Chiropractic Works: No “Silver Bullet” When It Comes to Good Health

By · Tuesday, July 14th, 2009

Just the other day I found an article on sciencedaily.com how caffeine reversed memory loss in aged mice induced to develop symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. The article began with the angle that “Coffee drinkers may have another reason to pour that extra cup.”  It continued by discussing a sequence of studies published online July 6 in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease that showed that caffeine considerably decreased abnormal levels of the protein linked to Alzheimer’s disease, both in the brains and in the blood of mice displaying symptoms of the disease.

However, before you opt to add another cuppa to your morning routine, let me warn you that under “Related Stories” on the website were a couple of articles about studies that demonstrated the not-so-healthy effects of caffeine, “Morning Jolt of Caffeine May Mask Serious Sleep Problems,” and “Coffee Consumption Linked To Increased Risk Of Heart Attack For Persons With Certain Gene Variation.”

In my experience, I’ve noticed that there are probably studies that will confirm, or at least support, nearly any view point, in particular when it is about health and longevity. The “yin-yang” of caffeine benefits-deficits naturally aren’t, of course, the only ones. But, it did get me to pondering about the reasonableness that there will not ever be simply “one thing” that will absolutely help we, humans, to live longer, healthier lives. Humans are dynamic, biological creatures. We aren’t bred in a cage! We are free to make choices in life. And, let’s face it, though Alzheimer’s disease is likely on the rise, obviously none of us has been “bred to develop symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease,” therefore caffeine isn’t going to be the “one thing” that is going to reverse or prevent it.

Our body is an exquisite, intricate system that is designed to function homeostasis, that is to say, balance. It makes sense, then, that good health is about a healthy, balanced approach to living, instead of our being blindly convinced by the latest health study and “doing” or “overdoing” one specific thing under the illusion that it will reverse all of the other excessive and harmful things we do to our bodies.

I believe, as a doctor of chiropractic, that every single day we have an opportunity to choose healthfully for our body, to decide what will help us to live longer, healthier lives. When it comes to what is good for us, we know what truly “feels” right and what doesn’t. So, the if you reach for that extra cup of coffee or that second glass of red wine, I hope that you’ll think about this. There is no “one thing” that will do “everything” for your good health.

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