How Cola, Coffee and Chocs Can Help Beat Cancer
By Michael Leventhal

Coffee, cola and chocolate could be good for us after all, say scientists.

Common compounds in all three may form the basis of new drugs to tackle cancer and heart disease.

New research suggests that caffeine and theophylline may help block cell growth and blood clotting. They appear to target an enzyme which helps trigger signals that control the growth, movement and survival of cells.

Scientists recently found that the enzyme, p110 delta, is also responsible for orchestrating the body's response to infection. It is thought to be linked to inflammation and irritable bowel disease. Researchers at University College London genetically engineered insect cells to produce the p110 delta.

In laboratory tests they found that caffeine and theophylline both blocked a key biochemical process crucial to the functioning of the enzyme.

Professor Peter Shepherd, at the university's Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, said: "We've shown that caffeine-like compounds play a novel role in blocking enzymes known to play a critical role in a range of cellular functions in the body."

"Alongside possible advances in cancer treatment, this research suggests that caffeine-type drugs could be used to treat heart disease and inflammatory illnesses." Theophylline was already known to have anti-inflammatory properties and has been used for many years as an asthma treatment.

However, Professor Shepherd warned people not to overdose on coffee, tea, cola or chocolate. "The study relied on using high concentrations of caffeine that would be unhealthy for human use," he said.

The research is published in the August edition of the Journal of Biological Chemistry.
Daily Express 21 August 2001

PHILLIP DAY: Once again science sends out those mixed messages! Compare this article with the one on coffee also in this bulletin and you will gain an appreciation of why the public gets so thoroughly confused on these issues.

Here's the bottom line: If you are seriously ill, coffee is a definite NO. If you are healthy, NOT drinking coffee will continue to assist in your remaining so. If you wish to indulge anyway, then at least know what the dangers are. Dr Joseph Mercola does a great job of educating us on this subject in this EClub edition article entitled Coffee, Tea or Stress-Free?