pregnant and under age 19; 1000 mg for pregnant women ages 19-50