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New Guidance Says Doctors Should Discuss Vaping as One Option to Help Adults Quit Smoking

Quitting smoking is one of the best things a person can do for their health—but it's also one of the hardest habits to break. Many smokers make several attempts before they successfully quit, even when using medications or nicotine replacement products. Now, a panel of tobacco treatment experts is encouraging healthcare providers to expand the conversation about smoking cessation by discussing nicotine e-cigarettes as one possible option for adults who smoke cigarettes. The recommendations, published in JAMA , were developed by the Harm Reduction Work Group of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco’s Treatment Research Network. Rather than promoting vaping, the group says clinicians should focus on helping patients choose the quit-smoking method that best fits their individual circumstances. A Personalized Approach to Quitting Smoking cessation isn't the same for everyone. What works well for one person may not work for another, which is why the authors recommend mo...

Coffee and fatty food dangerous for blood sugar levels

Coffee with a high-fat meal raises
blood sugar levels and can
harm organs.

Coffee and fast food meals could cause dangerous spikes in blood sugar

In the new study, researchers found a 65 percent increase in blood sugar levels in men who consumed a specially made lipid (fatty) cocktail, followed by caffeine and a sugar drink.


The reason, according to scientists from the University of Guelph, is that saturated fat disrupts communication between the gut and the pancreas that release insulin. 

Normally, blood sugar is cleared from the body and delivered to muscles for energy, but eating a high-fat diet blunts the effect of hormones in the gastrointestinal tract. The effect lasts for hours and can harm body organs. The effect is worse when coffee with caffeine is added.

Researcher Marie-Soleil Beaudoin explains, "Ultimately we have found that fat and caffeinated coffee are impairing the communication between the gut and the pancreas, which could be playing a role in why participants couldn't clear the sugar from their blood as easily."

Scientists say coffee is already known to increase the risk of type 2 diabetes. The new study shows coffee combined with a high-fat meal raises blood sugar levels on par with patients who have the disease. 

Beaudoin suggests decaffeinated coffee is a better choice for cutting the chances of diabetes and keeping blood sugar levels normal, in addition to avoiding saturated high-fat foods. The findings are published in the Journal of Nutrition


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